SPOTLIGHT ON: SANTA BARBARA MUSEUMS | Luxury Realtor Cristal Clarke

Culture and Visual Riches are Alive and Well Here

Santa Barbara is home to a distinctive collection of museums and cultural attractions that have become an essential facet of the jewel that is the American Rivera. They tell stories about the natural world, teach, inspire, entertain, and some even transport us back in time. Those of us who live here are downright spoiled by the quality of programming, depth and breadth of the collections, and aesthetic beauty showcased at these fine institutions and landmarks dedicated to mind-expanding experiences.

Santa Barbara Natural History Museum in front of blue sky and trees.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Founded in 1916, this locals favorite has revolving displays of more than 3.5 million artifacts and specimens covering every aspect of natural history. Boasting state-of-the-art interactive exhibits for all ages, and the Central Coast’s only planetarium, the Museum is located on 17 acres of oak woodland along Mission Creek. You can find a diverse set of educational programs for all age levels here, too, through the involvement of the museum’s scientists and the power of hands-on nature experiences.

Sea Center/Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Don’t forget to get your hands wet at The Sea Center on Stearns Wharf. There, you’ll discover the beautiful, weird, and fascinating life of the Santa Barbara Channel. A 1,500-gallon tidepool tank and live shark touch pool offer kids up-close interactions with ocean life and a chance to learn about all the wonders of the area’s underwater world. In addition to permanent exhibits, the Sea Center hosts unique events and special educational programming.

Moxi, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation
Santa Barbara’s Science Museum, MOXI, is not just for kids. All ages are welcome to explore the museum that brings an added level of innovation, imagination, and fun to downtown Santa Barbara. Located on lower State Street, MOXI’s three engaging floors are filled with hands-on exhibits focused on science and technology. As an added bonus, the stunning rooftop Sky Garden features a birds-eye view of Stearns Wharf, Cabrillo Boulevard, and downtown Santa Barbara.

Entrance of the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature in Santa Barbara.

Wildling Museum of Art and Nature
This is the place where art and nature meet. The Wildling uses art to educate and inspire people to better understand and care for our dwindling natural and wilderness areas. With a mission to inspire the community and visitors to enjoy, value, and conserve wildlife and natural areas through art, this place provides artistic, educational, and field experiences designed to better understand and care for our dwindling natural and wilderness areas.

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
You’ll discover artifacts and stories that illustrate the adventurous history of man’s discovery and exploration of the Santa Barbara Channel at this unique museum. Located off Shoreline Drive, within walking distance of Santa Barbara Harbor, topics of exploration here run the gamut, from the superstitious world of nautical tattoos to firsthand accounts of the more than 300 women who once served as lighthouse keepers. A visit will leave you with a unique insight into some of the lesser-known stories of the sea.

Santa Barbara Museum of Art
The mission of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art is to integrate art into our lives. And that they do, with more than 27,000 pieces on display spanning 5,000 years of human creativity. Conveniently located on State Street, the museum is home to some of the most important art ever created, including the largest collection of works by legendary French Impressionist Monet on the West Coast, to “Portrait of Mexico Today, 1932,” the only intact mural in the United States by David Alfaro Siqueiros.

The courtyard of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum with pretty fountain

Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Ready for a walk through more than 500 years of history featuring collections from the Chumash, Mexican, Spanish, and American periods? Then head to the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, located in the historic El Pueblo Viejo district. There, you’ll find some 80,000 artifacts and objects, including fine art from the late Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Mexican, and Early California periods. The museum maintains the largest institutional collection of works by artists such as Ludmilla Welch, Clarence Mattei, and the Old West artwork of John Edward Borein.

Lotusland
This 37-acre botanical nirvana was created by the late Madame Ganna Walska. Featuring 25 distinctive gardens, this living Museum is home to rare cycads, cacti, palms, euphorbias, feature ferns, aloes, lotuses, water lilies, bromeliads, the palmetum and insectary garden. Its secret location is in a private, residential neighborhood, but don’t worry, you’ll receive the address as soon as you make a reservation for a tour, event or even a personal picnic.

Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum
Did you know the world's largest private holding of important original manuscript documents was located right here in Santa Barbara? Well, it is. And the archives include Literature, Science, Religion, Political History, and Art. Treasures include the original draft of the Bill of Rights of the United States, The original manuscript of the sheet music for “The Wedding March,” Einstein's famous formula "E=Mc2", Roget's "Thesaurus," Webster's "Dictionary," and over one million more.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about our local culture and visual riches we who live here enjoy. If you’re thinking of moving to any of our wonderful Santa Barbara area communities, please take a look at my comprehensive website. Then call me at (805) 886-9378, email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com for a complimentary consultation.

Back to Articles

Client Reviews

“Cristal Clarke has conducted numerous real estate transactions for me beginning 13 years ago with the purchase of a Lemon Ranch. She has handled both large and small purchases and sales with equal dedication. As a negotiator, you can’t find anyone better. Her transactions are always conducted in the most appropriate and professional manner. Cristal has considerable knowledge of the Santa Barbara market.”

- S.N. Decker Ph.D.

“Living in Europe, we were to say the least, unaccustomed to the nuances of Real Estate acquisition in California and Cristal steered us through the process with absolute professionalism and personal attention to detail at every turn. Her in-depth knowledge of the market place combined with enthusiasm and drive was the only reason we secured the property of our dreams and will be forever grateful. If you are looking for personal discrete and private representation of the highest quality we suggest you look no further than Cristal Clarke.”

- Johan and Paula van den Berg

“Cristal is very straightforward, cheerful, helpful, professional and trustworthy….we felt very lucky to work with her.”

- John and Lacey Williams

“After considering our many choices, we are grateful it was Cristal Clarke of Sotheby’s International who represented the sale of our Montecito cottage. We are familiar with Cristal’s reputation of hard work and dedication to clients, but it was her attention to detail that made our experience so positive. She offered suggestions for staging the property, worked in harmony with potential buyers and was even able to secure back up offers. The sale of our cottage was completed much sooner than we expected, due in great part to Cristal’s professional skills and support. We highly recommend Cristal as a first choice for anyone needing representation with real estate.”

- Michael & Nancy Lee

“Our experience in working with Cristal Clarke resulted in the successful and discrete acquisition of a property which was not yet on the open market. Her knowledge of the Montecito/Santa Barbara area and vast expertise blended with her passion for real estate and architecture, provided us with the very highest level of professionalism and personalized services. Cristal exhibited a rare combination of excellent communications, attention to detail, creativity and patience.”

- Richard and Catherine Frinier

“Cristal really breaks the mold. She knows every nook and cranny of this real estate market, understands value, and follows up on everything, all the time. She was incredibly patient with our two year quest to find the perfect house. Every house hunting trip from across the country was well planned, and our time was never wasted. On top of her professionalism and expertise, she is delightful to spend time with. We are thrilled with the home we purchased, and grateful to Cristal for so wisely advising us through this process, right through to the close and beyond.”

- Laurie Siegel

“We met Cristal first in the course of renting a winter home (for three years), then buying a house using her as our agent. She was amazingly good at listening to our wants and showing us homes that fit our needs. Her mastery of the paperwork was perfect. Most importantly, there was never a situation where we doubted her straightforwardness or integrity. If we do another real estate transaction in Montecito (which I doubt, we’re happy with what we purchased), without question we’d use Cristal again.”

- Ken Saffir

“Susan and I just want to thank you for your efforts in the sale of our home. You are really quite amazing. Your competence, persistence, optimism and humor made the entire process effortless. Every problem that arose, you somehow fixed; any obstacle, you overcame. We have bought and sold many homes. It has never been such a painless and enjoyable process!”

- Michael & Susan Marquart

“A little something about “our” realtor, Cristal Clarke. My wife and I came to Santa Barbara about fifteen years ago looking for a seasonal home from which to enjoy the weather and amenities of the central coast. Being in the real estate business myself I was familiar with agents and brokers so entered the market with open eyes. We “flipped” a few houses in the early years, dealing with various agents and finally ended up in Montecito. That’s when good fortune put us together with Cristal. To say we were impressed is to put it mildly. Cristal really knows the market. She is familiar with the area, its history and trends. When we have questions about a particular property she either has the answers immediately or gets back to us by phone or email. There is no waiting or wondering with Cristal. She is an agent who is “on top of it.” Her recommendations as to price points, contractors, inspectors and title agents have proven to be exceptional, showing great insight and the highest professional standards. We consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate to say that Cristal Clarke is our realtor and would recommend her services to any serious buyer or seller.”

- Rob & Judi Kelch