• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

California Through My Lens

California Travel, Food, Hiking & Road Trips

  • Start Here
  • Explore
    • Beaches
    • Bizarre
    • Caves
    • Food
    • Hikes
    • Historical Structures
    • Natural Wonders
    • Waterfalls
  • Drive
    • El Camino Real
    • Highway 395
    • LA to Las Vegas
    • Pacific Coast Highway
    • Route 66
  • National Parks
    • Channel Islands
    • Death Valley
    • Joshua Tree
    • Lassen Volcanic
    • Pinnacles
    • Redwoods
    • Sequoia & Kings Canyon
    • Yosemite
  • Cities
    • Los Angeles
    • Palm Springs
    • Sacramento
    • San Diego
    • San Francisco
  • Resources
    • Day Trip Ideas
    • Road Trip eBooks
    • Hotels
    • My Favorite Travel Products
    • Travel Videos
  • Browse By …
    • Map Of Locations
    • Cities
    • Counties
    • National Parks
    • State Parks

Mission San Francisco de Asís: California’s 6th Mission

Last Modified: May 2, 2020

6shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Mission San Francisco de Asís is the 6th mission established under Father Serra and one of the most visited due to its location in San Francisco. The mission was completed in 1791, and it is one of the oldest intact missions, having survived many earthquakes to be still standing today. As far as the Spanish California Missions go, San Francisco de Asís is one of my personal favorites due to the unique chapel design. Here is all the information so you can check it out for yourself.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-24

Details

  • Cost: $5
  • Time needed: 45 minutes to an hour
  • Location: 3321 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94114
  • Read about all 21 of the California Missions here
  • This information is from my visit in 2016

Getting There

If you are staying in the city, I would recommend Uber or public transportation. There is no parking lot, so you will have to use street parking if you go. Street parking is available, but it is always up in the air whether you will get any.

The Mission

Mission San Francisco de Asis-25

After parking, make your way to the older of the two churches. This is where you will enter and pay your fee to visit the mission. After paying the fee, the first place you will walk into is the chapel.

The Chapel

Mission San Francisco de Asis-1

When you enter the chapel, you will notice it is a beautiful mixture of both Catholic and Indian designs.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-3

The altarpiece is ornate and stunning, while the ceiling has an Ohlone Indian design on it, which adds a unique touch to the chapel.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-4

The two side altars are from Mexico and were installed at the mission in 1810.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-7

There is a baptistery right in the middle of the chapel, and it is said that more than 28,000 baptisms have taken place here.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-8

After exiting the chapel, you will be in a small courtyard and will see a diorama that was created for the worlds fair and shows what the area looked like in 1791.

The Basilica

Mission San Francisco de Asis-9

From there, you will head into the Basilica, which is not a part of the mission but is a church that was built in the mid-1800s. It did not survive an earthquake in the early 1900s that luckily the mission did, so it is has been completely rebuilt. It is a fantastic place to see that is immaculate inside, and you can access it while touring the mission.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-10

The altar is domed and there is a second large dome ceiling right in front as well.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-23

The part I enjoyed the most about the Basilica was the stained glass windows along the back that are each made in honor of one of the 21 missions.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-5

After exploring the Basilica, you can head back outside and continue the tour of the mission.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-15

From here, the walkway you go through has copies of actual period drawings and photos.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-13

Next, you will head to the museum. The museum is tiny at just one room, but it has a few unique artifacts.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-11

First is the collection of sacred items, some of which were owned by Father Serra.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-14

Next is the original roof support that was taken out when the chapel was fortified.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-16

After leaving the museum, there is a fountain and the typical statue of Father Serra that is at each of the missions.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-18

The next door leads you to the cemetery, which has all sorts of graves from many different time periods.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-20

I found the stone statue of Father Serra of particular interest as it was different than any others I had seen before.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-22

Also, while walking around the cemetery, be sure to look up at the roof of the structure as you can see both the mission bell tower and the new church behind it.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-21

When you are done in the cemetery, you will walk back through the gift shop and out of the mission.

Mission San Francisco de Asis-26

I recommend carefully walking to the median as it gives you a great view of both of the church’s and you can see the exciting juxtaposition of old and new. All in all, I was impressed with the San Francisco mission. The chapel is one of my favorites with the unique design on the ceiling. Also, seeing the fantastic Basilica next door is an excellent addition to the mission. Check out my trip to all of the missions here, and be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts below.

Filed Under: Missions, Northern California Tagged With: San Francisco, San Francisco County

Interested in supporting this blog?

This blog is simply a hobby and labor of love for me. If you have enjoyed the posts consider sharing it with your friends. I want as many people as possible to explore this state and you can help by letting them know about all of the great spots!

Join the Newsletter

Subscribe for the four day welcome series and to get the latest content every month.

    We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    About JoshMc

    Thanks for checking out the blog, I am happy to be sharing my adventures with you! You can get to know me by reading my about me, which includes a video and additional information on the site, myself and my full disclosure. Also, follow along on Twitter here or read all of my posts on this blog here.

    Primary Sidebar

    About

    Josh from California Through My Lens I'm a travel junkie strapped down to one state, focused on seeing as much of it as I can and encouraging others to do the same. More about me.

    Popular Posts

    The Big List of Strange, Fun & Unique Attractions in Southern California
    Pacific Coast Highway: Where to Stop on Your Road Trip
    Top Hiking Trails in Southern California
    Fun Stops on the Drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas
    24 Things to do in Downtown LA
    17 Things to do in Lake Tahoe
    Donner Pass, Summit Tunnel Hike: Old Abandoned Railroad

    Categories

    Other Resources


    Footer

    Search the site

    Additional Information

    Privacy Policy

    About Us

    Copyright © 2021 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

    Coronavirus January 2021 Update: Please note that some information in the posts may have changed and some places may be closed.