Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Casa del Herrero

    4.6 (29 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    By appointment only

    Casa del Herrero Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Casa del Herrero

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Rose garden
    Elaine F.

    We had a gorgeous day for a tour of this impressive historic property. The docent, Anne Marie, was wonderful. My husband has a severe hearing loss, so she even shared her written notes with him so he could read all the details about the furnishings. Like most Montecito estates, this is hidden from the street. It is a unique and early example of the Spanish revival architecture of the area, very faithful to original styles. Most furnishings and even some of the architectural features, like fireplaces, were imported from Spain. Pictures of the interior are not allowed, but the gardens are very lovely and can be photographed. I made a reservation about a month ahead, using the reciprocal privileges from a historic garden of which I am a member in Maryland. It was well worth the visit.

    Steedman's workshop

    Amazing and unique peek into history. This estate has been fully preserved with original furniture in place. George Fox Steedman's workshop was the highlight of our tour. It looks as if he's just stepped out for a moment. Laura Bridley made our visit memorable and shared fascinating details about GW Smith and the family life of the Steedmans.

    One of the interesting plants, the dragon blood.
    Stephanie M.

    It is very hard to obtain a reservation here, so call ahead. Tours run only Wednesdays and Saturdays. Parking is very limited. It was a lovely tour by docent Sally Green. She was a perfect guide, lots of details and back ground information given in an interesting way. The house and gardens are a gem. Never had heard of it, just saw it listed on Tavel Advisor and highly rated. We were a party of seven and were warmly greeted upon arrival. The tour starts in with a short film then continues into a beautifully paved stone entry way in front of the house. I liked the detailed information about the plants, many of which are quiet old.

    Tomasso C.

    House is nice but could easily be seen with a much more efficient docent in 20 minutes, not 2 hours. The garden and shop are far more interesting than the main house, and the tour doesn't give you time to see these

    One of the many tiny lions - with great patina - crafted by owner George Fox Steedman.

    I didn't have any trouble getting a reservation here. I called on a Wednesday and left a voicemail, they called me back later that day and I booked a reservation for that Saturday. You have to pay up front on the phone so be ready for that. It was a beautifully sunny day in Santa Barbara when we went - the sun added so much to the lighting of the house and the gardens. There were about 11 of us on the tour. They first made us watch a quick informational video on the history of the house and family. The tour covers two aspects of the house, the family history and the history behind the house and furniture. I frankly didn't care too much about the family history - it's some old rich family with lots of old money - but seeing how they sourced the house is fascinating. The interior of the house is actually a lot smaller than I thought. Then again I was thinking 'mansion', but i should have been thinking on the scale of 'big house.' The inside is nice though, with lots to look at and unique well thought out architecture. However I definitely enjoyed the tour of the grounds more. Sprawling plants that have been there for a hundred years, fountains, rose gardens, a succulent garden, orchards, and a fascinating old dragons blood tree. They even let us pick at the fruit and herbs that were growing. This was a great highlight to our Saturday morning and it lasted about two hours long. This is a great place to visit if you enjoy architecture and pretty things. I wouldn't bring kids though... or people who don't enjoy house tours.

    Backside of Casa Del Herrero

    See all

    2 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of B some o.
    2
    241
    1016

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 1
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S T.
    0
    45
    5

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Don R.
    34
    88
    2

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Linda Y.
    0
    408
    10773

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cory S.
    1
    110
    11

    3 years ago

    Amazing history! The house and garden are beautiful. The workshop is impressive. Only open 2 days a week and worth a visit.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Brian U.
    0
    2129
    128

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Amazingly well-preserved classic California estate. The walking tour is worth it!

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Shar W.
    0
    35
    17

    12 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mary M.
    1
    19
    13

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of A G.
    0
    21
    0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Casa del Herrero

    Review Highlights - Casa del Herrero

    The workshop of the first owner, who was deeply involved in the design of the home, is a wonder.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Museums 534 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Santa Barbara Trolley

    Santa Barbara Trolley

    4.2
    (122 reviews)
    3.2 mi

    The tour was excellent! We've been to SB before but the history and sights along the way was great!…read moreOur tour guide Chuck was fantastic!

    Santa Barbara was a bucket list stop for my girlfriend, and we booked the 2:00 p.m. trolley tour…read morehoping for a well guided introduction to the city's history and landmarks. Unfortunately, it ended up being one of the more disappointing parts of the trip. The seating is tightly packed. I understand maximizing capacity, but at 6'6" it was not comfortable. We moved to the front right side where there is a sideways bench behind the driver, which offered more legroom. That felt like a smart move until we realized most of the sights being pointed out were on the left side of the trolley. It felt like about 80 percent of the tour was oriented that direction, which meant we were constantly twisting around and still missing details. If you book this tour, sit on the left side. The narration also felt disorganized. The driver mentioned he was reading the traffic flow incorrectly and ended up doing much of the route "backwards." Because of that, he would introduce a historical figure or landmark, then later circle back and partially repeat the same information when reaching his usual talking point. There was noticeable repetition and filler instead of a smooth, cohesive storyline. Midway through the tour, there is a stop at Mission Santa Barbara for about 15 minutes. While it is nice to get off and stretch your legs, 15 minutes is nowhere near enough time to meaningfully experience the mission. You can walk through the courtyard and take a few photos, but that is about it. The mission deserves more time than a quick pass through. In practice, the stop felt more like a checkbox than a real opportunity to explore. Another frustration was departure time. The 2:00 p.m. tour did not leave at 2:00. The driver waited past the scheduled time to see if additional passengers would join. When you are visiting from out of town and carefully stacking your schedule, those extra 10 to 15 minutes matter. Overall, for about $30 per person, I expected a more polished and better organized experience. We both left disappointed. If you want a meaningful introduction to Santa Barbara, you may be better off exploring key spots on your own at your own pace.

