Santa Barbara Historical Museum

Dear Museum Friends - Erin Graffy will speak about the wonderful tradition of creating a poster each year for Old Spanish Days Fiesta. You can join us via Zoom on July 21 (or in-person on July 22 for Old Spanish Days Posters - History Happy Hour at the Museum. Make sure to register in advance!

Wishing you a safe holiday weekend! Fourth of July Parade on State Street circa 1917, Silver Gelatin Print, Robert Wright Collection, Gledhill Library, Santa Barbara Historical Museum.

We are really looking forward to this intimate, yet fiery night of Flamenco in our courtyard to kick off Fiesta! <3

Museum Member Alert! Save the date for the exhibit opening celebration for Project Fiesta! A History of Old Spanish Days Fiesta: Wednesday, July 14, 5:30-7:00 pm.

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana We are pleased this important day in history is being commemorated. We encourage you to learn more.

Congratulations to Mason Matthews, our Facilities Director, on his completion of his Masters Degree. We know he will make an incredible educator!

Today we congratulate all of the graduates this year! Our own Michael Capovilla graduates today from UC Santa Barbara and our Emily Alessio recently graduated from Westmont College. #loveourcrew

Dear friends, Nominate us! Out & About (Museum) Romance (Wedding Venue)...

We loved participating in this street painting festival and are very grateful to the artist, Sayak Mitra for his beautiful and thoughtful piece. It can be viewed today and tomorrow at the Museum!

"Many new things in this fast-moving age make it difficult to keep pace with an ever-changing world. Let us communicate, cooperate and coordinate our efforts for good freely." - Pearl Chase Photo: Pearl Chase, c.1930. Gledhill Library Collection.

Sharing our collection with you (from our virtual exhibition illustrating Old Mission Santa Barbara. The Mission Court, Santa Barbara, Cal., Jan. 1883 by Princess Louise, HRS Duchess of Argyll (English, 1848-1939), India ink on wash paper. Gift of Bruce Gimelson. Princess Louise Caroline Alberta was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. On Christmas Eve 1882, she, her consort the Marquess of Lorne arrived in Santa Barbara for the Christmas holiday season. Princess Louise was an accomplished artist and sculptor and spent much of her time in California documenting her travels. She was accorded the singular honor of being the first woman allowed in the cloistered garden at Mission Santa Barbara.

It is not too late to make a year-end donation to the museum! Our mission is to inspire meaningful connections to Santa Barbara history. Thank you for visiting, attending our online talks, and sharing the love of this great city with us for another year. <3 Happy New Year!... https://www.sbhistorical.org/donate/

Where better to celebrate the first year of the new century than Santa Barbara’s largest, most luxurious hotel, the Arlington? Located in the same block where the Arlington Theatre is today, the hotel opened in 1875 and added an Annex on Victoria Street after the arrival of the railroad in 1887. The glory days of the Arlington by 1901 were numbered, however. The larger, grander oceanfront Potter Hotel would open just two years later, eclipsing the older hostelry. The first Arlington would burn down in 1909, replaced by a second which in turn would come tumbling down in the 1925 earthquake, but the name lives on with the city’s largest theatre. Cover, Arlington Hotel’s 1901 New Year’s Day celebration menu and music program, 1901. Gledhill Library Collection.