Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation

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Raw space venue

The venue will provide just the space. You’ll bring in your own caterer and vendors.

Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing

Starting at $1,500

Guest capacity

Up to 250 seated guests

About this venue

SBTHP offers four different rental venues for your special event. Between these venues, we can accommodate anywhere from 25-300 guests, offer both indoor and outdoor locations, and provide parking and limited rental equipment. Our venues are unique historic properties that radiate charm and will make your event distinctive and memorable.

Seated guest capacity

  • 250

Venue type

  • Historic Estates, Mansions
  • Parks, Gardens

Venue setting

  • Indoor
  • Outdoor
123 E Canon Perdido St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Our event spaces

Presidio Chapel

The Chapel at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park is furnished as it would have been in the late 18th century.

The whitewashed walls are punctuated by paintings and candle sconces, and the altar is dressed with a spectacular reredos (altar piece), altar frontal, and candlesticks. Period santos fill the niches. The interior walls and altar rail are painted to represent marble or tapestry. A small balcony overhanging the interior front of the building adds charm and utility and can be used to house vendors such as musicians or photographers. The acoustics are ideal for any genre of music, overall making this the perfect place for all of life’s special celebrations and events.

Guest capacity

Up to 180 Seated

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony

Guests often feel this space is

“Fun and festive”

Included in this room:

Facility supervisor, parking in the adjacent lot (33 parking spots available with prior notice and approval), waiting rooms for bridal party, and use of 180 chairs (optional, additional charge apply).

Casa de la Guerra

Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, Casa de la Guerra is centrally located near many attractions and hotels, just steps from State Street.

Using materials and building methods similar to its original construction, the Casa has been restored to its original appearance during the time Presidio Commandant José de la Guerra and his family resided there, between 1828 and 1858. The courtyard offers strings of lights for ambiance, decomposed granite flooring in an open courtyard, and easy access for vendors/rental companies. Use of a prep kitchen, restrooms, and storage room on site is also available.

Guest capacity

Up to 250 Seated

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, Other

Guests often feel this space is

“Fun and festive”

Included in this room:

Facility supervisor, access to a nearby parking lot on weekends (34 spaces with advance notice and approval), two restrooms, and use of a prep kitchen and storeroom located onsite.

Alhecama Theatre

The Alhecama Theatre is a part of El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park located in downtown Santa Barbara.

SBTHP recently completed the restoration of this special facility, which has had continuous community use since its construction as the Pueblo Theatre in 1925. The beautiful interior, with its recently restored original oak floors, stage, and a mural by American artist Ross Dickenson, is an ideal location for weddings, lectures, social gatherings, and theatre events. ​ Built for the Santa Barbara School of the Arts, the Alhecama Theatre was originally used for drama, music, and dance classes. Alice Schott purchased the theatre in 1939 when the school struggled due to the Great Depression. She renamed it the Alhecama after her daughters Alice, Helen, Catherine, and Mary Lou. Schott deeded the school property to the City of Santa Barbara School District in 1945 and it was used jointly by the Adult Education program and Santa Barbara Junior College, later renamed Santa Barbara City College, for many years. It was purchased by the State of California in 1982 to become part of El Presidio SHP.

Guest capacity

Up to 140 Seated

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, Other

Guests often feel this space is

“Fun and festive”

Pico Adobe

The Pico Adobe is furnished in a classic Mexican American-style.

The main room contains a large wooden table and chairs ideal for meetings, a flat screen TV for presentations, and a beautiful hearth for extra warmth and comfort. The facility also has a full bathroom and beautifully tiled kitchenette. The secluded exterior courtyard contains a lovely garden with patio table and chairs, fire pit, and bird bath. The site emanates history and elegance and will make your next event unique.

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

A fully-equipped bathroom, large table and chairs, kitchenette with microwave, refrigerator, sink, dishes, and platters. A flat-screen TV set up for presentations or videos is also available. We do not provide a facilities supervisor or clean-up of the site. The venue must be cleaned and left in the same condition it was found or the deposit will be deducted accordingly.

Presidio Chapel

The Chapel at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park is furnished as it would have been in the late 18th century.

The whitewashed walls are punctuated by paintings and candle sconces, and the altar is dressed with a spectacular reredos (altar piece), altar frontal, and candlesticks. Period santos fill the niches. The interior walls and altar rail are painted to represent marble or tapestry. A small balcony overhanging the interior front of the building adds charm and utility and can be used to house vendors such as musicians or photographers. The acoustics are ideal for any genre of music, overall making this the perfect place for all of life’s special celebrations and events.

Guest capacity

Up to 180 Seated

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony

Guests often feel this space is

“Fun and festive”

Included in this room:

Facility supervisor, parking in the adjacent lot (33 parking spots available with prior notice and approval), waiting rooms for bridal party, and use of 180 chairs (optional, additional charge apply).

Casa de la Guerra

Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, Casa de la Guerra is centrally located near many attractions and hotels, just steps from State Street.

Using materials and building methods similar to its original construction, the Casa has been restored to its original appearance during the time Presidio Commandant José de la Guerra and his family resided there, between 1828 and 1858. The courtyard offers strings of lights for ambiance, decomposed granite flooring in an open courtyard, and easy access for vendors/rental companies. Use of a prep kitchen, restrooms, and storage room on site is also available.

