The Fig District Walking Tour includes eight of Santa Barbara architect Jeff Shelton’s most exuberant downtown buildings as well as a masterful gate designed by his brother, David Shelton. The buildings are in a seven-block neighborhood that Jeff refers to as the “Fig District” since they‘re all located within walking distance of his office on Fig Avenue.
This collection of buildings is primarily in Santa Barbara’s historic “El Pueblo Viejo” neighborhood and each has been constructed by the same contractor and group of artisans. The idea of an informal ‘tour’ grew organically as each project was completed and people began requesting addresses, and then a map, and then more information about each. So Jeff began writing what he thought would be an 8-page Walking Tour pamphlet. There were too many stories to tell, however, and the pamphlet became a recently published 192 page book called ‘The Fig District.’
The nineteen-block walk starts at the architect’s office and winds through town, stopping to tell the story behind each building’s design and construction complexities, as well as the cast of characters that brought them to life. The tour includes the Ablitt Tower, the Pistachio Building, Vera Cruz, El Zapato, Cota Street Studios, El Jardin, and the brand new Augie’s tequila bar.
$50 for ICAA members
$75 for Non-Members
