California residents can get free access to state historic parks for the rest of the year, including two in Santa Barbara County.
Officials said last week that State Parks Historian Passports are available for free now through July 6 and can be used for visits through the end of 2026.
The pass is usually $50 and this free version offers unlimited entry to state historic parks for up to four people per pass.
Santa Barbara County’s state historic parks include La Purísima Mission State Historic Park in Lompoc and El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park.
A full list and map of state historic parks is available here.
Interested visitors can download the pass by making or logging into a ReserveCalifornia account and selecting the “Passes” section and then the Historian Passport. Check out with the pass (which costs $0.00) and get it emailed to download on a phone or print out.
The passes are a way to help Californians learn state history and celebrate Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, state leaders said.
“California doesn’t hide from hard truths and uncomfortable history – in fact, we embrace it and learn from it. While Trump ignores and tries to rewrite the past, California is marking these celebrations of freedom by inviting everyone to learn our country’s history – our real history – for free in our state parks,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
“California’s state historic parks preserve some of our nation’s most powerful and meaningful stories, and I’m proud to live in a state that celebrates diversity to connect more people with those stories through this limited-time free pass,” California State Parks Director Armando Quintero said in a statement.
Quintero also thanked the California State Parks Foundation and California State Railroad Museum Foundation for supporting the program.
Free State Park Passes From Your Library
The state’s Outdoor Access for All program created State Library Parks Passes, which people can check out from local libraries.
These passes give free day-use access to participating state parks, including nearby El Capitán State Beach, Gaviota State Park, Refugio State Beach and Carpinteria State Beach.
The Santa Barbara, Goleta and Santa Maria libraries all have these passes available to check out.