Historic ranch and house museum

Rancho La Patera & Stow House

About 0.1 road mile away

Rancho La Patera & Stow House is a neighboring historic-ranch museum about 104 meters from the South Coast Railroad Museum.

The place

About Rancho La Patera & Stow House

Rancho La Patera preserves the c. 1872 Carpenter Gothic Stow House, gardens, ranch yard and buildings tied to Goleta's agricultural development.

The Visitor Center and Museum Store are open Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. Guided Stow House tours begin at 2 and 3 p.m.; the Sunday ranch yard runs from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

The visitor page requests a $5 suggested donation for the museum experience, while the separate Sundays at the Ranch program is described as always free. Keep those offers distinct.

No official physical-access contract was found for the historic house, tour route, paths, parking, restrooms or ranch-yard activities. Call ahead rather than inferring access from photographs.

What stands out

Tour the c. 1872 Stow House

Meet at the Visitor Center for one of the two exact weekend guided-tour times.

Explore the ranch yard

Use the separate Sunday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. program and its free-program boundary.

Walk the historic gardens

View specimen plantings while treating dated photos as historical visual context.

Connect agriculture and rail history

Compare Rancho La Patera's lemon and irrigation history with the neighboring depot.

Pair it with the train

Why it belongs in a South Coast Railroad Museum trip

The ranch ranks first about 104 meters, or roughly 0.1 road mile, from the railroad museum. The attractions are independent and publish different hours, admissions and access boundaries.

Before you go

Plan your visit

  • Visitor CenterSaturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
  • House toursGuided Stow House tours at 2 and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; meet at the Visitor Center.
  • Ranch yardSunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; check the current program notice.
  • AdmissionThe visitor page requests a $5 suggested donation; Sundays at the Ranch is separately described as always free.
  • JanuaryThe contact page says Stow House is closed during January; confirm before a winter visit.
  • AccessibilityNo current official house, path, parking, restroom or activity access inventory was published; call ahead.
  • Closure bannerIgnore the stale yearless July 5/July 12 closure banner and use current notices.

Choose a larger natural-history campus

Add Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Use the Santa Barbara museum for a multi-hour indoor-and-outdoor visit with detailed access planning.

View the guide →

Useful answers

Frequently asked questions

When is the Visitor Center open?

Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

When are Stow House tours?

Guided tours begin at 2 and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, with visitors meeting at the Visitor Center.

When is the ranch yard open?

The current visitor page lists Sunday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

How much is admission?

The visitor page requests a $5 suggested donation. Sundays at the Ranch is a separate program described as always free.

Is Stow House open in January?

The official contact page says the house is closed during January; confirm current plans.

Is the historic house wheelchair-accessible?

No complete official house, tour-route, path, parking or restroom access inventory was found. Call (805) 681-7216 before visiting.

Is the July 5 closure current?

The visitor page carries a stale yearless July 5/July 12 banner. Do not use it as a current closure without a dated notice.

Do the photos show today's route and gardens?

No. The three works date from 2011, 2012 and 2020 and do not establish present entry, room access, paths, foliage or physical accessibility.

Trust and accuracy

Sources

Source checked 2026-08-17. This free guide has not yet been confirmed by the venue. Current hours, prices, services, and accessibility can change; confirm time-sensitive details directly.