Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum Permanently Closes Its Santa Barbara Location

The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum has officially wrapped up its operations at its Santa Barbara location. 

Announcing its last day in a social media post, the museum invited the public to stop by one last time before it closed its doors permanently on April 5, 2026. 

Although the Santa Barbara location has closed, a large portion of the museum’s historical displays and documents will still be accessible to the public through its website, allowing visitors to explore rare manuscripts from anywhere. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums (@karpelesmanuscriptlibrary)

The closing down of the Santa Barbara location also marks a new chapter for The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, which operates multiple locations throughout the country. 

The museum is opening a new location in Florida, it shared in the Instagram post. 

The new, larger location at St. Augustine, Florida, is expected to open soon, the museum shared. Slated to open at 105 St. George Street, the new location will have rotating exhibits from the museum’s collection. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums (@karpelesmanuscriptlibrary)

No official opening date was mentioned in the social media post. 

The Karpeles Manuscript Library building in Santa Barbara was listed for sale earlier this year. The historic building, located at 21-23 West Anapamu Street was listed for $3.3 million. 

The two-story building spans more than 8,400 square feet and is located off the State Street corridor. 

The property continues to be listed for sale on Colliers’s website. 

Originally constructed in 1903, the building has served multiple functions. In its early years, the building was a private residence and then went on to function as a funeral home in the 1920s. 

Over the next few years, the building was turned into a fraternity house for the University of California, Santa Barbara, and functioned as a shop, a boutique, and a night club. In 1986, David Karpeles and Mounir Ashamalla purchased the building and opened the museum. 

About the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum

The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum was founded by David and Marsha Karpeles in 1983 and preserves more than a million historical documents related to literature, religion, science, music, art, political history, and exploration. 

There are multiple libraries across the U.S., with rotating exhibits to showcase different parts of its historical items.  

The Santa Barbara location had several historical artifacts on display, including the Documentary Birth of America Archive, the Torah Exhibit, the Jurassic Park Exhibit, and handwritten scores by numerous famous composers. The museum also had the computer guidance system used on the Apollo 11 lander flight to the moon and a collection of dinosaur items.