Mission San Juan Capistrano

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Visit our Tour Destination: Southern California page to see the entire tour of the area’s Save America’s Treasures sites.

Bell Wall and The Great Stone Church at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Photograph courtesy of Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Mission San Juan Capistrano
26801 Ortega Highway
San Juan Capistrano, CA

Website:  Mission San Juan Capistrano

The Treasure:  Known as the “Jewel of the Missions,” Mission San Juan Capistrano preserves the historic buildings of an 18th century Spanish Catholic mission. The restored buildings and ruins are evocative of the early years of Spanish settlement in California.

Accessibility:  Mission San Juan Capistrano is open daily from 8:30 to 5.  Both daily guided tours and audio tours are available.

Background:  Mission San Juan Capistrano was one of 21 missions that the Spanish government established in Alta California between 1769 and 1823. The goal was to convert the Native Americans to Christianity, educate them to be good Spanish subjects, and encourage them in productive work such as farming or ranching within the confines of the mission.

Golden retablo inside the Serra Chapel.
Photograph courtesy of Mission
San Juan Capistrano.

Founded in 1775 and 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano grew to a population of over a thousand people by 1806. The religious community centered on the Serra Chapel (a 1782 chapel which may be the oldest standing building in California) and The Great Stone Church.  Begun in 1797 and completed in 1806, The Great Stone Church only enjoyed six full years of service before being reduced to ruins by a series of massive earthquakes. The resulting ruins were so picturesque that over the years they developed a unique tourist status of their own, as well as their own set of legends and folklore.

When Mexico won independence from Spain, Alta California and its missions fell under a new government. In 1834, a decree was issued to end the missions and sell off the land. Mission San Juan Capistrano fell into private hands.

After California entered the United States in 1848, Catholic leaders appealed to the federal government for a return of the missions. Abraham Lincoln officially returned the missions to the Roman Catholic Church in 1865. In the century and a half since then, Mission San Juan Capistrano has embraced both its role as a spiritual center for local parishioners and as one of the country’s great historic sites, worthy of preservation.

The Great Stone Church at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Photograph courtesy of Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Aerial view of the central courtyard.
Photography courtesy of Mission San Juan Capistrano. 

Notes from the Editor:  On March 19, St. Joseph’s Day on the Catholic calendar, Mission San Juan Capistrano joins in the local festivities of the “Return of the Swallows.” Mission leaders ring the historic bells, celebrate with mariachi music, and offer educational programs on the cliff swallow and the legends that have grown up around their annual return. The birds are thought to have adopted Mission San Juan Capistrano because of its abundance of insects and the prime nesting locations provided by the ruins. The Ink Spots cemented the legend of the swallows into popular culture with their 1940 hit “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano”—I love the historic San Juan Capistrano images that are used on this particular YouTube clip at the link!

Other Recommended Sites:  The Orange Coast offers some of the most beautiful beaches and coves of Southern California—and it’s just minutes away. But there’s history—as well as natural beauty—to be enjoyed along the coast! For the traditionalist, the Laguna Art Museum offers a fine selection of plein-air Impressionist art by members of the area’s original art colony; for the more adventurous, there’s the International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach, about 30 miles northwest of San Juan Capistrano. Just follow the scenic Pacific Coast Highway up the coast to reach one of California’s famed Surf Cities (Huntington Beach).

Original bells from 1776 at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Photograph courtesy of Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Tour America's History Itinerary

Friday’s destination:  The Gamble House
Monday’s destination:  Aline Barnsdall Complex

© 2012 Lee Price