Mission Santa Inés

Solvang (; Danish for "sunny field") is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is located in the Santa Ynez Valley. The population was 6,126 at the 2020 census, up from 5,245 at the 2010 census. Solvang was founded in 1911 and incorporated as a city on May 1, 1985. Solvang has been described as "The Danish Capital of America".Solvang's origins date back to 1804, when Mission Santa Inés was founded by the Spanish under Esteban Tápis. A small community grew up around the mission called "Santa Inés" during the Mexican period, but it was largely abandoned after the American Conquest of California. In 1911, a new settlement was founded around the mission by a group of Danish Americans who purchased 9,000 acres (3,600 ha) of the surrounding Rancho San Carlos de Jonata, to establish a Danish community far from Midwestern winters. The community began building Danish-themed architecture in 1947, and has since become a tourist destination. The community attracts tourists from Nordic countries, and has been the subject of several Danish royal visits, most recently by Prince Henrik in 2011. A minority of residents in the 21st century are of Danish origin.

The Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum is a 'Collector's Collection' museum in Solvang, California, United States. The museum was founded in March 2000 by Virgil Elings, a local retiree and a collector of motorcycles.The museum's collection includes a Britten V1000, a supercharged version of a Vincent Black Lightning, and a rare Vincent Grey Flash, one of four Isle of Man TT racing specials.

Elverhøj Museum of History and Art is a museum in Solvang, California whose mission is “to collect, preserve and exhibit the history and Danish culture of Solvang and to promote the arts.” It is one of the few examples of museums outside of Denmark that focus on Danish/Danish-American culture. It is located a few blocks from the town center. It is on a residential side street south of downtown.The museum was the former residence of Viggo Brandt-Erichsen, an internationally known painter and sculptor, and his wife Martha Mott, a painter and art teacher. In 1950, the couple constructed their house to reflect large farmhouses of 18th century Jutland in Denmark. The museum was renovated in 1987 and opened to the public in May 1988. The Brandt-Erichsen family first donated it to the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Society. Subsequently, the City of Solvang took over ownership and maintenance and the non-profit Solvang Heritage Associates operated the museum. Later, due to the city’s decline in budget, the ownership and maintenance was transferred to Solvang Heritage Associates in June 2007.The name Elverhøj means “Elves’ Hill”. It came from the famous folk play Elverhøj from 1828 where a king visits dancing wood-spirits and forest friends at night. The play has been performed in Solvang since 1914. The redwood carving on the front door was inspired by the play and designed by Viggo Brandt-Erichsen. It is now the museum’s logotype.Elements of Scandinavian architecture can be seen throughout the building, such as ornamental wrought iron, a carved wooden front door, and hand-painted panels. There is a traditional Danish kitchen with pine floors, countertops, and tables decorated with hand-painted green and stenciled flowers. The museum also contains a number of old photographs and traditional arts and crafts, such as displays of paper cutting, lace-making, and wooden clog making. There are also rotating exhibits that change throughout the year about the surrounding area.In 2020, the suggested donation was $5. The museum also has a store that sells gift items and souvenirs.

Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital is a hospital in the city of Solvang, California. It is owned and operated by Cottage Health. The hospital was featured briefly in a scene of the 2004 film Sideways.

Rancho Nojoqui was a 13,284-acre (53.76 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Raimundo Carrillo. The grant was located in the Santa Ynez Valley and foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains, just south of present-day Solvang.

The Santa Ynez Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Santa Barbara County, California and was established on May 16, 1983 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). It is part of the larger Central Coast AVA, and contains the greatest concentration of wineries in Santa Barbara County. The valley is formed by the Purisima Hills and San Rafael Mountains to the north and the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south creating a long, east-west corridor with very cool temperatures on the coast that become progressively warmer inland. The Santa Ynez River flows east to west on the valley floor toward the Pacific Ocean. As of 2021, the Santa Ynez Valley contains four other established viticultural areas: Sta. Rita Hills on its western boundary; Ballard Canyon and Los Olivos District occupying the center region; and Happy Canyon on the eastern border. Chardonnay is the most planted grape variety in the cooler, western portion of the valley while Rhône varieties thrive in the eastern locales.

Ballard Canyon AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Santa Barbara County, California and established on October 2, 2013 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The 7,800 acres (12 sq mi) designated area lies west of Ballard and Solvang townships while in the center of the Santa Ynez Valley viticultural area, which in turn, is within the perimeter of the larger multi-county Central Coast viticultural area. As of 2021, the Santa Ynez Valley AVA contains three other established viticultural areas: Santa Rita Hills, which lies to the west; Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara to the east of the Ballard Canyon. Los Olivos District borders Ballard Canyon's eastern perimeter while Santa Rita Hills and the Happy Canyon areas do not share boundaries nor overlap Ballard Canyon. The USDA plant hardiness zone for the AVA is 9b.

Santa Ynez Valley Union High School (SYHS) is a public high school in Santa Ynez, California that serves students in grades 9–12 in the Santa Ynez Valley. As of the 2017–18 school year, 908 students were enrolled at the school.

The Santa Ynez Valley (Spanish: Valle de Santa Ynez) is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the northwest, by the Purisima Hills, and from the Santa Maria Valley by the Solomon Hills. The Santa Rita Hills separate the Santa Ynez Valley from the Santa Rita and Lompoc Valleys to the west.The valley has a population of about 20,000 residents living in the communities of Solvang, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, Buellton, and Ballard.

OstrichLand USA is an ostrich and emu ranch in Santa Barbara County, California in between the towns of Buellton and Solvang, just off California State Route 246. It is known for its over 100 ostriches and emus, which people can visit to feed. Southern California was chosen for this location specifically because of its resemblance to the surroundings of Africa and Australia. Along with being a popular tourist attraction with people passing through Santa Ynez Valley, the farm also raises ostriches for their eggs only and not their meat.

Ballard is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California. The town of Ballard is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. The nearest city is Solvang. The population was 467 at the 2010 census. Ballard is the smallest and oldest community in the Santa Ynez Valley. The town history can be seen in two buildings from the 1880s: the 1883 Ballard School and the Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church, which was erected in 1889. Ballard was founded in 1880.

Santa Ynez (; Spanish for "St. Agnes") is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. The town of Santa Ynez is one of the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley. It features the Santa Ynez Airport for general aviation, with a paved 2,804 by 75 feet (855 m × 23 m) runway. The population was 4,505 at the 2020 census, up from 4,418 at the 2010 census. Santa Ynez is the archaic spelling of Santa Inés in the Spanish, meaning Saint Agnes.