Santa Barbara County Courthouse facts for kids
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Santa Barbara County Courthouse
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Santa Barbara County Courthouse, exterior view from the clock tower, showing the Sunken Garden
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | Santa Barbara, California |
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| Area | 4.65 acres (1.88 ha) |
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | J Wilmer Hershey |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000177 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 23, 1981 |
| Designated NHL | April 5, 2005 |
The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is a beautiful building in Santa Barbara, California. It was finished in 1929 and looks like old Spanish buildings. This style is called Spanish Colonial Revival.
A famous architect named Charles Willard Moore said it was the "grandest" building of its kind. It helped make this Spanish style popular in Santa Barbara. You can find it in downtown Santa Barbara. An older building was there before, but it was badly damaged in an earthquake in 1925. So, they built this new one! Because of its special design, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 2005. This means it's a very important historical place!
Exploring the Courthouse
The courthouse is actually made up of four buildings. It even used to have a jail wing, but it's not used for prisoners anymore.
You can ride an elevator to the top of the "El Mirador" clock tower. It's about 85 feet tall! From up there, you can see amazing views of Santa Barbara. There are even pictures that show you what you are looking at in every direction.
The courthouse grounds cover a whole city block. They have many different types of palm trees and other special trees from over 25 countries.
Fun Events and Gardens
The courthouse is a popular place for many events. Lots of these events happen in the Sunken Garden. This garden is where the old courthouse used to be. In one recent year, almost 7,000 visitors from 60 countries came to see the courthouse!
The building is always being taken care of. They recently fixed a fountain in the front. Over the past two years, a lot of money was spent to keep the courthouse looking great.
Main Entrance Details
The main entrance of the courthouse has a big design above it. It shows two figures sitting on thrones. Between them, there's a Spanish saying. The English meaning of the saying is on the door to the right.
Gallery
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"Reason is the Life of the Law"
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Inscription above the main entrance: "Dios nos dio los campos. El arte humana edificó ciudades." This translates to "God gave us the fields. Human art built cities."
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Sunken Garden and clock tower
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Interior view of the Mural Room
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Main entrance and clock tower
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Front view of the courthouse
