Historic Walking Tours
of the Santa Barbara Cemetery
with Historian, David Petry, author of
The Best Last Place: a History of the Santa Barbara Cemetery
Join historian and author David Petry on a Historic Walking Tour of the Santa Barbara Cemetery.
The Santa Barbara Cemetery is a gem among cemeteries. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the cemetery is home to actors, industrialists, authors, musicians, sports stars, and many of the town’s founders and leaders.
Tours are 2-3 hours. $25/person.
Get notice of upcoming events:
Tour Logistics
The Santa Barbara Cemetery is located at 901 Channel Drive in Santa Barbara, California.
Parking: Please park BEHIND the chapel , or in the section of graves out in front of the chapel - NOT on the chapel drive.
Details:
The tour is 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Wear comfortable walking shoes.
Bring sunglasses, hats, sunscreen, and water.
Bathrooms at the Chapel (start & end of tour).
Photography is permitted.
All tours are subject to Cemetery approval.
Tour Guide
David Petry, historian and author, has been researching cemeteries for over 30 years and published The Best Last Place: A history of the Santa Barbara Cemetery in 2006.
In 2012, working closely with historian John Fritsche (1929-2020), Mr. Petry published The Puritan Ice Companies: The Ice Empire of California's Central Coast. In 2019, Mr. Petry published a novel, If They Say I Never Loved You.
Music production projects have included 4 albums by The Great Get Gone, two by Lois Mahalia. Available on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, etc.
Mr. Petry can also provide 30- to 60-minute talks on the history of:
Santa Barbara Cemetery
Puritan Ice Company
Cottage Health Care
Santa Barbara’s Neon Hey-Day