Really lovely museum. Currently under construction, but had some great exhibits open. I got a…read moredocent tour which I was very happy about. The pieces of art were beautiful, and the docent was able to go into shocking detail about each one. On top of all that, the price was really reasonable for what you get here. If I lived in the area I'd absolutely become a member, huge fan!

Summer in Santa Barbara is beautiful...and absolutely overrun with tourists. I mean, they had every…read morerestaurant PACKED, every parking space TAKEN, every dessert shop FULL, and every sidewalk OVERFLOWING. Ironically, as tourists ourselves (LOL, sort of), we needed a break from THE TOURISTS! My best friend Catherine suggested we duck into the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and I'm glad she did. It's not a massive museum. Just two floors. But hear me when I say it punches above its weight. On the day we went, there was a thoughtful and curated mix of Southeast Asian and Indian artifacts, contemporary works, digital installations and enough classic pieces to keep serious art lovers happy. There were also funny art pieces that reminded everyone that art is allowed to have a sense of humor, too. I appreciated the balance. One of my favorite exhibits there let us enter our birth information and it generated our birth charts. Whether you believe in astrology or not, it was fun to interact with the art instead of just looking at it. I learned some cool stuff about myself looking at my birth chart. Hey...If you need a break from the crowds, this is the place. It's peaceful, cool inside, has clean restrooms and it's just the right size to explore without feeling overwhelmed. You won't lose your whole day here. You'll simply enjoy the bit of time you dedicate to visiting. Sometimes the best attraction in a tourist town is the one that gives you a break from other people. Consider.

Pros: 1) Great Lobby that comes with great seating, free…read morecoffee and tea a mini bar that you can to purchase wine and snacks. 2) dog friendly 3) Mexican restaurant that's connected to hotel 4) We had a nice patio that we did use. 5) Valet Cons: Where do I begin? 1) The hallway to your room has flooring that is linoleum so the hallway echoes, which means that you will hear people running up and down the hallways, talking loudly everything vibrates and echoes because the flooring isn't carpet and the walls are very thin. If they're wearing heels, you can hear that from a mile away. 2) The rooms are teeny tiny 3) Our room had two I want to say double beds, but I feel like the beds are somewhere in between a twin size bed and a double bed very small bed. They advertise online that their queen size beds. There was only a foot in between each bed. It is hard to walk in between each bed, especially if two of you are standing trying to go to your beds at the same time. 3) Two of us shared a room and there wasn't a whole lot of room to move around. If one of us was moving around the other one had to stay on the bed. I felt like I was camping in a tent, not even a cabin. 4) The bathroom (WORST PART) was EXTRA small. The door to the bathroom wasn't even a real door. It was a door that was frosted, so you could partially see through it, especially because it wouldn't lock or shut. You could hear the person using the restroom very clearly There was only one mirror in the room and that was in the bathroom. It was a small mirror over the small sink. The sink had barely any room for us to put our toiletry items on there. And there was no else to put our toiletry items, so we had to keep our items in the toiletry bag the whole time. The shower was extremely small. It was a shower that was a standup shower that would've been great for a disabled person with a wheelchair because it was one of those that you could wheel into. There was no tub for instance that had like a tub wall on each side of the shower head. The shower had one door to protect the toilet because the shower was facing the toilet, and a curtain that didn't go all the way to the ground on the other side. What that means is water went all over the ground of the bathroom and we were basically standing in a puddle of water. we had to use our towels on the floor to soak up the water when we were getting ready for our event. The toilet was also very small and had trouble flushing. We also had NO HOT WATER WHEN WE WERE THERE! Upon checking out, we did not get any discount for that. They were supposed to send a maintenance person and that maintenance person never showed up to fix it. 5) There was also no microwave, but there was a teeny tiny refrigerator that barely worked. 6) Barely any place to hang your clothes. Two drawers to put your clothes in and one drawer, where the nightstand was so again we had to keep things in our luggage. 7) There were a total of two outlets that we could use to either charge our items or plug-in something that we needed. 8) As well as, for Santa Barbara we were expecting hotels to be expensive, and we understood that this place was going to be expensive as well. But this place was completely overpriced for what we received. We will never be back.

This review is only for the restaurant, I can't speak to the hotel as we did not stay there. This…read morerestaurant is perfectly located next to the children's museum, and across from an amazing ice cream spot. The service was great! They were very attentive, they helped me adjust a few dishes to be more vegetarian friendly, and the outdoor seating made for a very Santa Barbara experience. The food was full of flavor, and the portions were just right. Looking forward to our next visit!

I like that the museum is small. It means you can pop in for 15 or 20 minutes, enjoy the art…read moreinstallation and then move on with your day. It's free and parking is located on the street. A parking lot would be ideal. - The docent at the front of the Museum is very knowledgeable about local art expression opportunities. Chatting with her was such a pleasure. - I like that the Museum offered swag for purchase but I feel like the quality of the items could it be improved such as 100% organic cotton and a slightly more edgy branding/color palette for the clothing items. I would love to purchase something to support y'all.

