Mission San Juan Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano, United States

4.8

Closed now

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 949-234-1300
Website:
www.missionsjc.com
Address:
26801 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, CA, 92675
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
490 ftSan Juan Capistrano Depot
1.5 miOCTA
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Bussiness info

Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (San Juan Capistrano) 00:16 Friday, 20 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Special Events, Education Programs, Group Tours, Living History, Museums, Art Gallery, Garden, Artifacts, Architecture, Historic Preservation, Award-​Winning Audio Tours in English, French, German, Spanish and Vietnamese, Children’s Audio Tours, California Missions Resource Center, Family Activities, Celebration of Community, Return of the Swallows, Mariachi Festival, Music Under the Stars summer concert series, dining and dancing under the stars, Romance Gala, Koi, Culture, Group Discounts, Franciscan Hospitality, Tourism Center, Private Events Venue, Corporate Events, Donor Events, Member Events, Membership, Customer Service, Early California History, Serra Chapel Mass, music and dance performances, art receptions, festivals, podcasts, teachers’ guides, peace, tranquility, beauty, interpretation and inspiration.

History

Established in 1776.

This Mission is as old as our country.

Meet the Manager

Mechelle L.

Manager

Mechelle Lawrence-​Adams

— Named for the 1960s Beatles song

— Grew up in Seal Beach, CA

— B.A. in Political Science, Cal State Fullerton

— M.A. in Business from University of Redlands

— Executive Director since 2003

— 12 years as Economic Development Manager, City of San Juan Capistrano

— Is the Mission’s first female administrator in 227 years

— One of the «Hottest 25 People in Orange County» by OC Metro Magazine

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Mechelle L. says,

«Enchanting courtyard space! They also host wedding receptions.»

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French

Mechelle L. says,

«Their name means „The Swallow“ and the restaurant is in a beautiful old historic building with a lovely patio across from the Mission.»

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American (Traditional)

Mechelle L. says,

«Love their soups and salads — martinis aren’t bad either!»

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Fondue

Mechelle L. says,

«Decadent fondue and gourmet salads right across from the Mission. Open for dinner — and now weekend lunch too!»

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Barbeque

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Caterers

Mechelle L. says,

«Mmm…bbq and a wonderful salmon dish with a fruit salsa. This place also has a great view of the ocean from their patio.»

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20 reviews of Mission San Juan Capistrano

