It features relics from Chumash, Spanish, Mexican, Yankee, and Chinese cultures, including artifacts, photographs, furnishings and textiles, dating as far back as the 15th century.

In 1947, the Society published its first book, China Trade Days in California by D. MacKenzie Brown, based upon the papers of Alpheus Thompson, an early prosperous Santa Barbara merchant.

In April 1955 the first issue of the Society's journal, Noticias, was published and this quarterly devoted to the study of the Santa Barbara region has been in publication ever since.

The fourteen-room home, built by one of Santa Barbara's most prominent citizens of the late 19th century, was threatened with destruction in 1958 upon the death of the judge's last surviving child.

The Society's Executive Director, W. Edwin Gledhill, spearheaded a fundraising drive to purchase the house and have it moved adjacent to the Trussell-Winchester Adobe on West Montecito Street.

The dream of a permanent home for the Society was fulfilled with the dedication of the museum building at 136 East De la Guerra Street on February 28, 1965.

The Covarrubias is used as a lecture space and houses the office of the Docent Council; the Historic Adobe headquarters the Rancheros Visitadores.

This entailed a $3.5 million installation of a state-of-the-art air filtration and climate control system and a complete redesign of the exhibit galleries.