No, I didn’t get arrested. Neither did Ursula. We went into the courthouse unshackled and free, and we left the same way. What brought us here were the glorious architectural features, incredible interior art, and magnificent views from atop the bell tower. You’ll see what I mean in a moment.
We departed Mission Santa Barbara on foot and headed southeast along Santa Barbara Street. Along the way we discovered the enchanting Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens. After our detour through the park, we continued southeast until reaching the Santa Barbara Courthouse. This architecture wonder has been called the, “. . . grandest Spanish Colonial Revival structure ever built.” The person who made that claim should know, as it was none other than Charles Willard Moore.
And here are the views from atop the bell tower, inside the courthouse, and on the hike to get there:
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- Incredible ceilings
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- Courthouse bell tower
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- Courthouse tiles
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- Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens
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- Santa Barbara Courthouse and sunken garden
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- Courthouse details
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- Courthouse views
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- Courthouse tiled stairway
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- More magnificent ceilings
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- Courthouse fountain
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- Looking toward the coast
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- Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens
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- Courthouse view
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- The views from the bell tower
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- Courthouse details
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- Murals in the courtroom
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- Santa Barbara in the distance
Decisions — Murder in Paradise
The Globe — Murder in Luxury
R. Doug Wicker — Author 