Had the opportunity to go to a gala at the Cabrillo Pavilion recently and it was fantastic. Situated across the street from the Mar Monte hotel, the Cabrillo Pavilion is located on a more quiet and beautiful part of the beach. Views during the late afternoon are incredible. Overall ambiance and vibe is colonial Spanish style (typical of Santa Barbara and Montecito). Food was excellent. Staff were friendly and helpful. read more

Excellent place I went up to Santa Barbara for a week and I went by the Cabrillo pavilion on East Beach and they remodeled the bottom part of it. where they have an exercise room, new shower's new locker rooms a wonderful facility to work out they're charging five dollars for seniors and $10 for anybody who wants to work out. I recommended it they must've spent about three to $5 million dollars remodeling that whole bottom floor, now it has a nice restaurant you can rent the top floors for a wedding and reception so if you're in Santa Barbara and want to have a good workout I recommend it. On East Beach Cabrillo pavilion ArtCenter main floor exercise room and facilities. read more

See all

From the moment we saw the Cabrillo Pavilion, we knew it was the perfect venue for our wedding. It allowed us to have a beautiful beach ceremony on East Beach, followed by a reception inside that we were able to completely transform to match our vision, all while enjoying two stunning patios overlooking the ocean. The backdrop was breathtaking, and we were even lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins swim by during our reception--pure magic! For a city-owned venue, Cabrillo Pavilion is truly unmatched, especially since it was recently renovated and feels modern yet timeless. We explored countless venues in Santa Barbara, but nothing compared to this one. The price point for Santa Barbara residents is also incredible, making it an even better find. A word of advice--it books out well in advance, so if you're considering it, plan ahead! But if you're looking for a gorgeous, well-maintained venue that can be tailored to your style, with unbeatable ocean views, the Cabrillo Pavilion is a top choice. We couldn't have imagined a more perfect place to celebrate our special day! Wedding date: Sept. 15, 2024 read more

I think they allow for your to rent or reserve the beach space imm space immediately in front of the building for your event. Pro tip: You can also reserve a beach/sand friendly wheelchair with the staff downstairs. It's a nice event space on the top floor. High ceilings with exposed wood. Panoramic view of the ocean. Balconies on both sides of the panoramic view to get some sea air without leaving the building. Absolutely beautiful venue. Bathrooms are nice and clean. The ones on the bottom floor include showers. read more

See all

I know from personal experience that finding a venue large enough for 150 people to attend a rehearsal dinner can be tough. My friend chose this Art Pavilion as the venue for her rehearsal last weekend and it was perfect. It was spacious (their website says they can seat up to 200 people) with an absolutely gorgeous view of the water. One of those views that made me think "why do I live in Chicago?" The Spanish style of the venue was just perfect for the mexican fiesta theme of this rehearsal dinner, but really any type of theme would work in this type of space. The groom's parents had the event catered with one of their favorite Santa Barbara Mexican restaurants so bringing in food is definitely an option, although not sure if it's the only option. The mexican restaurant was busy cooking away on grills outside. Surrounded by good friends this would have been a special night no matter where we are, but a cool venue like the Cabrillo Arts Pavilion made it extra special. read more

Cabrillo Pavilion - Picture taken from website - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We had our wedding at the Cabrillo Pavilion and it was a beautiful venue to have a wedding in Santa Barbara. Working with the parks team to get our reservation in was very straight forward and the price for the venue is much more reasonable than many of the private venues in the area. The space itself is beautiful and must be seen in person. The windows overlooking the beach made a beautiful backdrop for our guests during dinner. There are also two balconies that were a huge hit with our guests. We had our ceremony on the beach right in front of the venue (reservation booked separately) and it worked out perfectly and made for an easy transition into the venue for the reception. We had appx 120 guests for a seated dinner with a dance floor. I think our final table count was ~18 with a sweetheart table, dessert table, bar, and DJ. There was more than enough space for all of that, we did not feel cramped and it could definitely hold more comfortably. The parks team was very attentive and answered any questions we had as they came up. They also returned out security deposit promptly after the event. This was a great venue, if you like it after seeing it, you should have no hesitation in booking it. read more

