El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park

El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park began in 1782 and is the first area in Santa Barbara, California to be a park. The military built a fortress on the land with Spanish architecture to help protect Santa Barbara, Alta, and San Diego. It also served the San Francisco and Monterey area. The Padre, Junipero Serra, led the missions at the Mission of Santa Barbara in 1786. This mission is part of the Historic Park. Much of the original Presidio site and modern Santa Barbara are part of the historic park, which intersects with Santa Barbara and East Canon Perdido Streets.

The presidios were vital to the occupation by New Spain because they were a government seat able to protect against unwanted attacks. The white washed buildings, which still stand, can be toured by visitors to see the adobe construction and learn about the history of El Presidio. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for children/ seniors. There are also memberships available. Hours of operation are 10:30am to 4:30pm. The park is closed for major holidays, but other than that they are open. The sister site is just a few miles down the road from El Presidio.