Mission Santa Barbara

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Lonely Planet review

Called the 'Queen of the Missions', Mission Santa Barbara sits on a majestic perch half a mile north of downtown. It was established on December 4 (the feast day of St Barbara) in 1786, as the 10th California mission. The current stone version dates from 1820.

Today, the mission still functions as a Franciscan friary as well as a parish church and museum. It is also a reminder of the complicated and sometimes unhappy relationship between the Christian religion and the Chumash people. The church features Chumash wall decorations and beautiful cloisters. To the side is an extensive cemetery where an estimated 4000 Chumash are buried in unmarked graves, as well as elaborate mausoleums of early California settlers.