This is a lovely wedding reception location. I have attended two weddings here and both were beautiful. It is one of the only buildings on the beach side of Cabrillo and has a gorgeous view of the ocean. The most recent wedding I went to was this past weekend and there were over 150 people seated comfortable for dinner with a large dance floor in the middle. My only issue with the space is that the bathrooms are right off the main room so some of the tables end up right in front of them, meaning that everyone had to squeeze past us to use the restroom. At least it meant that we didn't have to get up to speak to most of our friends - they came to us! There are parking lots nearby and a number of hotels located conveniently within walking distance. read more

My wife and I rented the Cabrillo Pavilion for our wedding and it was absolutely fantastic on so many levels. The staff was friendly and very helpful throughout the planning process and everything was just as they said it would be come event day. We were able to keep a section of beach clear for our ceremony which was a dream come true to get married in the sand. And since the event space for reception is a very large room upstairs, we had the peace of mind to be able to use the indoor space for ceremony as well should the weather have been uncooperative. Even though the reception space is indoors, it almost doesn't feel that way with the giant bay windows spanning the entire south side of the building over looked the ocean and Channel Islands. They also have two big patio spaces on either side of this windows where lots of our guests spent time during the golden hours of sunset soaking up the sun and views. A nice cherry on top of the whole thing was the tables and chairs the venue was able to provide, already built into their price, saving us from a larger and more expensive rental order. We absolutely recommend this space for weddings, or any party for the matter, in Santa Barbara for any time of year! read more

This is a really beautiful place for a wedding. PROs Its right on the ocean. Its a beautiful location, right on the beach. It is owned by the city, so its a little cheaper than the surrounding hotels. You can bring your own food/drinks Rental includes dance floor, chairs and tables It includes 2 balconies that overlook the ocean. CONS It was a little confusing to coordinate buying parking passes from the city and passing them out to guests. We later saw an event where they had just reserved/.blocked off a section of the parking lot. They never told us that was an option so I dont know how they were able to. You have to pay a building coordinator but they do not assist with the wedding. read more

Cabrillo Pavilion - Photo owned by Elizabeth Lucht Photography - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

We just had our wedding here and we're very happy with the experience. We chose the venue because of the location and also the price. We had around 150 guests and the venue was a good size to hold our reception. At the Cabrillo Arts Center, you bring in all your own vendors, so it really helped that we could manage specific parts of our budget. It's a popular wedding venue, so most of our vendors were familiar with the space. All our guests loved the ocean view and the layout. Leslie was super easy to work with and extremely accommodating. One downside is that the venue does not include parking with the rental fee. If you don't want your guests to pay for parking, you do need to pre-purchase parking from the Waterfront. read more

Cabrillo Pavilion Art Center was beautiful for my wedding! Location location! I loved the Spanish style building and the view. HOWEVER. Just know you can't take down all of the art pieces. We paid a couple thousand dollars and were disappointed that we couldn't take photos down besides the head and cake table. I understand it's an art center but when you're PAYING ALOT of money for it then you should be able to do what you want. The random pictures didn't go with my rustic themed wedding. I'm hoping my photographer was able to take shots without the photos. read more

See all

This was a wonderful place to host a wedding reception. Very accommodating of our caterer and DJ. Beautiful space -- huge windows with dramatic views of the ocean/Channel Islands, lovely outdoor seating areas, beautiful art on the walls (which we chose to leave uncovered, although some people, for some reason, cover it up with sheets). They also provide many useful resources as part of the rental -- tables, chairs, a dance floor, a projector screen (but not a projector, we rented locally), and a bar. We actually did our ceremony at SBCC, just a few miles down the beach. Most people get married on the beach right in front of the center, but this is actually a separate rental with the city, so the cost wasn't that different doing it at SBCC -- better views, more privacy (the beach is rather full, especially during the summer). I think we might have even saved money because the space at SBCC didn't require chair rental. Note on booking: we booked 18 months out because it is a city property, thus an affordable place to get married right by the beach in Santa Barbara, thus highly in demand. Plan ahead! Even 18 months out we got our second choice in weekends. read more

