Alice Keck Memorial Gardens, Santa Barbara

It's one of the best kept secrets of Santa Barbara. If you're not looking for it you won't find it. Located off the beaten path to most tourists, The gardens has a wonderful pond with great fish and little turtles! it's a great place to come and take a nap or just watch your kids play in the grass. If visiting, I'd recommend The Sandman Inn (www.thesandmaninn.com). It is incredibly close to the park and is really budget friendly. After a long day sight seeing and enjoying Santa Barbara, on the pool deck is the place to be!

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With lush gardens a man-made pond full of turtles and big orange carp, Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden is an oasis right in the middle of Santa Barbara. This is a great place to catch your breath if doing a big walk around the city sights and is popular with professional and budding photographers, for good reason. This is another gem we would have missed without Ernst, who happens to be a professional photographer and has known this locale since studying at the nearby Brooks Institute.

aice keck park memorial gardens is a memorial park located in santa barbara, california. it consists of one entire city block, bounded by santa barbara, micheltorena, garden, and arrellaga streets; it is across santa barbara street from the unitarian society of santa barbara, and across micheltorena street from alameda park.

the gardens, formerly the site of the el mirasol hotel, were purchased and donated to the city in 1975, and dedicated in 1980.

these gardens include a man-made pond stocked with turtle and koi, as well as a gazebo and many meandering walkways and paths. all the plants in the garden, some native and some ornamental, are chosen specifically to be tolerant of the low-water nature of the santa barbara climate.