The Santa Barbara County Courthouse Docent Council has announced the return of in-person courthouse tours starting Monday, June 13. Docent-led tours of the courthouse, an iconic national and state historic landmark, have long been popular with visitors and locals.
Free one-hour tours will be offered at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reservations are not required.
Tours begin in the courthouse Mural Room on the second floor, where a trained docent will welcome visitors and guide them through the courthouse building and gardens, highlighting the history of the landmark with a focus on the artisans, architects and community leaders who brought it into being.
In addition to regular tours, special group tours and guided group visits to the Bisno Schall Clock Gallery are available by reservation. For more about special tours, email tours@sbcourthouse.org, and for the Clock Gallery, email clock@sbcourthouse.org.
Visitors are subject to security screening at entrances. For more, visit the Docent Council website.
Founded in 1974, the Docent Council is dedicated to supporting the public appreciation and cultural heritage of the historic building, which has been called “The grandest Spanish Colonial Revival structure ever built.”