The Presidio Research Center holds a large collection of maps, architectural plans, and graphic materials for research use.  Printed and hand-drawn maps date from 1788, with a copy of a drawing of the original Presidio plan by Goicoechea, and cover the town of Santa Barbara through its growth as a city, focusing on blocks, neighborhoods, city, and county.  Beyond Santa Barbara, California is well covered.  We have copies of diseños from the rancho period, topographic maps, surveys, and political maps, to name a few.

The Research Center also has copies of Sanborn Insurance Maps from 1886 through 1950.

Architectural plans of the reconstruction of the Presidio are in the collection, as well as many buildings from the Presidio neighborhood such as El Paseo, the Santa Barbara School of the Arts site, and Casa de la Guerra. Noted architects include Winsor Soule, Carlton Winslow, James Osborn Craig, Wayne Donaldson, Henry Lenny, and Harrison Design.