The website refers to this place as "one of the best kept secrets in town." After having recently been there and worked out for an hour, and then later speaking to them on the phone about something I forgot in my locker, I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement. Reasons: 1. Very dirty 2. Old, cheap, poorly functioning gym equipment 3. Smells bad 4. Homeless people apparently use this place as their go-to place for showers and personal hygeine -- I saw numerous disheveled men in the locker room bathing, shaving, etc., and none had worked out or done anything else that would require that. It was just their daily cleaning ritual. 5. Front desk staff not very helpful -- I forgot something in my locker and called repeatedly to ask them to help me locate it, every time it seemed to me that they were just trying to do as little as possible to help me, but rather that they just wanted to get rid of me. Santa Barbara is a great city, but I would recommend steering clear of this place; it is a dump. read more

I was here (upstairs) for a wedding reception and it was absolutely beautiful. The artwork inside was such a nice touch, too. The facilities were great, with seating on the balcony and inside. I would gladly come back for another reception of some sort read more

Came here for my boyfriend's friend's wedding a few weeks ago. The venue was really nice and had a beautiful ocean view. The perfect size for a wedding from 150-200 people. The beach is right there as well which is nice for those who want to take some wedding photos out on the sand. I don't know if Cabrillo catered the food we ate at the reception or not... It was delicious! The only problem is that no one at my table was able to finish their plate or were nowhere near to finishing since our plates were quickly taken away when we got up for a dance. Great venue though. read more

What a nice review we got! Leslie- I just wanted to let you know that the Chase Palm Park Center was as PERFECT as it could be for our dinner. Perfect size ... perfect indoor/outdoor spaces ... perfect weather! The Catering Connection staff and food were first class. And Sandra was most helpful ... especially in tracking down our beer and wine that was delivered to the wrong location! She found it at the carousel, and by the time I arrived to pick it up, two young, courteous Parks & Rec guys were standing by to help load it in the car. Anyway, it all worked out ... and got the weekend started on a very high note! Thanks again, Randy P.S. the wedding in the Mission rose garden was very special as well ... as was playing in the ocean with our two year old grandson! read more

Amazing location but the lockers are old and the whole place is just screaming for a remodel. I've been swimming here for years and everything is the same including the 80s volleyball photographs on the wall. That's a testament to just how little it's changed. So as a historic relic it's kinda cool but as a locker-room its unfortunately a bit decrepit. Still, the beachside location is unbeatable so I gave it 3 stars. read more

The Cabrillo Arts Pavilion was the site that we held our 2015 wedding. The staff there is friendly, courteous, and professional. We booked them over a year in advance and from the get go they made sure our day went perfectly. Their provided literature clearly lays out the ground rules, prices, and details of renting out the space. The day of they had someone on site to make sure everything happened smoothly and the space was available from the minute we booked it. All of the details we wanted (chairs, dance floor, tables) were provided to our exacting detail. Prices were about as low as you can go for Santa Barbara...yet all of our guests couldn't stop talking about how perfect the venue was! It is literally right on the beach. My wife and I even had a few minutes to slip onto the beach and get amazing sunset photographs. This is one of the easiest reviews for us to write because of how perfect is was. Good staff. Good venue. Good overall experience. I highly recommend it for a Santa Barbara wedding. read more

I always dreamed of a beach side wedding and Cabrillo Pavilion Arts Center and Leslie Lund made this possible. I had my wedding here back in September and my guests couldn't stop raving about how gorgeous the place was with big windows over looking the Pacific Ocean. Before I found this venue I had searched all along the Southern California Coast and could not find anything within our price point, until we found Cabrillo Pavilion. From the very beginning Leslie was very nice and extremely helpful answering all my questions, and believe me there were a lot! I can never thank her and Cindy for their help. My wedding was absolutely gorgeous!! I wish I could give this venue and its team a higher rating! Thank you! Best Regards, One HAPPY BRIDE!! read more

Cabrillo Pavilion - Cabrillo Pavilion - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

From the moment my husband and I walked into this venue, we knew it would be perfect for our wedding reception. Located right on the East Cabrillo Beach, it was very convenient for us since our ceremony would be right there on the beach as well! What I loved about this venue was the old Californian architectural style and charm, the fact that our wedding was the only wedding in the venue (I've always disliked the idea of sharing the venue on my big day with another couple :), and the way you can transform the place to make it look however you want! It is spacious, bright, with beautiful details all throughout the venue and it's location is very central. read more

