Great view, free. Not two things that go together much in an expensive place like SB. Definitely worth the little drive up.

We drove up the winding road to this park to take in the view of Santa Barbara below last week when we were visiting the area. It was a pretty view but not the best we saw in the city. I did see some people picnicking, and that seemed like the best way to enjoy the park. I did appreciate that they had reasonably clean public bathrooms! A nice park with nice views, but I wouldn't say it's a place you must visit in Santa Barbara. Nice if close to where you're visiting. read more

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As others have mentioned, it's more of a viewpoint of the city than a park, but it's still worth a visit. There is an old house on the grounds as well that could make for a bit of a spooky backdrop. Great views with a few benches to sit and take it all in. read more

Franceschi Park - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

No one knows about this beautiful property with the amazing view of Santa Barbara and the channel. It was the home and an experimental botanical station high up in the SB Riviera owned by a man named Franceschi. The land is now a public park. read more

Less of a park, more of a viewpoint nestled in a residential area. There are a couple of benches to sit on. But worth the windy drive up because you get a gorgeous look of Santa Barbara, mountains, ocean & everything in between. read more

Franceschi Park - Views for daysssss - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Super nice viewpoint in SB. The drive up is about 10 minutes from State Street (although a bit steep and windy) but not too difficult. Offers an amazing view of Santa Barbara and has picnic tables and bathrooms as well. read more

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Five star view...hence the 5 star review. A simple drive up in the hills can lead to wonderful views. This park has an old dilapitated house, a stone carving of old Mr. Franchesci himself, nice plants / trees, a couple benches and picnic tables. If you venture down the hill, watch for ticks and snakes! read more

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My mom is OBSESSED w/ this park. She stumble upon it with my sister one day as they were driving around during quarantine. She lives in LA but wants to drive up here to celebrate Mother's Day! Sad that the house is dilapidated. Had men and women's bathrooms with TP and a sink! Two picnic benches. Trash cans and recycling. And parking. Great panoramic view of SB. read more

Franceschi Park - Another shot of the view - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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One of my favorite parks in the world. It's a small place with a beautiful view. It's a bit of a drive up in the Riviera above where most tourists venture. There aren't even a lot of locals that frequent this park. I am happy to sit here alone. I've never seen the park crowded. I hope it stays that way. There is small, old restroom but it is generally clean and well kept. The main reason to visit is the view. The old Franceschi House is on the property but it is dilapidated and boarded up. It must have been a grand residence back in today. After all of these years, I'm not sure if anything will happen with the house or if it will just slowly deteriorate and crumble. I kind of enjoy hanging around beautiful, abandoned places though. read more

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This is certainly a hidden gem for a city park. It is a small park but the views (ocean & city) will make up for any gripe you may have once you're here sulking in the view and enjoying the day. We drove up here because I heard this is THE place to be to have a quiet picnic with the girlfriend on her birthday. I was not disappointed. We had the entire place to ourselves for almost an hour so she was happy for our little moment in time. read more

Some of Santa Barbara's best panoramic views! Franceschi Park's layout is a tad confusing, but the views certainly make up for it. As others have mentioned, it's more of a place to stand and take in the setting versus a park to stroll around in. It is on a hill and tiers down a few blocks, between Franceschi Road and Dover Lane with Mission Ridge Road cutting through the middle. I'd initially accessed it at the top, from Franceschi Road, and was a little confused as there was a walking path that sort of turned into a steep hill with no destination. Luckily my shoes had some good tread on them! The park itself is ancient and historic, with the rundown Franceschi House as the main focal point. There are some neat artifacts surrounding the house and it is fun to walk around and admire. I'm sure it was a great spot in its heyday. The best part of the park, in my opinion, is the lower "Franceschi Steps" tier. This section has a few neat stone stairwells along with some paved walking paths. Walking up or down affords prime views of both the ocean and the riviera. It's very serene with little road traffic. If you are looking to be impressed by some serious views, give this park a visit - but be sure not to enter from upper Franceschi Road unless you've got some good all-terrain shoes! read more

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Beautiful view of Santa Barbara but do know that the park itself is very small and probably consisted of four benches total in a much smaller area than I would consider a regular park Also, I missed the entrance to this park on the drive about three times!! And No, it's not because I am an Asian female driver O_o On mission ridge, they have you follow a sign that points up this hill so I take the left to get up there. Once I'm there, there are three pathways! My GPS is totally confused and says I'm already there (which I'm not!) So first I drive straight up - nope. Then I wrap around and then take the middle lane - nope. Wrapped around again, finally! The third time I saw some (small and totally unobvious) signs that may be directing toward a parking lot. Voila! The Asian female makes it to the park! Hah Still a good stop if you're every in town though :) read more

