About the Tour
The Santa Barbara Tile Walk is a guided, tile-focused walking tour around downtown Santa Barbara. On each of our routes, you will encounter over 40 different painted tile patterns, catch some hidden architectural gems, and learn cool facts about tile-making traditions and local Santa Barbara history. Although beautiful tile work can be found almost everywhere around downtown Santa Barbara, you might be surprised how many design choices, architectural nuances, and even whole tile spreads you can miss at first glance!
tile bingo
Worried about getting bored on the Tile Walk? Don't worry, the Santa Barbara Tile Walk is not a dusty old lecture- it's a treasure hunt! Every Tile Walk ticket comes with a copy of a Tile Spotter's Checklist for your Tile Walk route. As we go through the tour, see how many of these tile patterns you can find! Who knows- if you get them all, you might get a special prize!
Your Tour Guide
Dr. Collin Sibley has tile fever, and he bets that you'll catch it, too! Collin has been in love with Santa Barbara's tiles for years and is always excited to share what he knows with Santa Barbara newcomers and long-time locals alike.​​ ​Under his artist name, Roger Buster, Collin is the creator and producer of CreaTiffity Studios' Santa Barbara Tiles to Go line of stainless steel jewelry, each piece of which features a true-to-life replication of a tile found in downtown Santa Barbara. Feel free to message Collin using our contact form before or after your tour if you have any questions or comments about the tour or local tiles!
Accessibility
As a walking tour, the Santa Barbara Tile Walk requires a moderate degree of mobility, whether assisted or unassisted. All Tile Walk routes are wheelchair accessible, and the tour's frequent stops ensure that the pace of the tour remains measured. Pets and emotional support animals are welcome on the tour, as long they are properly leashed or harnessed and will not cause significant behavioral disruptions to the tour.