Your visit to Casa de la Guerra includes a rich, atmospheric experience of a family home in nineteenth-century Santa Barbara. You will be invited to explore furnished rooms, including an office, sala (living room), bedroom, and store, which appear as though the family has just stepped away. An orientation area prepares you with information about the de la Guerra family, the mostly Chumash servants who worked there, and the changing appearance of the house over three generations. Our knowledgeable staff is there to support your visit and answer your questions.

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This adobe residence was constructed between 1818 and 1828 for José de la Guerra, the fifth comandante of the Presidio. In addition to his military post, de la Guerra acquired four large ranchos, ran an active commercial trade enterprise and served as the patriarch for the local community. Casa de la Guerra home was the social, political, and cultural center of Santa Barbara during the Mexican period (1821-1848). José’s children and grandchildren occupied the building until 1943, when the Casa was fully incorporated into the El Paseo complex. In the 1990s, the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation restored the building to its appearance between 1828 and 1858.

Casa de la Guerra is a popular site for community and private events. Each year SBTHP produces free educational programs for the community in the Casa Courtyard including Día de los Muertos Craft Day and Una Noche de Las Posadas. You can check our calendar to see what is coming up! To inquire about using the Casa for your own event, click here.