Our brief visit here was for a firsthand look at one of the country’s most beautiful public buildings, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Designed in the Spanish-Colonial style and completed in 1929, the still-functioning Courthouse is an iconic Santa Barbara landmark with its distinctive four-faced clock tower, red tile roof, elegant arches and verdant sunken garden and grounds. A must-see for us.

Inside, you can get a visual history lesson from the elaborate hand-painted murals, marvel at ornate wrought-iron chandeliers and climb to the top of the clock tower for a fabulous 360° view of Santa Barbara and beyond.
The exceptional panorama in the Mural Room is the work of Daniel Sayre Groesbeck (1879-1950). It has been called “the unquestionable masterpiece of the courthouse interior.” As one enters the Mural Room, you are enfolded by Santa Barbara history — 6,400 square feet depicting scenes from the community’s past. 








A real treat was to see the Bisno Schall Clock Gallery. Until 2012, the mechanism of the huge clock, installed in 1929, was hidden behind plywood walls. Surrounding the clock is an impressive 60-foot mural depicting the history of timekeeping. Wow.


Brief but breathtaking. This has been a great start to Day #2.