Celebrating 150 Years of
S.B.’s Stearns Wharf
A Look at the Past and Present of One of
California’s Last Working Wooden Piers
By Tyler Hayden, Matt Kettmann, and Terry Ortega | October 6, 2022
Whether you venture there once a year with visiting friends or frequent its wooden walkways every day, Stearns Wharf serves as both the symbol and soul of Santa Barbara. It offers the most picturesque place to view back upon our city, providing new memories for countless tourists and locals every day, and yet it’s also central to the modern Santa Barbara we know and love — without Stearns Wharf, many of our buildings would not exist, nor would our still-thriving fishing culture and economically crucial hospitality scene.
To celebrate its 150th anniversary, we present this collection of stories for you to enjoy. Tyler Hayden explores the wharf’s history, Matt Kettmann provides a rundown of the businesses that exist today, and Terry Ortega offers a memoir of growing up with Stearns as a frequent place of fun.
Saturday’s Birthday Bash
The 150th birthday bash for Stearns Wharf is on Saturday, October 8, 11 a.m.-7:15 p.m. There are tall ship cannon battles, a regatta, live music, history talks, an opera performance, face-painting, scavenger hunts, boat rides, a clam chowder competition, fireworks, and plenty of deals planned for the celebration.
See all the details at stearnswharf.org.
The History of Stearns Wharf
John Peck Stearns Transformed a
Sleepy Adobe Town into a Bustling American City
By Tyler Hayden
Explore the Storefronts
of Stearns Wharf
Retailers, Restaurateurs, and Other Professionals Who Work Above the Water Every Day
By Matt Kettmann
Remembering My Childhood Days on the Wooden Planks
A Lifelong Santa Barbaran Recalls Halcyon Days
By Terry Ortega
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