The landmark includes a museum, a chapel, gardens and trails. To get the full story, venture further up the valley to Mission San Diego de Alcala, the first of California’s 21 missions.

The 21 California missions were established between 1769 and 1823 by Spanish Franciscans, based in Mexico City, to convert Native Americans to Catholicism.

The Serra Chapel within the mission complex holds a special distinction as California’s oldest building still in use for its original purpose. Standing within its hushed interior, beneath hand-painted ...

Interpreters at mission sites today continue to situate colonial California within idyllic depictions consistent with the mission myth. While some contemporary sites attempt to present more balanced ...

Out of 18th century California, the Camino Real runs down the American West Coast, linking 21 Spanish missions between San Diego, near the Mexican border, and Sonoma, north of San Francisco. Let ...

On Jan. 13, 1777 Padre Thomas Peña, under the direction of Padre Junípero Serra, officially founded Mission Santa Clara de Asís, the eighth of California’s 21 missions.

Discover California's rich history, from Native American tribes and Spanish missions to the Gold Rush and its admission as a state. Explore key details about its geography, major industries like ...