There is a beautiful view from the ballroom. I enjoyed it while at a meeting here recently. I imagine it'd be nice for weddings (smaller ones) or receptions or graduation parties. Alcohol is allowed, but no kegs. A very nice venue, inside and out. read more

Cabrillo is a beautiful space to hold a wedding reception especially if you're a couple on a budget. Our guests at our wedding on 6.24.16 truly enjoyed the cocktail hour and two open patios with ocean views while waiting for the bride and groom and overall enjoyed our entire reception and weekend in such a beautiful city. We love Cabrillo as it now holds very special memories for myself and my new husband. read more

We had our wedding reception at the Pavilion Arts Center on July 16, 2011. Our guests enjoyed the beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean from the venue as well as the beautiful Spanish style decor. We received many compliments from our guests. The venue is great for any occassion but was defintitely great for our wedding. Leslie Lund was a pleasure to deal with at the Pavilion Arts Center. read more

Yes the gym is old and a little dirty. The equipment is left over from some other generation. But I've been there three times and there's always been someone friendly working out. I enjoy chit chatting. Above all else it's right on the beach. You can work out in the gym, then change into a swimsuit, go swiming, then go back to the locker room and take a nice shower and get dressed. Don't expect a five star resort but if you wear flip flops in the shower you'll be just fine. read more

My husband and I chose to have our July 2011 wedding ceremony on the beach directly behind the Cabrillo Pavilion Arts Center and our reception in the Arts Center. The ceremony on the beach was perfect and we had no issue accommodating 130 guests. Although the beach is public, people were very respectful of the fact a ceremony was underway and we had no issues with noise or people randomly walking by the ceremony location. Our cocktail hour was held upstairs in the Arts Center in the back section with all the windows overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean, as well as on the amazing balconies. We had so many compliments on the venue. The word "amazing" was commonly used by our guests. The main room used for the reception comfortably fit all our guests, the dance floor and buffet tables. We opted to drape the walls with fabric to soften the room and that really transformed it. It really was very beautiful. This location is very reasonably priced for the space, location and amazing views. Our guests have commented on the Cabrillo months after our wedding. I worked primarily with Leslie Lund who was so great to work with in the months leading up to our big event. I highly recommend this hidden gem if you are considering a Santa Barbara wedding and want a view that will amaze your guests. Other vendors that we used that we also loved and would highly recommend include: Grass Roots Florist, LBPS (lighting & fabric design), Gavin Roy (DJ), Robert Boyd (guitarist for ceremony) and Blue Horizon Studios (photography). read more

Cabrillo Pavillion was the perfect location for my wedding, you can't beat the view! It was easy to coordinate and because it's city owned the price for beach front in Santa Barbara is a steal! Chairs tables and dance floor was included which is a big plus and unlike many other venues you can play music up until 11 pm and be out by midnight. The only downfall to this venue is the art hanging on the walls cannot be removed, but of course they disclose that upon booking. Overall I was happy with the booking process, customer service and of course the venue. Definitely recommend to others! read more

Great venue and wonderful staff. The views are amazing. Room is nicely laid out. I will caution that it seems reasonably priced to have your wedding here (and it is compared to lots of other spots), but the extra hours add up if you are on a weekend rate. Only other warning, there is no air conditioner. We had no idea and it was very , very hot for our September wedding. Shouldn't be an issue at all other than summer months. Finally, if you are interested in buying my wedding linen for this venue (dusty rose color), please message me! Thanks. read more

Cabrillo Pavilion Arts Center was the best place I could have chosen to have my wedding reception. It was perfect to be right on the beach without having to deal with sand! Our guests couldn't stop commenting on how beautiful the view was! Leslie Lund and I communicated for many months. She was a pleasure to work with. read more

We recently had our wedding reception at Cabrillo Pavilion Arts and we are so glad we did. Leslie Lund is so easy to work with and very responsive. The venue is affordable despite being right on the ocean. Our local and out of town guests loved the venue which is close to so many great beach front hotels. The venue comes with tables, chairs, dance floors and best of all you can bring in your own alcohol which is a significant cost savings. read more