5 BEST Things about Santa Barbara Museum of Art

I highly recommend the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, conveniently located in downtown Santa Barbara along State Street.

My first impression of the museum was of an elegant, italianate building. The building was actually Santa Barbara's post office for 18 years from 1914 to 1932, and somehow survived the earthquake in 1925. It then opened as an art museum in 1941.

The main lobby is known as Ludington Court, with dramatic archways leading to other galleries, and a staircase connecting visitors to upper floors. The total floor space is around 60,000 square feet.

The full collection is huge, with 25,000 works of art, including the largest Monet collection on the west coast! There's also other masters on display, like Matisse, Dali, Renoir, Rodin and Chagall.

I spent about 5 hours at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and it took longer than I expected to see everything.

After visiting the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, I explored other downtown attractions along bustling State Street, like the famous Santa Barbara Courthouse.

5 best things about Santa Barbara Museum of Art

1. The italianate lobby is gorgeous.

It was amazing stepping inside the striking Ludington Court, which is both the main lobby and a gallery space. It has a light and airy feel, with soaring 30-foot ceilings. You can see the stairway in the background that leads to the upper floor.

2. It has the largest Monet collection on the West Coast.

I was surprised to discover an incredible art collection at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, including a total of 4 Monet pieces; Villas in Bordighera (1884), Morning on the Seine (1897), Charing Cross Bridge (1899) and Waterloo Bridge (1900).

Monet's Morning on the Seine (1897) is on the left, and Charing Cross Bridge (1899) is on the right.

This is Monet's Villas in Bordighera (1884), that looks a lot like Santa Barbara!

3. The fabulous collection includes Renoir, Dali, Rodin, Matisse and Chagall.

See well known paintings like Renoir's Woman in a White Chemise (1900), Dali's striking Honey is Sweeter than Blood (1941), Rodin's Eternal Spring (1884), and Chagall's Horse Woman (1945).

Matisse's Pont Saint Michel (1901) is above.

4. There's a superb collection of Greek and Roman antiquities.

See precious vases, busts and sculptures from as early as the 1st Century AD.

5. Admire 18th and 19th century American and European Art.

A whole gallery is dedicated to 19th century American and European Art. Highlights include the California Dreaming plein-art paintings from San Francisco to San Diego, capturing a dreamlike, ethereal quality, with light infused California landscapes. Amongst the best is Children on the Beach by William Merritt Chase (1894).

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art also has a small collection of French and British portraiture from the 18th century (see below).