California missions
offer a variety of events and experiences to visitors.
Visiting California missions is to take a step back in time. The 21 California missions established by Spanish priests between 1769 and 1823 reflect the lives of the founders and their parishioners. Many missions suffered damage and neglect through time, but most have been restored and are being used as active churches. Two of them are California state parks. Activities at missions include museum, tours and special events. Missions are widely used as resources for the mandated California history curriculum in fourth grade.
Museums
Museums exist at the Missions of San Luis Rey, San Gabriel, San Buenaventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, Santa Clara de Asis, San Jose, San Rafael Arcángel, and San Francisco de Solano. Days and hours of operations vary. Museum artifacts include garments worn by the priests, old furniture, displays recreating their living quarters and photographs.
Tours
Most missions offer some sort of self-guided tour. Staff-guided tours may be regularly scheduled or available by appointment only. Guided tours occur at these missions: San Luis Rey, Santa Barbara (general tours plus an Art and Architecture tour), San Juan Bautista, San Jose, San Francisco de Assiz, San Francisco Solano, and San Juan Capistrano. Contact individual missions for tour fees and times. Many also offer special tours to fourth-grade schoolchildren studying California history.
Special Events
Some of the missions have developed special event programs geared toward public participation. Mission San Luis Rey hosts Dancing with the Stars in August and Día de los Muertos in October. Mission San Diego de Alcala presents Taste of the Mission in September and The Festival of the Bells in mid-July, with food, entertainment, blessing the bells and blessing of the animals. San Gabriel Mission Parish presents the Mission Fiesta over Labor Day weekend. San Buenaventura Mission participates in the Ventura Street Faire in July and December. La Purisima Mission State Park hosts a Purisima People Day and a Mission Life Day, both in September; Candlelight Tours in October and an Ethnic Marketplace in November. Mission San Miguel presents concerts, the Annual Fiesta in September, and a wine-tasting event (see Reference 11). San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission has a Founder's Day in June and a Morgan Car Exhibit (see Reference 7). Mission San Juan Capistrano has the renowned Return of the Swallows Celebration on March 16, and in addition hosts concerts, art shows, historical exhibits and special events such as the Battle of the Mariachis Festival, Night at the Mission Camping, and Christmas at the Mission.
Gardens and Other Features
San Gabriel and Mission San Juan Capistrano list their gardens as features to be enjoyed during a visit. The latter gives a garden tour. La Purisima Mission State Park contains hiking trails and a livestock exhibit. Mission San Francisco Solano is part of Sonoma State Historic Park with exhibits plus access to nearby historic buildings.
Classroom Activities
Students can build a model of a mission after researching the style, floor plan, furniture and history. Building materials range from cardboard and paper to sugar cubes, frosting, salt dough, clay, plywood and Styrofoam. Other possibilities are writing reports or creating PowerPoint presentations and web pages.
Family Activities
Parents can help children with word searches and crossword puzzles featuring mission life. Provide coloring books and sticker books about mission history. Visit a mission and provide a digital camera so children can take photographs and create their own illustrated book. Prepare a meal to reflect a historical mission menu.
Tags: California missions, Francisco Solano, Juan Capistrano, Borromeo Carmelo, California history, Carlos Borromeo