Hidden In Plain Sight, A Mansion On The Cliffs

If you've spent enough time in Santa Barbara you have heard people talk about it. You've probably seen it and wondered what it was. Or maybe it's just escaped your notice. It's easy to miss, but hidden in plain sight is a 23 acre property named the Bellosguardo Estate, otherwise known as the Clark Estate. The main house is a sprawling 22,000 square foot french style mansion and is filled with an array of oil paintings, pristinely kept original furniture and other miscellaneous collections of antiques.

The property was originally purchased by Senator William Clark of Montana in 1923 though the final state of the building and design was largely the legacy of Huguette Clark, William's youngest daughter. He had made a fortune in mining and railroads before pursuing a dubious career in politics. He was a bit of a recluse later in life and moved westward to California with his family to find solitude.

At the seasoned age of 104 Huguette Clark passed away and left the estate as a charitable foundation. Her mark is indelibly left here in the architecture, art and stories.

It is well worth a visit to the estate to see the architecture, collections of art and the view. The docents are quite knowledgeable, and funny. Tickets as of March 2024 were $100. The only catch here is that you must be part of the Bellosguardo private email list to purchase tickets though they are happy to register you and receive more visitors.

Check out https://www.bellosguardo.org/visit/ for more information.