visit santa cruz mission

General Information

Current Status:

• Visitor Information

126 High Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 United States

Get Directions

Mission Santa Cruz is located at the corner of Mission and High Streets, one block east of Highway 1 (Cabrillo Highway). Take Mission Street to High Street, turn left to reach the mission and Mission Park.

https://holycrosssantacruz.com/mission-santa-cruz

831-426-5686 - Mission Galeria Shop

831-423-4182 - Church Office

Fees, Hours, Tours and Church Services

Please contact the mission directly by telephone or by visiting the mission website for the most current information.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it is best to check for current information.

Weddings and Other Special Services

Weddings are held at both the Holy Cross Parish Church and the Mission Chapel. Visit the church Sacramental Preparation page for more detailed information.

Unique Attractions

• The mission chapel is an authentic smaller one-third replica of the 1795 church.
• There is a 1797 oil painting of the Virgen de Guadalupe hanging on the side wall of the church.
• The interior of the chapel is very inviting and a popular site for Baptisms and small weddings.
• There is a small garden behind the mission. The original hand-carved baptismal font, once located in the sanctuary , is found here.
• A portion of the only original 1822 neophyte housing at Santa Cruz has been restored and is the central attraction in the Santa Cruz Mission State Historical Park . The park is about two blocks from the mission, on School Street, just off Mission Plaza . For information visit the website or call 831-335-1743.

Other Historic Attractions

• The city of Santa Cruz was founded in the mission era as the Villa de Branciforte. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History has a permanent history room.
• Santa Cruz has a beautiful coastline. Take the West Cliff Drive if you have time.

Tips for Visitors

• The Holy Cross Parish Church is an imposing, ornate Gothic-style church built in 1887. If you walk behind the church, you will see a marker indicating that this is where the original mission was located.
• Be sure to visit the Indian Adobe housing.
• It takes some patience and skill to photograph the chapel as high tension wires pass in front. One option is to photograph the chapel from the side as you can see in this picture.
• Another interesting vantage point is the view through the gothic arches in front of the Parish Church but the wires are quite visible.

Year Secularized

Year returned to the catholic church.

1859 by President James Buchanan

Patron Saint (Named For)

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross of Christianity

Prominent Missionary Leaders

• Founding Father President - Fr. Fermin Francisco de Lasuén
• Founding Missionaries - Fr. Isídro Salazar and Fr. Balamero López

Indians Joining Mission

Members of the Awaswas tribelet of the Costanoan family were the predominant early neophytes joined later by other Costanoans and Yokuts.

Mission Site

On a bluff in the city of Santa Cruz, near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River and the native site of Uypi on the Monterey Bay. Moved to this location in 1793.

Mission Layout

Traditional quadrangle with a large garden and orchard near the mission.

Water Source

San Lorenzo River and springs on the mission property.

Close proximity to the pueblo of Branciforte (present day Santa Cruz) and a series of natural disasters limited the success of this mission. The peak population recorded was only 523, achieved in 1796.

Santa Cruz ranked in the bottom 25% of the California Missions in the size of its livestock herd - 9,236 in 1832.

Agricultural Output

Approximately 75,000 bushels of grain and produce were produced over the active life of the mission.

Mission Church

The Santa Cruz Mission church was destroyed in earthquakes. A painting by Leon Trousset was based on details provided by the locals after a most devastating earthquake in 1857.

In 1858 a "modern" wooden church was erected where the mission church once stood. The ornate Gothic-style church seen today subsequently replaced it in 1887 by the current parish church.

The mission chapel is a well-executed, smaller (one-third scale) replica of the 1795 mission church. It was erected in 1931.

Mission Bells

The original mission church, whose bell tower collapsed in 1840, contained nine (9) or ten (10) bells, none of which survived. The mission replica has a 20th century bell hanging in its tower.

Mission Art and Artifacts

The interior of the church has only a few original artifacts most of which were lost or destroyed in earthquakes.

Significant Events

• The residents of the nearby pueblo of Branciforte looted the mission in 1818 after the mission's inhabitants fled under threat of pirate attack by Hippolyte de Bouchard.
• The pueblo was founded with former prison convicts from Guadalajara.

Interesting Facts

• The first autopsy in California was performed on Fr. Andrés Quintana in 1812 to determine the cause of death (poisoning was suspected).
• The remains of Gladys S. Doyle, who funded the construction of the mission replica, are buried in the church baptistery.
• The only original mission neophyte housing in California is at the nearby State Historic Park.

For Additional Information

• Ostrow, K. (2004). Mission Santa Cruz.  (PowerKids Press, Missions of California Series)  
• Weber, F.J. (1984). Holy Cross Mission: A Documentary History of Santa Cruz.
• Van Coenen Torchiana, H.A. (1918). Story of Mission Santa Cruz .

Historical Gallery

Mission Santa Cruz (founded in 1791) moved to its present site, near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River, in 1793. The mission church was destroyed in an 1857 earthquake. A parish church was built directly over where the mission church once stood. A well-executed one-third scale replica of the mission church was erected in 1931.