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Place rating: 5
Oceanside, CA
Probably the best of the Californian historic missions in terms of the amount of educational material within. It is essentially a full museum with indoor and outdoor placards and enclosed exhibits. The main patio and colonnade is fully restored with outstandingly beautiful landscaping. The actual mission church and bell tower was destroyed by an earthquake. Rather than rebuild, the ruins are left for those to explore. It is quite impressive. There is a $ 10 admission fee or so per person. So while it is not free like most of the historic missions, there is a lot more content to learn and explore. Highly recommended.
Place rating: 5
San Juan Capistrano, CA
The most beautiful Mission in California. What a great place to visit. Each time I’m on the grounds of the Mission I feel blessed to be part of California and enjoy the beauty and spiritual feel of this place. Early morning is my favorite time of day here. The lighting and shadows play across the arches and the glorious gardens. I love having family and friends visit, they always want to come here.
Place rating: 5
Oxnard, CA
What can I say I am a fan of history and enjoyed my visit to the mission. This is the third California mission I have visited and I have not been dissapointed. Learning about the lives and experiences the people lived during the time of the California missions is enlightening. I walked through the mission in about two hours but I can see one spending more time here if you really take your time to take in every thing.
Place rating: 4
Berkeley, CA
I would recommend that you look on Groupon first to see if there is a special deal on the price of admission. Although it’s not much ($ 9 per adult) and you are helping fund the restoration and the perservation of Mission San Juan Capistrano, Groupons are available for the visit here!
Imagine a picturesque Saturday, 85 degrees, sunshine, and that dry heat while walking around the ruins of Mission San Juan Capistrano. It is amazing to experience the history of California and the Mission behind here and is one of the better preserved Missions I have been to in California (I’m looking at your Santa Barbara!). You can get a the free audio tour that comes along with your price of admission and learn about the history, the return of the swallows, and the restoration of San Juan Capistrano.
Overall, this is a great place to spend a lazy afternoon or a few hours while roaming around the cute town of San Juan Capistrano.
Place rating: 5
Oceanside, CA
What a beautiful place to go and visit. So pretty inside. I went here for a fourth grade field trip. Lots of beautiful pictures you can take. I think the area around it is nice too. Lots of stores and restaurants!
This is definitely a must see. The church is gorgeous!
Place rating: 4
Garden Grove, CA
Very vanilla in historic portrayal but good for photo opportunities. Nuns get free admission after signing in. This year is the year of mercy, so you can walk through the doors of mercy of the basilica next to the mission before/​after making a quick stop here.
Place rating: 5
Bellflower, CA
Absolutely loved visiting the mission. I learned so much about American history and introduction of Christianity. It is very educational and the historical artwork is beautiful.
Place rating: 5
Vista, CA
What a fantastic experience here today. So much to see and learn about while exploring the gloriously maintained grounds.
Of the dozen or more missions I’ve had the pleasure of visiting, this one is in the top three in big part due to the museum type format where there are placards placed all over describing and explaining things.
Oddly enough I like the fact that due to the Earthquake damage done to this mission they have left it damaged as I feel that this is an important part of the California legacy.
Place rating: 4
Irvine, CA
We loved this place.
Tip 1. Join the tour for $ 3.00 more, it is good. Interactive!
Tip 2. Clint Eastwood has filmed here, you know where?
Tip 3. Parking around is free for 5 hours!
Great for learning about Mission and CA history, a must for people who loves CA.
Great for young children, family, out of town guests and first date!
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
The grounds are beautiful, the garden is very well kept, the displays are informative and thorough, even the woman who I purchased my ticket from was very friendly and conversational. On the Tuesday (late morning) I visited, it was surprisingly busy. There were at least 5 large groups of school children on field trips, plus other small tour groups and individual visitors. This wasn’t the intent of my visit nor does it have any bearing on my rating or experience, but If you’re expecting quiet reflection and the opportunity to pray in peace, this isn’t the place.
On a side note, as I was about to take a photo of the altar in the Serra Chapel, my elbow felt as if someone had gently nudged it up. It was almost like a playful bump intended to mess up the shot. It was so noticeable that I brought the camera down from my eye to look around. I thought perhaps I’d hit it against the railing, but I was at least a foot away from it and it was much too low for my elbow tow have touched it if I was closer. There was absolutely nobody else in the chapel at that time. It was nothing major, but just kinda caught me off guard.
Place rating: 5
Irvine, CA
Absolutely beautiful grounds and a bastion of history. Came here on a rainy day that turned sunny and the lighting was incredible. Founded before the United States wrote the Declaration of Independence! And they still have some of the artifacts from that time, including a church bell, a chair, some notebooks, and obviously the original church building itself. Come here if you live in the area, you will not regret it
Place rating: 5
Pico Rivera, CA
With time in between games and an upcoming mission project me and my two youngest paid a visit to Mission San Juan Capistrano. It was not too hot outside so the visit was pleasant. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. If you’re into old building or history, this place is definitely a place to visit. They have self guided tours which are the best of you want to take your time and explore. Very beautiful and the Chapel was even more beautiful, shall I say majestic.
Needless to say we had a great afternoon wandering around and gathering information and pictures, as there are endless photo opportunities throughout. Go to their website, per Ryan C’s tip and get discounts on the entrance, as well as checking out their calendar as they offer many events throughout the year.
Place rating: 5
South Bay, CA
I had an expiring Groupon for the mission and I left my home way later than expected… I figured I would just go to check it out and say that I’ve been since I wouldn’t have as much time, as originally planned, to visit.
