Santa Barbara is known worldwide as a place of beauty and aesthetic character. This book includes many examples of that character, reflected in its buildings as well as a curated series of historic sites and illustrations.

In 1986, the City of Santa Barbara published the first edition of "Santa Barbara, El Pueblo Viejo." The book served a number of functions including a guide for walking tours and an initial resource for those interested in the city's histoyr. Architects used the book as a resource and reference guide. Visitors found it to be a valuable memento of their time spent in the city.

In 2016, the Santa Barbara Conservancy published this second edition, building on the success of the earlier book. This new edition features color photography for all sites, historical pictures for comparative purposes, new maps and expanded explanatory text. A number of new sites have also been added.