lotusland

This is a must see attraction, even if it is pricey. Our docent, Barb, was excellent and the tour is quite long. Be prepared to be on your feet for over 2 hours; however, it is worth it. The gardens are beautifully maintained and have so many specimens. It is so quiet and serene there, even with several tours going on.

We had a lovely tour through Lotus Land. Beautiful & relaxing. We learned a lot thanks to our tour guide. A must if you love nature & learning about plants.

Very knowledgeable docents, beautiful place to visit, excellent selection of different kinds of plants that are laid out beautifully.

IF you're a fan of gardens, this one can NOT be missed. Not only is the garden beautiful, the history is amazing. You need reservations so if you're visiting Santa Barbara, make them well in advance. It's soooo worth it.

Rare plants, fountains, garden design, architecture, topiaries, lotus flowers, cactus, ferns, pools, ponds and an amazing sight around every corner. Really a great place to spend a couple of hours walking in paradise.

I’ve heard amazing things about Lotusland for years and wondered how a visit there would live up to my high expectations. I was truly impressed with the charm of the place, its design and character, and the quality of care for its plants and facilities. An opportunity to speak with Lotusland’s Executive Director, Gwen Stauffer, revealed just how much the spirit of the garden’s creator, Madame Ganna Walska, lives on to this day.The temporary exhibits for “Flock: birds on the brink” are both beautiful and serve to engage audiences in reflection on the plight of aviary life in a rapidly changing planet. Be sure to see these before the exhibit’s closing on May 23rd.

we had a private, guided tour of this wonderful place. it has something for anyone with an appreciation for planting/gardening on a grand scale.

Every visit has been different. No garden is the same from day to day. Lotusland is a tribute to one woman's extraordinary taste, passion, and fortune spent on beauty which at the end of her long life she gave For all of wus to enjoy. Friends always report this, and not me, to be the most memorable part of visiting Santa Barbara.

Lotusland boasts a very impressive array of botanical life. I'm no expert on plants, but it was definitely interesting to see and hear about the history if you are into that sort of thing. Our docent Marcia was particularly well-informed and a pleasure to have as a guide.

It was beautiful with my only complaint being that you cannot just walk-in. You have to set and apt.

This place must be seen. One of the most diverse andimaginative set of gardens with different types of plants,flowers and landscaping. The guides are very informative and helpful. Loved the cactus garden amongothers. It is well worth the money and so satisfying tothe mind and senses. If you love, respect and admirenatural beauty and can appreciate those dedicatedpeople who strive to give us this gem, go to the LotusGarden!! We will revisit it again when we are in S.B.andMontecito.

Truly a unique garden. It can be hard to get on a tour but it is an amazing garden and history lesson about a unique time in Santa Barbara history.

A very unique experience/garden. Need to plan ahead and make reservation. One of the Jewel of Santa Barbara.

This is not a one trick pony! Yes, it is a wonderful, unbelievable garden, but that's just the beginning. The story of the garden is just as amazing as the garden. We need a mini-series or movie about Madame Walska - now. The architecture on the grounds is interesting. The docents are remarkable. The way the history of the city entwines with the history of the garden is very interesting. Nice gift shop too. Small but with very unique items. Loved every minute I spent here and can't wait to go back.I lived in California for six years, but the gardens were under renovation most of the time. I only heard briefly about them from one person, but I kept my eye on them. I am so glad. It doesn't matter what KIND of garden you like, because they are ALL here. Something new and gorgeous around every corner.Some might consider the price of admission ($45) to be a lot, but it is worth every penny. You also can't just show up whenever it suits you. You have to have reservations before they'll even give you the address to the entrance. It's worth going through the loops. The experience was much better than an amusement park in my estimation.The hardest thing for me was that there is no wandering around on your own. Everyone goes around with a docent and the tours are great, but I wished that I could have gone back to certain areas and enjoyed them at my own pace. I do want to applaud them for the way they handled an emergency on my tour. A sweet grandmotherly sort of lady fell into a cactus. The docent immediately got help and the lady was taken care of. That may be why they don't let you wander around on your own - lots of cactus and water features to fall into.I love this. You should make every effort to go. Seriously - THE BEST attraction in Santa Barbara. THE BEST!!

I was in town for the weekend with the family and needed a few places to go for fun. This was great, I would choose to not do the guided option if that is available, it was a little much for the children. But the property is so amazing it should be seen by all ages!