Free parking around the mission is pretty ample on the surrounding streets.
I presented my Groupon before the employee asked if I wanted to take part in the free audio tour. Sure! He gave me about four pamphlets (bring something to put them in unless you want to carry them around the whole time — you can also get them at the conclusion of your visit), my «tour guide», and I walked through the main gate. I had to immediately stop… the beauty and serenity took my breath away. Just fifteen feet away is bustling bars and Ortega Highway traffic. In here, I felt transported to another world, a tranquil oasis! I studied my map and was on my way…
The information on the audio tour guide was informative and thorough. It included information from the current priest, people who grew up here, and history gurus. Everything was interesting to see, but the information provided added a much deeper dimension to the tour. It painted pictures and told stories the walls couldn’t tell, though they wanted to.
It doesn’t matter of what faith or ethnicity you are — this mission is a must visit! Its peaceful setting takes you away from the hustle of city life, and the information from the audio tour tells of California’s (along with Mexico and Spain’s) great history.
I know the canonization of Junipero Serra is controversial… this mission reminded me that, unfortunately, sometimes the most fascinating and gorgeous of things come out of the oppression of certain groups of people…
Place rating: 5
Long Beach, CA
Simply beautiful. What a peaceful way to spend a couple of hours. The grounds are gorgeous. Historical architecture and landscaping will make you feel as though you were swept up in a romantic Spanish film.
There is street parking all around the mission and adult entry is affordable at $ 8 per person. With entry you have the option of taking the audio tour. It gives you fun facts and details about the mission’s history and artifacts.
Definitely bring your camera because there are too many opportunities to take some beautiful shots!
Place rating: 5
Santa Ana, CA
I bought a groupon deal and there was also a 25% percent off so for two tickets it was only about 6 – 7 dollars but regular price is 8ish dollars per person.
It’s easy to find parking it’s five hour parking around the area.
It’s fun to go if it’s your first time.
There’s history about the mission along with the free audio. I found a lot of the information very interesting and made me more knowledge about the mission. Also there are special events you can check out on the website. There’s also events on the weekend for kids to do like dig for gold it isn’t free but its fun.
The pond is so beautiful. Make sure to check out the garden, exhibits, the back, side, and along with the church.
P. S. the historic area and downtown along the train tracks are very nice to check out too. It’s like little houses and shops.
Place rating: 5
Newport Beach, CA
We saw another concert here the other night, a Beatles tribute band. If you ever have an opportunity to attend the Mission Summer Concert Series, jump on it, it’s so much fun. It’s beautiful sitting out in the Mission courtyard, and some of the centerpieces people make for their tables are out of this world. I saw a yellow submarine with bubbles coming out the back of it. so creative!
Both of the bands I have seen here were excellent, and it’s such a fun party experience to bring a picnic and hear some great tribute bands.
Place rating: 4
Orange County, CA
Mission San Juan Capistrano is located in the middle of SJC on Ortega Hwy. I visited over the weekend at a private event where guests were allowed to do the self-​guided tours throughout the historical site. The mission was founded in 1776 by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan order. Naturally, being an old building, the Mission is wrought with history. There’s a proclamation document signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1865 that restored the ownership of the Mission back to the Roman Catholic Church. There’s a moorish-​type fountain located in the central courtyard filled with koi fish. The Great Stone Church was damaged in an 1812 earthquake and the current Mission Basilica SJC was completed in 1986, constructed out of materials built to withstand earthquakes. The grounds have gorgeous flowers and there’s a lot to see. This historical site is worth a visit if you are in town.
Place rating: 5
Orange, CA
One of the 21 missions that make up California’s Historic Mission Trail, San Juan Capistrano is a BEAUTIFUL mission with lots of interesting historical facts!
Admission is only $ 9 for adults and you get a self guided audio tour. They were gracious to accept my expired 2 for 1 Groupon too.
They have a very nice courtyard where they were setting up an event (a wedding here would be amazing), rooms full of interesting artifacts, the ruins of an old stone chapel that was destroyed by an earthquake and a cute little courtyard with a fountain and bells.
Apparently, every March, they celebrate the return of swallows that come every year from Argentina and there is a big celebration for that.
I spent over an hour here and was fascinated by all I learned. I would definitely come back!
Place rating: 5
Santa Rosa, CA
Received an all day tour here for my wife’s family reunion.
Gorgeous spanish mission, kept up by dedicated care takers & generous donations.
Really enjoyed my time learning about my home states rich history and the people who have influenced it.
Took myself back in time walking thru the cool rock rooms on a hot day, listening to the guided tour via headphones. Various places around the mission were labeled with numbers, by pressing the number on your headphones you are told a short story on the significance of that place.
Always interested in learning about where we came from & this little slice of our history is well presented at this historic mission.
Place rating: 5
Scottsdale, AZ
One of the most historic and beautiful places in SoCal, or in the U.S. is the Mission at San Juan Capistrano It should be on everyone’s Bucket List.
Whenever we go Dana Point, we try to make time and come here. The village itself is very quant, with many shops and places to visit. The food options are also very good. But it’s the ruins of the old San Juan Mission are the main attraction.
San Juan Capistrano is one of the oldest structures in the western United States and dates back to the American revolutionary times. I’ve taken a few photos of the ruins and of the Chapel which is still in use. I particularly love the gardens, as the many photos of the lyles in the fountain will attest. LOL
The tour is worth the twenty bucks or so we paid. You also get a walking recorder device which will help guide you throughout the grounds. There is also a archeological dig not too far from the modern mission. As for the gift shop, it’s somewhat basic; and parking is located across the street and is pay as you go hourly.
Enjoy!