As the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Docent Council prepares to celebrate its semicentennial, 14 new members graduated on April 6, after completing a comprehensive 10-week training program.

More than a dozen community members who completed the 10-week docent training program stand for a group photo outside the County Courthouse. (Courtesy photo)
More than a dozen community members completed the 10-week docent training program. (Courtesy photo)

Led by Robert L. Ooley, retired county architect; and Rodney Baker, Docent Council projects chair, the training consists of weekly classes where prospective docents learn about the architecture, art, history and significance of the courthouse, which is a National & State Historic Landmark and a City of Santa Barbara Landmark.

For the past half-century, volunteer docents have provided free daily courthouse tours for visitors from all over the world. Docents also staff the information booth in the lobby, offer educational tours for school groups, and are involved in preservation projects throughout the historic building.

Today, the Docent Council has 64 active docents.

For more, visit the Docent Council website.