Guest capacity

Up to 250 Seated

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, Other

Guests often feel this space is

“Fun and festive”

Included in this room:

Facility supervisor, access to a nearby parking lot on weekends (34 spaces with advance notice and approval), two restrooms, and use of a prep kitchen and storeroom located onsite.

Alhecama Theatre

The Alhecama Theatre is a part of El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park located in downtown Santa Barbara.

SBTHP recently completed the restoration of this special facility, which has had continuous community use since its construction as the Pueblo Theatre in 1925. The beautiful interior, with its recently restored original oak floors, stage, and a mural by American artist Ross Dickenson, is an ideal location for weddings, lectures, social gatherings, and theatre events. ​ Built for the Santa Barbara School of the Arts, the Alhecama Theatre was originally used for drama, music, and dance classes. Alice Schott purchased the theatre in 1939 when the school struggled due to the Great Depression. She renamed it the Alhecama after her daughters Alice, Helen, Catherine, and Mary Lou. Schott deeded the school property to the City of Santa Barbara School District in 1945 and it was used jointly by the Adult Education program and Santa Barbara Junior College, later renamed Santa Barbara City College, for many years. It was purchased by the State of California in 1982 to become part of El Presidio SHP.

Guest capacity

Up to 140 Seated

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, Other

Guests often feel this space is

“Fun and festive”

Pico Adobe

The Pico Adobe is furnished in a classic Mexican American-style.

The main room contains a large wooden table and chairs ideal for meetings, a flat screen TV for presentations, and a beautiful hearth for extra warmth and comfort. The facility also has a full bathroom and beautifully tiled kitchenette. The secluded exterior courtyard contains a lovely garden with patio table and chairs, fire pit, and bird bath. The site emanates history and elegance and will make your next event unique.

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

A fully-equipped bathroom, large table and chairs, kitchenette with microwave, refrigerator, sink, dishes, and platters. A flat-screen TV set up for presentations or videos is also available. We do not provide a facilities supervisor or clean-up of the site. The venue must be cleaned and left in the same condition it was found or the deposit will be deducted accordingly.

Reviews

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Yes! We have several venues available for your events, and when you book two or more of these spaces (for a ceremony + reception) you get 20% off of each venue!
Please contact the Director of Membership & Event Rentals for an informative site visit Monday-Friday. This is the only way to access the Alhecama Theatre and Pico Adobe. You may stop by for a self-guided visit of the Presidio Chapel during park operation hours, 7 days a week, from 11am – 4pm. You may visit the courtyard of Casa de la Guerra anytime.
Contact the Director of Membership & Event Rentals for date availability. The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation reserves your date with a completed contract and a non-refundable deposit.
We will work with you to find another date, or show you one of our other venues!
• 10 hours for the Casa de la Guerra (extra hours start at $200/hour) • 10 hours for the Alhecama Theater (extra hours start at $200/hour) • 8 hours for the Presidio Orchard (extra hours start at $100/hour) • 6 hours for the Presidio Chapel (extra hours start at $100/hour) • 6 hours for the Presidio Parade (extra hours start at $100/hour) • 24 hours for the Pico Adobe
• Presidio Chapel - 180 guests • Casa de la Guerra - 250 guests • Alhecama Theatre - 140 guests • Presidio Orchard - 400 guests
At the Chapel, Orchard, and Alhecama Theatre, events must end at 10 p.m. At Casa de la Guerra, events must end at midnight.
The venues open at 9:00 a.m. for your vendors. Vendors are to be off-site by midnight unless prior written arrangements have been negotiated well in advance.
We have chairs available for the Presidio Chapel for an additional fee. Chairs are available for client use at the Alhecama Theatre, if setup is needed, an additional fee will be required.
If you are renting during the rainy season you should create a backup plan of tenting the event space. Also based on your guest count, the Alhecama Theatre may be used as a backup plan if the venue is available.
Yes. Fees include an event attendant on the day of your event to assist with vendors and other general services at the Casa de la Guerra, El Presidio Chapel, El Presidio Orchard, and the Alhecama Theatre. Please note that the event attendant does not help with serving food or drinks, nor do they move tables and/or items around.
No, we do not require a coordinator but we highly suggest it!
We have a “waiting room” for family or the bridal party, but we recommend getting ready elsewhere due to the size and capabilities of the room.
All music is allowed although the site coordinator may ask that the volume of music be turned down if there are complaints.
Alcohol may be served by your caterer or other licensed bar service listed. Arrangements for the purchase of alcohol should be discussed with your caterer/bar service. The venue requires clients to abide by ABC Regulations.
We allow any vendor with the one exception of the Casa de la Guerra privacy fence and additional lighting. Vendor information must be provided to the Director of Membership & Event Rentals 14 days out from your event.
Some onsite parking is available on weeknights after business hours, and weekends, depending on the venue.
The applicant must provide a Certificate of Insurance in the amount of $1,000,000. This can be obtained through the renter's homeowners insurance, or a private event insurance carrier such as The Event Helper or WedSafe.
Depending on each venue there is a refundable cleaning/damage deposit, a Certificate of Insurance covering $1,000,000 general liability (naming the venue as additional insured), and a list of your vendors and a timeline of the day is required 14 days prior to the event.
Yes! Your rental fee contributes to our mission of stewardship within the Presidio Neighborhood and inspires preservation advocacy throughout the County. We thank you for having your event here!

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