This Historical Image Gallery contains a generous sample of the 19th century drawings and paintings of the original mission.

Contemporary Gallery

This Contemporary Image Gallery contains photographs from several different photographers depicting the restored mission chapel, the c. 1822 neophyte housing located in the adjacent Santa Cruz State Historic Park as well as some picturesque scenes from around the mission.

Architectural Gallery

Mission Santa Cruz's final church was completed in 1795, four years after the mission was founded. An earthquake destroyed this church in 1857. A "modern" wooden church was built on the site of the mission church in 1858. The current ornate Gothic-style parish church was built in 1887. Because the historic mission church no longer existed, the Santa Cruz mission was not included in the Historic American Buildings Survey.

History of Mission Santa Cruz

Mission Santa Cruz, dedicated twelfth in the mission chain on August 28, 1791 by Farther Lasuén, is a tiny mission along the northern California coast. Unlike the rest of California’s missions, leaders did not name Santa Cruz after a saint, rather after the holy cross.

Although small in size, Mission Santa Cruz experienced a large string of misfortunes. First, a pueblo named Branciforte , was established on the other side of the river. Branciforte was founded with former prison convicts from Guadalajara. These settlers took land away from the Indians and used mission property at will.

Then, in 1818, the evil pirate Hippolyte de Bouchard was seen approaching the mission. De Bouchard had earlier vandalized Monterey, and for fear of a reoccurrence at Santa Cruz, the mission residence packed up valuables and fled to Mission Soledad. Unfortunately, some of the people from Branciforte took advantage of this mission vacancy and looted many of the remaining items left behind at Santa Cruz.

Secularization followed in 1834, depleting resources and causing the mission buildings to fall into disrepair. An 1845 earthquake toppled the church’s bell tower. Later, the earthquake of 1857 collapsed the mission buildings.

Completed in 1931, the current chapel is one-third the size of the original. The previous bell tower contained nine or ten bells, while today the replica contains only one. Inside the mission original paintings, statues and even a challis used by Father Serra, remain intact. The mission museum features vestments from significant periods in California history.

From Inside the California Missions © David A. Bolton

Quick Facts

• 12 th Mission
• Founded on 8/28/1791
• One of the smallest missions today, as a replica sits on the original site
• Named after the cross, rather than after a saint
• Large string of misfortunes over the years
• Criminals ransacked the property:
• “Evil pirate,” de Bouchard was seen approaching. Everyone fled, so some people took advantage of the vacancy and stole items
• Secularization brought the end of the mission system
• Major earthquakes in 1856 and 1857 wrecked havoc
• Smaller replica mission was completed in 1931
• Original painting, statues, and a chalice used by Serra remain intact
• Mission museum features vestments from significant periods of California history

Address 126 High Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Tel: 831-426-5686

Landmark Status National Register of Historic Places California State Landmark #342

Directions to the Mission From CA-17 South:  Exit CA-1 toward Half Moon Bay. Merge onto CA-1 north. Turn left onto Mission Street. Turn left onto Emmett Street. The mission sits on the corner of Emmett and High Street.

Hours of Operation Please call the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park at 831-425-5849 for information.

Facilities The Mision Galeria is a gallery of historic relics and contemporary religious art. The Galeria is open Tuesday-Saturday 10a - 4p and Sundays 10a - 2p, closed Mondays except after major holiday weekends. Please call 831-426-5686 for further information.

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California Missions

Santa cruz mission.

144 School Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 parks.ca.gov/?page_id=548

Mission Santa Cruz Mission, the 12th mission, was built in 1791 and rebuilt in 1931.

Mission Santa Cruz, part of Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, features an unassuming structure, a circular water fountain and park grounds in a largely residential area. It is the second mission built. The first one near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River flooded, forcing Father Lasuen to relocate to higher ground. However, the new mission became known as The Hard Luck Mission when disease swept through the area, killing a portion of the population. Today the only remaining building of the original complex is an adobe which served as housing for native Ohlone families. Another structure on the site of the original Santa Cruz Mission is a half-scale replica of the original church.

The adobe museum with 7 rooms (original adobe had 17 rooms) demonstrates the lifestyle of local natives who came to and stayed at the mission.

The mission was the 12th of around 21 missions in Alta California (today's state of California.) When the mission was constructed there was no state of California--it would be another 59 years until that proclamation was made!

Founded roughly on September 25, 1791 by Father of the Missions Junipero Serra's successor, Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen, it was named "Santa Cruz" or "Holy Cross". Like other California missions such as Mission La Purisima (or Mission La Purisima Concepcion,) Santa Cruz Mission has a formal name: Mision la exaltacion de la Santa Cruz. This longer name is the name of a feast day in the Church calendar which occurs on September 14: The Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Pirate problem! Among its many struggles, Mission Santa Cruz  was looted in 1818 by an unsavory group, prison convicts from Guadalajara who took up residence at neighboring Branciforte pueblo. They were aware the residents of the mission had fled when they received warning of a possible pirate attack from the well known and infamous Hypolite de Bouchard. Locals sought to avoid encounters with pirates who had no qualms about robbing, killing, burning and destroying all that was of no value to them in their pursuits. Like so many California missions, the peaceful grounds and scenes today don't fully tell the story of the stormy past in which these religious and residential and commercial centers were established. In addition to floods, disease and pirates, Santa Cruz Mission was home to the first autopsy in California performed on Fr. Andres Quintana in 1812 after it appeared he'd been poisoned.