"Small but mighty!" said the nice lady at the front desk…read more It is small, and currently there were two neat exhibits in the building that is also surrounded by a all the way mural - Meter & Time (by MOMO). Alicia Adamerovich's Conundrums is what you might call surreal, but the artist preferred abstract. The exhibit is a blend of traditional paintings on canvas to a variety of sculptures that have no explanation but the title and your imagination that asks you to think your own meaning up while you sit with it. The more traditional, but impressionist exhibit is Peter Krashes' Passage Through. Krashes combines new and old works to urban images that are often overlooked. The works also show the actions that help shape a neighborhood. My favorite was either Public Seedbomb or Cup on a Fence. Free. I thought it was nice, but don't expect to be blown away. The exhibits were interesting and the support staff were very kind. They answered questions, and were very proud of their little museum. If you have time, why wouldn't you stop to see what's in there. Check it out.

Love the art gallery and poetry section they have books for sale…read more$7 for adult $5 senior

Art Attack Founded…read morein 1997 by local artist, Patti Jacquemain, to promote local art that features nature, and more specifically, art that celebrates California's diverse wildlife and ecosystems. Formerly known as The Wildling Museum of Art, it was rebranded in '24 to make its mission clearer to the public. The Good: * Located in the heart of Downtown Solvang, which is one of our favorite places. * It's a non-profit institution. * Private parking lot in the back, which is important because parking in Downtown Solvang can be a nightmare at times. * Friendly staff * Relatively inexpensive at $7/GA; $5 seniors and teens (13-17); and free for kids 12 and under. * Gift shop * To be honest, our main reason for visiting was to continue our quest to visit as many of Thomas Dambo's Troll sculptures, and this quaint little museum houses one of the giants right inside--Lulu! She's definitely worth the price of admission alone. :) * The rest of the art was great to look at, as well. They do sell some of the pieces that are being displayed, so keep an eye out for price tags if you happen to see one you really, really like. The Meh: * Not the biggest museum, as you can pretty much see the whole thing in less than thirty minutes. The Ugly: * If you can't score parking in the small lot, you'll have to fight for it on the street which can be a hit-or-miss scenario. There is a free lot about a quarter-mile away, if you don't mind walking. Conclusion: Come for the troll, but stay for the art.

I'm rounding up from 3 1/2 stars to 4 for several reasons. First, because this is another stop in…read morethe Passport 2 History book, and the hostess was delighted to see us bring in the Passport. Kudos! Second, the hostess / cashier was extremely welcoming, informative, and gracious. She was happy to see us, which is always a nice feeling. She let us know that there was a group meeting down in the basement about to get started in 7 minutes, but that we could go down there to see a collection of weavings on display. We popped down to check them out. While not mind-blowing, it was a fairly extensive grouping of closely woven pieces of varying size and design. Back up on the main floor they had their current traveling exhibit of artwork from the collection of the Mullin Automotive Museum. The varied works of photography and paintings in various media are as striking as the autos that inspired them. Well worth experiencing for those who love the sleek lines and elegant components of classic cars. Having been to the Mullin, I don't remember the artwork as much as the cars, which suggests that highlighting the art is a worthwhile endeavor. Because these works were not the property of the Carnegie, but rather on loan, photography was not allowed. Up on the second floor, selfies only were recommended, but photos of the museum's permanent collection were okay. The current selections are of the plein air style, with emphasis on California subjects. Cornelis Botke (husband of Jessie Arms Botke, noted Ventura County painter) is represented with one of his landscapes. I thought I recognized the Botke name. Jessie Arms Botke's works are currently featured at the Santa Paula Art Museum. There is a fair amount of unused space, especially on the second floor. Portable display walls could be utilized to expand the number of works available to see. I suppose lighting could be a challenge, but they could surely figure it out. The building itself, in neoclassical style, was the former Oxnard City Library. It presents a grand facade in downtown Oxnard, adjacent to Plaza Park. Free parking in their own lot and adjacent streets. We saw a fashion photo shoot happening out front when we arrived, and it does make a statement as an architecture background. I understand that it's a popular place for photography. As we were leaving, the hostess mentioned that around the corner is their "Artist in Residence" venue, and suggested that we check it out. The current group of pieces there are mostly focused on photographs, and are vibrant, youth-focused, and often raw in emotion and subject matter. Worth checking out, especially for anyone who thinks that art museums are "stuffy".

It says this place was open until 5 today but when I walked up no evidence of other people or being…read moreopen... no closed sign just empty. It is a beautiful old building and I hope it's going to stay that way and do something... Just know if you come here it may say open online and not be.

