Santa Barbara CVB

Explore the Cinematic Side of Santa Barbara

Like many great movie characters, Santa Barbara's film history has a humble beginning. As the home to California’s first major movie studio, the legendary Flying A Studio (1910), Santa Barbara was a modest hub to film's early pioneers during the silent era. But it wasn't until Cecil B. DeMille shot the sand-scapes of Guadalupe (still accessible today) in The Ten Commandments (1923) that Santa Barbara gained a reputation for locations worthy of stardom. Since then, the region has been cast in classics such as The Graduate, Seabiscuit and the wine-infused comedy, Sideways. You may've even seen our backdrops used in Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse (2006) — or our dunes in Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean III: At World's End (2007).

Design a trip to see your favorite film settings firsthand by requesting a FREE Lonely Planet Santa Barbara County Film Tour Guide. Then, sleep where stars such as Clark Gable and Carole Lombard slept; or plan a trip around the Santa Barbara International Film Festival to indulge your inner voyeur. The American Riviera's vast red carpet awaits you!

Perfect Pairing Pass

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On Location in Santa Barbara

May 2007
Project: "Giada's Weekend Getaways"
Network: Food Network
Airtime: July 31, 2007 & December 21, 2007
Location: Various locations in Santa Barbara County
More info: Giada took viewers on a culinary tour of Santa Barbara County, from the waterfront to the wine country. Stops included McConnell's Ice Cream, Arroyo Burro a.k.a. Hendry's Beach, Brown Pelican, Artiste Winery & Tasting Studio, Trattoria Grappolo and Elements Restaurant.

November - December 2006
Project: Grindhouse
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Location: Santa Ynez Valley roads including Figueroa Mountain Road
More info: The cast and crew of Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse spent two months shooting car chase scenes in the Santa Ynez Valley. Key scenes were filmed on Figueroa Mountain Road (also where the pro cyclists train) in the Santa Ynez Valley and Jalama Road in Lompoc. Cast members were spotted at local wineries and restaurants including AJ Spurs and The Firestone Tap Room in Buellton and The Palace Café in downtown Santa Barbara.
Movie release: April 2007

October 2006
Project: Pirates of the Caribbean III: At World’s End
Director: Gore Verbinski
Location: Guadalupe Dunes
More info: Lead actors present for the 4-day shoot included Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.
Movie release: May 2007