• Two guest passes to the Garden

As the first botanic garden to focus exclusively on native plants, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has dedicated nearly a century of work to better understand the relationship between plants and people.

In 1925 the Carnegie Institution suggested a cooperative undertaking with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History to administer what it envisioned as a botanical garden “reaching from the sea to the crest of the mountains, connected by a drive lined with trees, shrubs, and flowers from all parts of the earth.” Plant ecologist Dr. Frederic Clements came to Santa Barbara as Carnegie’s representative in search of geographic sites that could be used for experimental plant research.

At Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, we have remained true to our founding principle — to conserve native plants and habitats for the well-being of people and our planet. We have walked this path from our humble yet visionary beginnings to our world-class collaborations with scientists and architects of the time, and through the destruction and rebirth from wildfire. The Garden’s journey is ongoing.