Franceschi Park - When you see this sign driving up mission ridge, make a left in 250 ft and then another LEFT into the right pathway - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This small park is rather run down. Paths are rough, some go nowhere, stairs lack railings, and the Franceschi house looks derelict. Perhaps the public works people have decided to spend their upkeep money elsewhere. There is very little of botanical interest here. The Santa Barbara botanic gardens nearby are not free, but they are terrific. There are free botanic gardens at nearby colleges, and a very nice and free nursery and botanic gardens south of town, just inland from the Santa Claus Lane exit off Highway 5. And, yes, the view is nice from the 2 picnic tables. read more

Just a warning that gates are closed right now during shelter in place . Sad. The drive up was pretty scenic & I wish we could've seen Franeschi Park. Alas, had to turn around on the windy road but had a nice quiet if less scenic picnic at Orpet park nearby. read more

When I close my eyes to find my "happy place" this is IT. I've seen countless sunsets but none compare to this. My favorite memories are here with close friends and family :) If you want to have a romantic spot that's fun and free LOOK NO FURTHER Bottle of wine, a candle and some hors devours should do the trick ;) The view of sb is amazing- cannot stress it enough! Favorite place to watch the sunset. Enough said. read more

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Best view in Santa Barbara. Watching the sunset is fabulous as the city lights change. Plan to be there at least 30 minutes before the sunset to watch natural show. Plus the drive up there takes you through some interesting neighborhoods. Beautiful California houses. read more

The park is nothing to write home about, but the view of the city and ocean are incredible. The parking is limited so be patient. read more

Franceschi Park - DEC2013 - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Beautiful place, if you love Santa Barbara, Old homes, the view of the ocean, small parks off the beaten path, old history, this is your park! I spent a lot of time scouring the internet after visiting to learn of the people who lived here and their story (which is fascinating!) so sad to see the condition of the home. Wish it was being preserved, but its still a must see to stroll the grounds, take pictures, walk the paths, and also there is a statue in carved rock of Franceschi you need to hike over to, not to far from the house. Lovely place. read more

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This Park is unique and corky! It is not the typical park set in Santa Barbara but it is truly a gem. This place has so much extraordinary history and charm I hope the city keeps this place open to the public. read more

This isn't a park, it's a photo op -- but it IS a 5-star photo op. Drive up into the hills above Santa Barbara and you have extraordinary views of the town, the surrounding country, and the ocean. But it's a maze of private roads and mansions, so there isn't anywhere to enjoy the view. That's where Franceschi Park comes in. It's a lovely place to take in your surroundings, but it's tiny -- just large enough to sit and enjoy the view, or to pose for a fabulous photo. There's no playground, and not even enough space for a decent walk. So this is a sitting or standing park, not a get-out-and-play park. But it's well worth a visit, because there's no better view in town. read more

A small, somewhat hidden away park up in the hills of Santa Barbara. My friend and I somehow stumbled upon this park while driving up the hills one summer day. And boy did we discover a gem of a park. The view from the park was insanely beautiful. We sat on the bench for a while, speechless from the awe inspiring view of the city, coastline, and the ocean. It was a sight I'll never forget. Worth 5 stars on the view alone and definitely worth a stop if you're in Santa Barbara. read more

This is one of the best places in Santa Barbara for great views of the city and coastline. I'm surprised it wasn't already listed in Yelp. I guess that's probably why we usually only see locals visiting. ;) read more

Franceschi Park - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This city park is a great spot to see a panoramic view of Santa Barbara! Franceschi House is also on site. The park is small but has some walking paths that take you around the park. It does not have traditional park grass, but the awesome view is worth a quick stop! read more

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This park, though very small and not much grass, is a great park to see the great city of Santa Barbara from above. On clear days, you can see as far as Pt. Mugu all the way to the Santa Barbara Airport. Definitely a great place to have lunch or get away from the hustle and bustle of city life to read and/or relax. read more

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This park has an amazing view of Santa Barbara. It's fun to walk around and explore the outside of the old house that is located on the property. It has a few picnic tables for you to enjoy a meal while taking in the majestic view. Just be sure to clean up and keep this place beautiful! read more

I find myself coming here when I need to just relax... It's Not really a "dog park" but definitely a beautiful place to go enjoy the scenery. Probably one of my favorite little gems hidden in Santa Barbara. read more

One of the coolest off the beaten path places in SB. Great place to have a bag lunch or just sit and read a book while enjoying the surroundings. View is breathtaking! read more

Spectacular view of Santa Barbara and the beach and hopefully Oprah's house was near by and I got her good juju vibes!!

As a professional photographer, I am always looking for places for client photography. This place has a great view pf the city and the coast. It is wonderful! Absolutely love the location. read more

such a beautiful park, I come here on sundays and just sit down in the sun, read a nice book, or have a picnic with some friends. It really relaxes me and the nice summer breezes are amazing here. read more

I've come here during the daytime and before sunset, and both times the view of the city and the ocean was fantastic. It's a perfect place for a picnic date, which was what I did with my boyfriend. There are picnic tables you can use, but not really any grass area. It's pretty small, but it's a nice place to just relax and enjoy the scenery. read more

ahhh santa barbaras hidden gem. most beautiful views!

Amazing view! Great for lunch except when the d bags show up to blast their crap music and smoke j's