casa del herrero

925tonyc

This is a wonderful home and tour. If you have any interest in architecture or the people that helped define Santa Barbara this is a must do. Our docent, Hal, was very good on giving details of the wealth of antiquities in the home and gave a good illustration of George Fox Steadman, the co-collaborator and owner of the home. The home is a Spanish revival gem created by George Washington Smith. You MUST call ahead well in advance of your trip in order to reserve tickets. NOTE TO CASA: The tour lacks definitive information on how the home was built (i.e. Foundation, walls, drainage, reinforcement, how plaster was applied, etc. etc. ). Many people including myself would really enjoy hearing and learning some of these details. Thank you so much for the hospitality. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

lynnh793

This was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Santa Barbara and as someone who uses a wheelchair I was a little apprehensive that I'd miss a lot because of accessibility, but they took the time to show my sister a more accessible route around the gardens and our docent was great - really knew a lot about the house and grounds and the history behind everything.A definite "Don't Miss" if you're in the area!!Even though there's no elevator to the second floor, I don't feel as if I missed anything because they have a great scrapbook you can browse.My visit was with family (didn't have small children) and friend.

BJLaB

A birthday celebration for two close friends brought our group of five to Santa Barbara.At the top of our list for fun/culturally stimulating activities was the lovely Casa del Herrero and its beautifully integrated gardens. A particularly appealing "snapshot" of the life of the Steedman family, headed by a wealthy industrialist from St. Louis, was memorably brought to life thanks to the excellent introduction provided by Visitor Coordinator Susannah Gordon and the fascinating commentary of Docent Pat Sheppard. Their friendly conversational manner, backed by a wealth of information and a genuine love of the Casa, provided the perfect environment for learning about a fascinating family and their contributions to Santa Barbara history. Highly recommended. Brava, ladies!

neilg15

A visit to the Casa del Herrero instantly sets you back to another age when things were slower and simpler. What’s anything but simple here though is the design of the residence, grounds, and workshop that were so intricately planned and finished with amazing attention to detail. Surely each pass through the home and grounds would reveal another mystery to a curious and engaged visitor. The Casa’s Executive Director, Molly Barker, took the time to point out several secrets of the property that gave us insight into the imaginative mind of the estate’s creator, George Fox Steedman and his team of architects and designers.

maebethf

Booked this for my sister and I. What a delightful treat. Stunning old house and gardens. The docent obviously had a great deal of love for the place. It came alive with her tour.

Diverdad1

It was a rare rainy day in Santa Barbara so our planned hike was off. After a quick consult of Trip Advisor, we found this gem. The inspiration of a wealthy couple from St. Louis, the casa was constructed in 1925 in the Spanish Colonial style with Moorish influences. The tour lasted 90 minutes and included the workshop, house and extensive gardens. The site is notable primarily for its landscaping but I enjoyed the house just as much. Interesting art and design, especially for those into architecture and landscape design. The docent was very good. A short film preceded the tour. Around $20 (or thereabouts).

dianes793

You are in for a special treat if you find the time to tour The Casa del Herrero. Docent lead 1 1/2 tour of this National Historic Landmark house (I think there are only 82 in the nation) and gardens. Built in 1922, designed by George Washington Smith. Filled with Spanish antiquities and art from 13th 14th 15th century. There is something for everyone whether your interests art art furnishings architecture history gardening………..Please don't miss this wonderful experience. Check out their website at casadelherrero.com

sctravel1

What a beautiful historic place to visit. The home is extremely well preserved and the grounds are beautifully maintained. The docents are very well informed and can answer any questions you might have. Their training is very extensive......12 weeks!! As you walk from room to room, you almost feel as thou the family is just out for the day and you have the thrill of seeing their home.

Waterloonie

Designed by local architect extraordinaire George Washington Smith, this absolutely marvelous estate was built in the early '20s to include the worldwide collections of owner George Steedman in a perfect example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture complete with fantastic gardens. Everything in the home is as the family left it, so one can truly imagine life among the very wealthy in pre-WWII Santa Barbara. This is a jewel, do not miss it.

GStravellerSB

Authentic Spanish colonial style architecture, not the fake stuff the city Architectural Review Board mandates. Pleasant and peaceful place to visit.

mycollage8

You must have reservations to tour this hidden gem. The architecture is stunning. The family moved in in 1925 the day the earthquake leveled Santa Barbara, but this home sustained no damage.

PVJune

Led by an excellent docent, six friends and I toured this home and enjoyed it thoroughly. Be sure to make advance reservations because tour opportunities are limited. The residence is a superb example of early 20th century Spanish Revival Colonial architecture. I plan to return with my husband; he would appreciate learning about George Steedman, a real "renaissance man" who had much input into the house's design. He became an accomplished craftsman and silversmith. His workshop is a most interesting part of the tour.

523CarolynR

This is well worth the visit - the tour was delightful and the history details were excellent. Beautiful grounds and a true gem in Santa Barbara. We were there for a week of R&R and my husband found this tour and booked it. I was skeptical, and had such a lovely time. I highly recommend it.

100dianek

docent-led tours of house and gardens built in 1925 with amazing attention to detail. The home was built so that the outdoors is visible and becomes a big part of the experience. 1.5 hour tour.

38barnards

We did the tour and I must say it was very interesting. We were trying to understand the properties in this town better and this was the most intersting by far. The gardens are stunning and the Smith is just immaculate. I have been reading about this property for years so to finally see it was just amazing.