5 BEST Things about Santa Barbara Museum of Art

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is inside an elegant, italianate building in downtown.

It was originally the post office from 1914-1932, miraculously surviving the 1925 earthquake. It then opened as an art gallery in 1941, and today houses an incredible 27,000 works of art.

Combine a visit to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, with nearby downtown attractions like restaurants and shops along bustling State Street, and the stunning Santa Barbara Courthouse.

5 best things about Santa Barbara Museum of Art

1. The fabulous collection includes Renoir, Dali, Rodin, Matisse and Chagall.

See well known paintings like Renoir's Woman in a White Chemise (1900), Dali's striking Honey is Sweeter than Blood (1941), Rodin's Eternal Spring (1884), and Chagall's Horse Woman (1945).

Matisse's Pont Saint Michel (1901) is above.

2. It has the largest Monet collection on the West Coast.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is home to romantic impressionist pieces from Monet, like the famous Waterloo Bridge (1900).

Below is Monet's Villas in Bordighera (1884), that looks a lot like Santa Barbara!

3. The italianate interior is gorgeous.

Breathtaking Ludington Court is the most impressive gallery at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. The high, paneled ceilings and decorative archways create a light, airy and elegant space.

4. There's a superb collection of Greek and Roman antiquities.

See precious vases, busts and sculptures from as early as the 1st Century AD.

5. Admire 18th and 19th century American and European Art.

A whole gallery is dedicated to 19th century American and European Art. Highlights include the California Dreaming plein-art paintings from San Francisco to San Diego, capturing a dreamlike, ethereal quality, with light infused California landscapes. Amongst the best is Children on the Beach by William Merritt Chase (1894).

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art also has a small collection of French and British portraiture from the 18th century (see below).