CALIFORNIA MISSIONS

From Sonoma to San Diego, California's twenty-one missions are instantly recognized as symbols of our state's rich history and cultural heritage. They are our most-visited historic sites, attracting 5.5 million tourists a year. And with their tile roofs, rounded towers, and whitewashed walls, these 200-year-old landmarks influence California architecture even today.

The Missions are an excellent way to study early California history, forming the core of the fourth-grade history curriculum for California students. Below, each Mission is listed in the order it was founded with other valuable information. Click on the names to learn more about each mission.

Click here to learn about Senator Boxer's California Missions Preservation Act.

1. Mission San Diego de Alcalá 2. Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo 3. Mission San Antonio de Padua 4. Mission San Gabriel, Arcángel 5. Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa 6. Mission San Francisco de Asís 7. Mission San Juan de Capistrano 8. Mission Santa Clara de Asís 9. Mission Buenaventura 10. Mission Santa Bárbara 11. Mission La Purísima Concepcion 12. Mission Santa Cruz 13. Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad 14. Mission San José 15. Mission San Juan Bautista 16. Mission San Miguel Arcángel 17. Mission San Fernando Rey de España 18. Mission San Luis Rey de Francia 19. Mission Santa Inés 20. Mission San Rafael Arcángel 21. Mission San Francisco de Solano Click here to view a list of all the missions.

click here for a video tour of Mission San Diego de Alcalá.

LINKS

California Missions Foundation

Mission Art Press

Spanish and Mexican Heritage Sites from the California State Parks Website

UCR/California Museum of Photography: California Missions Photo Gallery

(sources: California Missions Foundation Website; "Live Again: Our Mission Past" by G. Kuska and B. Linse; "The Decoration of the California Missions" by N. Neuerberg)