The Santa Barbara Courthouse has temporarily closed the popular clock tower observation deck during its restoration project.

This second phase of the large project includes replacing the roof and doing exterior renovations to the Santa Barbara County building at 1100 Anacapa St.

County spokeswoman Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta said visitors will be able to visit the tower and viewing deck again on July 26.

In the past, the clock tower had undergone only minor repairs. The roof was originally built in 1929, and large parts of the roof have not had any repairs since then.

This work is part of the second of four phases for the renovation project, and work includes re-roofing the tower roof above the observation deck; restoring the decorative wood and iron along the deck; doing minor stucco and tile repairs; and repainting.

“These are necessary repairs,” said Barbara Peters, a member of the Courthouse Docent Council.

Peters, who is one of the docents who leads tours in the courthouse, explained that thousands of tourists visit the location every year and that the clock tower is one of the main draws.

“It’s a very popular destination,” Peters said. “It has a magnificent 360-view of Santa Barbara. We are all looking forward to it reopening.”

Beyond being a tourist destination, Peters explained that the courthouse also acts as a community gathering place because of free events, such as the free Summer Cinema beginning in July and tours of the building.

The first phase of the four-part renovation project was completed in December 2022 and cost about $2.1 million.

This second phase, which is about 60% completed, started last November and is expected to cost about $3 million. Construction will be done in June, according to the General Services Department.

There is currently no start date for the next phase of the project, but the General Services Department plans to bring it to the Board of Supervisors later this year.