One of the most beautiful museums in the Los Angeles area. It makes a great outing as it's on the…read moreway to Malibu up the coast and just off the PCH. It is outstanding what JP Getty was able to collect, the care with which the museum is curated, and the perfection of the museum's reconstruction of a villa from ancient Pompeii. It's absolutely gorgeous. Wonderful place to take friends visiting town for the afternoon. Don't forget to wander the exquisite gardens and patios. Having visited several times, here are some of the best tips that I've learned over the years: Don't confuse this museum with the Getty Center perched high on the hill in Brentwood. Visiting both museums on the same day can be rushed but has its perks. The parking at one Getty museum location is valid for same day free parking at the other if you want to visit both in one day. Admission is free, but advance timed entry tickets are required. When driving to the Getty Villa, slow down a bit and watch the signs carefully from the north on the PCH as missing the special turn lane for the museum can be a headache; missing it requires more driving on the highway before you can exit and turn around. Try going in the late afternoon around 3:00 PM. The crowds are smaller and you can catch a beautiful sunset over the gardens. If you can arrive before 1pm, try "The Garden Tea at the Getty Villa" (also known as 'Tea by the Sea'). Make a reservation if you can as it's popular. The tea service is only offered twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays at 1:00 PM. It's held on the second floor of the Villa's cafe in a private dining space overlooking the museum grounds. If you manage to secure a tea reservation, you do not need a separate timed-entry museum ticket because your tea booking automatically includes free entry to the Getty Villa starting at 10:00 AM.

Such a beautiful place. It's just sometimes hard to get a timed reservation so you have to book in…read moreadvance, and it can get crowded. But it's one of the gems in LA. Perfect for a date, for families, pretty much anyone. What I love about the villa is you don't even need to be an art enthusiast to appreciate it and enjoy it, its really for everyone.

Great exhibition of Ansel Adams Beautiful campus…read more We will definitely be going back for more exhibitions

Ill-promoted and likely why I'm the first to review on Yelp, I found this free museum tucked at the…read morebase of the hills while looking for directions to a mountain hike. Yeah, an odd piece of happenstance. Located in the northeast corner of Westmont College, Parking Lot 7 has two spots reserved for visitors but were both taken even though only one other person was in the museum. We probably illegally parked in Lot 8 but classes weren't in session so no one likely cared. Pedestrian signs help point to the museum. Their website said a health questionnaire needed filling out on the morning of the visit but wasn't required. As with most college art galleries, a permanent collection was not on display. Fortunately, the lower gallery (really a hallway) had three of their prized Rembrandt etchings on display. That alone, made the 15-minute visit worthwhile. The student show in the one true gallery displayed quality works. The museum isn't large enough to be a sole tourist destination so tack onto a hike to Tangerine Falls or Cold Spring. Or even better, the museum is less than a mile away from Lotusland (see https://www.yelp.com/biz/lotusland-santa-barbara-4?hrid=gd2G2ORYmCOEmaf89p2KvA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) for more details).

I was really excited to check this out since I love museums and I'm not too familiar with Viking…read morehistory. Unfortunately there's a heavy reliance on AI generated graphics for historical/prominent folklore figures. Generative AI has a track record of getting information inaccurate (look up AI hallucinations). It cares more about statistical pattern matching and predictions than fact checking. so when museums use gen AI images, it makes me assume all the writing is AI too. I don't know if I can trust it. When you call yourself a museum, people trust you as an educational institution and frankly it's quite dangerous to use a tool that can lead to misinformation. Why not use artwork from the past that represents those figures, or more of the clay recreations, which were very cool? I thought the animatronics and movie props were cool too. :(

We visited Solvang for the first time, and being of Viking descent, our family was super excited to…read moreexplore the town. I was especially excited when I found the Viking Museum. It was pretty small to be called a museum, but what it lacked in size, it made up for with some very cool and powerful displays. The boats were especially impressive and definitely my favorite part. Admission was only $10 per person, so it was very affordable. I was also happy to support it because the money goes to the town's historical society and helps preserve Solvang's history. Definitely worth stopping by while you're in town.

Brought my son for their free Family Day today and it was amazing! Various activities to work on,…read moreplenty of seating, and 1 room full of creativity! Looking forward to the next time. Parking lot in the back is most convenient.

The Santa Paula Art Museum is a great place to wander about and explore Santa Paula's depth of…read moreculture. I went for the Botke exhibit in the main room, but really enjoyed seeing the back room exhibit highlighting Dr. Gus Iwasiuk's works. I worked with Dr. Iwasiuk for years, had no idea he was a talented artist as well as a surgeon.

This walk and talk changed the way I look at Santa Barbara. Interesting, informative and…read moreaffordable.

Our tour guide was excellent, very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and warm. We've lived in Santa…read moreBarbara for 10 years, and we learned so many new and interesting things about the city. I highly recommend the tour!