We are historic.

◾️ West Beach has a rich history deeply rooted as the home of the Chumash Native American people from 1000 A.D. to the mid 1800s. Plaques on the corner of Chapala and Cabrillo depict the sophisticated culture of the Chumash people. Another plaque at Ambassador Park is the Burton Mound, which is home to California’s largest archaeological find of over 2500 Native American artifacts. Today those items are stored in the National Museum of the American Indian.

◾️ Love the palm trees that line the thoroughfare of Ambassador Park? These trees are remnants of the historic entry to the 600-room Potter Hotel built on the Burton Mound in 1901. The bandstand in Plaza Del Mar was the center for concerts in the park and Pershing Park was used for carriage horse races for hotel guests. Later, the Potter Hotel would be referenced as the “birthplace of Santa Barbara tourism.”

◾️ Take a stroll on the breakwater along our historic working harbor and stop by the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum which preserves the maritime history of our local coast through exhibits, artifacts and events. Another museum right in our backyard is Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Art Museum at Pershing Park - check it out!

◾️Did you know the our train station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006? It was built in 1902 and our historic depot was renovated in 2000. The grounds host Santa Barbara’s Morton Bay Fig Tree which is believed to be the largest fig tree in the United States. Email wearewestbeach@gmail.com to brainstorm ways (once these grounds have been revamped by our city) to create a system in place to protect them to stay as equally beautiful as our historic train station.

◾️ When you have a chance, walk by the two historic homes on Montecito St. Click https://www.sbhistorical.org/historic-homes/ to read the backstory on these historic homes.

◾️ And last but not least, don’t miss out on experiencing the Carriage and Western Art Museum of Santa Barbara. Established in 1972, this museum is a non-profit organization with the mission to collect, display and preserve historic horse-drawn vehicles, saddles, and western memorabilia. Museum is located at 126 Cabrillo St, behind Pershing Park and admission is FREE.