    Photos
    Santa Barbara
    Santa Barbara
    Gorgeous shoreline
    Gorgeous shoreline
    Fig Tree

    See all

    Fig Tree
    Santa Barbara Walking Tours

    Santa Barbara Walking Tours

    4.5
    (2 reviews)
    3.6 mi

    This was hands down one of the best tours I've ever had of any city. My father and I took a private…read morewalking tour of Santa Barbara with Ellen, owner of Santa Barbara Walking Tours. Originally slated for 90 minutes, the tour lasted a full two hours. What's more, Ellen was perfectly willing to keep on going. We only stopped because my father and I were worn out and hungry, our brains full while our stomachs were empty. Ellen showed us no shortage of historical and cultural and artistic sites while narrating a bevy of fascinating back stories, from a park that was originally the site of a hotel, to a church that had been rebuilt and moved, to a gorgeous old historic movie theater with an auditorium built to simulate the inside of a mission, to Charlie Chaplin's sometime residence. And so much more. And did you know Santa Barbara had literally no trees at all when the Spanish missionaries first arrived? Ellen also offers customized tours tailored to particular interests (e.g. the Sue Grafton murder mystery tour). Next time you're in Santa Barbara, be sure to reach out to Ellen through her website (http://www.santabarbarawalkingtours.com) to arrange a walking tour of this awesome and beautiful city.

    Cute and funky tours of Santa Barbara... a bit of art and history (but keep in mind this isn't an…read moreancient European city by any means ;). I spent a couple decades in SB growing up yet saw and learned many new things I had no clue about which was cool. Quirky, funny and informative guide.

    Santa Barbara Historical Museum

    Santa Barbara Historical Museum

    4.4
    (39 reviews)
    3.6 mi

    What a great hidden gem of a museum! Family and I stumbled here by accident because my son needed…read moreto find a restroom after shopping at Warbler Records across the street. It's somewhat off the beaten path as it's few blocks away from Downtown Santa Barbara. That's probably why the place was fairly empty during our visit. I love the adobe architecture of the building. It almost looks like a small mission turned into a museum. The front entrance to the museum faces De La Guerra Street but we entered from the side entrance through its beautiful courtyard. It was empty on the day of our visit but I can see this place getting busy if people rent the courtyard for weddings and events. The museum isn't that big but there were enough exhibits to keep us busy for about an hour. It was great seeing the history of Santa Barbara through its regular exhibits as well as some special ones. Admission is free but my wife and I felt compelled to make a donation because we loved the place so much. We saw a glass donation box by its gift shop so we put some cash in there to support the museum. Will try to make this a regular stop on our future visits to Santa Barbara.

    My partner and I were looking for something to do on a lazy Saturday in town. We have already…read moreexplored much of what the Central Coast has to offer so we decided to revisit an attraction. The Santa Barbara Historical Museum came to mind after noticing their Project Fiesta exhibit was going on. It also just so happens that Yelp's "Travel Like A Local" campaign is going on simultaneously, so the timing was impeccable. This museum is a hidden gem somewhat off the beaten path. It is a few blocks from downtown State Street and two from the historic Presidio. Most tourists unfortunately miss it. Yet, this beautiful adobe building with a humongous boat anchor in front is worth visiting. Heck, there's no reason to not enter since it's completely free to the public (donations appreciated)! Upon entering, to the left is a gift shop with many local books and souvenirs. Yet it's easy to be distracted by the gorgeous central courtyard with a water fountain as its focal point. This is a popular venue for weddings, dances and other celebrations. Be sure to get a photo of an original Camino Real Bell, the marker used to connect the California Missions. There is also the Glenhill Library here. Many don't know that if you sneak out the back gate, you can step back into time with dirt ground, lush fruit trees, and La Casa Covarrubias. The museum also features a permanent exhibit called The Story of Santa Barbara. It's the perfect introduction to the Central Coast's long history of the native Chumash people, the influence of Mexico and the Spanish, the 1925 Earthquake and more. Upon my most recent visit was an unexpected discovery, an exhibit on Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community. I knew of the historic Mattei's Tavern, Inn and Stagecoach Stop after it was recently renovated and became part of a new luxury Auberge Resort in Los Olivos. Little did I know that he became a well-known artist. His first free-sketch was of Leutze's 1851 painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware at only 15 years of age! Prominent guests of the Tavern recognized his skill and sponsored his studies in San Francisco and New York. To this day you can see his art on the walls of the Tavern, but also here. Another current temporary exhibit is of Old Spanish Days/Fiesta, Santa Barbara's pride and joy. 2023 is its 99th anniversary! I had no idea that Fiesta was originally started to celebrate the opening of the Lobero Theatre. To this day, it remains the oldest running theater in California. The photos of almost a century caught by camera and shared at this exhibit are spectacular. All in all, whether it's your first visit to Santa Barbara or you're a life-long native, a visit to this museum is a must!

    Photos
    The museum store
    The museum store
    Hand-Drawn Portraits by Mattei
    Hand-Drawn Portraits by Mattei
    Santa Barbara Historical Museum exterior with large anchor

    See all

    Santa Barbara Historical Museum exterior with large anchor

    Casa del Herrero - museums - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...