Mission San Juan Capistrano

The mission San Juan Capistrano in California is a fascinating historic landmark to visit. The mission was founded November 1, 1776 and was the seventh mission of twenty-one. The historic site is open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christmas Eve and Good Friday. There is an admission fee to tour the mission grounds and museum.

Volunteer docents will guide you through the grounds, buildings, and museum of the San Juan Capistrano. The tour is very informative and the guides very friendly and able to answer most any question that arises. The grounds are well kept, beautifully landscaped and easy to cover. The buildings are quaint, historic, and both beautiful and rustic. The Bell Wall, pictured, was one of my favorite spots. The beauty of the bells in the bell wall demanded my attention. One can only imagine the bells in use to call the community to various activities. There are over eighteen stops along the tour. Each building or area has a significance that requires you to go back after the end of the tour to read more about that particular building, item or activity associated with that area. The Serra Chapel is still an active chapel. The chapel is beautifully adorned as you can see in the picture. The chapel is very welcoming and comfortable as the open doors allow you to pass through the chapel or to stop and spend some time there. One of the fountains contains koi and many beautiful water lilies. I had to stop there and explore the many colors of the lily pads and to watch to koi. Life in the mission was described as we toured. It was fascinating to hear and to see the different aspects of mission life. They were a well run, self contained community complete with an aqueduct system that brought water through the mission to every part where it was needed. Food was raised in gardens, animals were raised, products were produced, children were educated, families were supported and supplied with work, and several chapels were able to support the needs of the mission.

As I mentioned earlier after finishing the guided tour I did go back to revisit the areas that I wanted to examine more. There was so much to explore. I feel that you would want to visit the mission several times to fully appreciate it. I would love to return during different seasons.

This historic landmark has changed ownership several times. It is currently owned and operated by the Mission Preservation Society and its members. You can find out more about the mission and the programs by visiting www.missionsjc.com. There is so much history at San Juan Capistrano. The Mission Preservation Society and its members are providing a great service through their dedication and volunteer efforts. The volunteers that lead the tours are wonderful and are able to almost bring the mission to life through their detailed information and descriptions.