This little gem is completely free and a must for people who love history. There's a lot of amazing historical artifacts from various eras. When I went there was an exhibit with letters from a lot of European royalty. They did a great job posting placards that gave further context for each artifact. Conveniently located downtown there's no reason not to visit if you're in the area.

This small, unassuming museum happens to be part of the world’s largest library of rare and historical manuscripts. The manuscripts range from the first draft of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to that of Richard Nixon’s resignation speech, to ancient bas relief hieroglyphic sandstone panels. There are also artifacts, like control panels from Mercury spacecraft and their Soviet counterparts. The ship’s log of the HMS Victory, open to entries written by Lord Admiral Nelson, is accompanied by a scale model of the ship. The collection rotates between the museum’s various locations, so there is always something new to see. If you are looking for something interesting to do in Santa Barbara that is inexpensive and right in the middle of downtown, go to the Karpeles Manuscript Museum.

Very interesting collections of manuscripts through the ages. Hard to believe how in-debth this collection is. Very memorable. A real gee-whizzer place.

Well worth seeking out and visiting. Admission is free but you need to check opening hours. This is a private collection of fascinating documents and other strange and wonderful things. Recommended.

If you are a history buff or just have interest in older documents this is the place to visit. From old manuscripts about Moses and the ten commandments to travel documents from all parts of the world this is an amazing display of interesting history. I would encourage anyone to take the time to walk through and check it out.