Santa Cruz Mission Facts

• Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park is home to the oldest building in Santa Cruz County.
• Santa Cruz Mission was secularized in 1834.
• The mission was returned to the Catholic Church in 1859 by President James Buchanan.
• It is now operated as a Parish Chapel under the parish of the Holy Cross of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey.
• The mission chapel is popular for weddings.
• In 1858 a wooden church was built where the mission church once stood.
• In 1887 the current, ornate Gothic-style church was constructed.
• The model for the exterior of the mission chapel is a painting by Trousset drawn after the 1857 earthquake, based on details provided by the locals.
• The remains of Gladys S. Doyle, who funded the construction of the mission's church replica, are buried in the church baptistry.

Built between 1822 and 1824 by local Ohlonean and Yokuts Indians, the park's signature adobe is the only remaining structure from Mission Santa Cruz, founded in 1791. One of just four adobe buildings left in Santa Cruz County—and sometimes confused with the nearby replica mission chapel—it is the only building of its kind preserved as a museum in the State of California.

The adobe operated until 1834 when it was secularized. After decades of private ownership, the adobe was sold to the State of California, extensively restored and finally opened in 1991 to the public as the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park. Supported by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, a non-profit state park partner dedicated to sustaining the legacy of state parks and beaches,  Friends conduct free educational programs including tours, junior rangers, campfire programs and educational programs for approximately 2,800 school children annually. Friends also operates the Mission Park Store to benefit the park.

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Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park is home to the oldest building in Santa Cruz County. Built between 1822 and 1824 by local Ohlonean and Yokuts Indians, the park’s signature adobe is the only remaining structure from Mission Santa Cruz, founded in 1791. One of just four adobe buildings left in Santa Cruz County — and sometimes confused with the nearby replica mission chapel — it is the only building of its kind preserved as a museum in the State of California. The adobe served as housing for Neophyte families who lived and worked at the Mission, which operated until 1834 when it was secularized. After decades of private ownership, the adobe was sold to the State of California, extensively restored and finally opened in 1991 to the public as the Santa Cruz Mission SHP. The park celebrated its 25 th year in 2016. Learn more in the  Santa Cruz Mission Adobe fact sheet .

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks rallied the community to save Santa Cruz Mission SHP from closure in 2012. Friends funds interpretation services and a portion of park operations, and also runs the Mission ParkStore. In addition, Friends has implemented key improvements at the park, including a remodel of the patio, the opening of new interpretive exhibits, renovated outdoor cooking facilities and new hours of operation to serve local school children (approximately 2,500 third and fourth graders visit the park annually). Friends also established the Mole & Mariachi Festival, a bicultural celebration held annually in September for seven years (2013-19). The park is supported by the Mission Committee, members of which include representatives of Friends, State Parks and dedicated community volunteers.

Mole & Mariachi Festival

The Mole & Mariachi Festival was a benefit for nonprofit Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks in support of Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park held annually from 2013-19. The event became more successful than Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks ever dreamed and outgrew the Mission space. Friends remains supportive of the event concept and hopes another organization can continue the tradition at a new location. Learn more.

25 th Anniversary Mural

Mural designs by Mission Hill Middle School students Katherine Tkoch, 12, and Flora Chatwin, 13, were chosen for the new Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park mural in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the opening of the park. Their combined design was recreated in tesserae, a colorful tile that will be formed in the shape of the artist’s design to create the mosaic mural. Community volunteers, Mission Hill Middle School students, in cooperation with Friends and California State Parks installed the public art in May 2016 under the direction of noted local artist Kathleen Crocetti who has created murals on Water Street, Soquel Avenue and Laurel Street bridges. As a guidepost to draw visitors to the park, the mural is on a series of retaining walls along the park’s Mission Street boundary, facing downtown. The mural site is at the stairway entrance to the park on Mission Street, up the hill from the Town Clock.

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Mission Santa Cruz: California’s 12th Mission

Mission Santa Cruz was founded in 1791 and was the 12th of the 21 Spanish Missions founded. Unfortunately, nothing remains of the original mission today, other than a crumbling wall in the city of Santa Cruz . The rebuilt mission is now across the street from where the original was, and it was built in the 1930s based on a painting they had of the original mission. It is a tiny mission to visit, and you can see it all in about 20 minutes, but it is still an excellent historical spot in the city. Here is all the information, and you can read about my time visiting all of the California Missions here .

• Location: 130 Emmett St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
• Read about all 21 of the California Missions here
• This information is from my visit in 2016

Getting There

Mission Santa Cruz is located right off Pacific Coast Highway on the north end of the main downtown drag. There is street parking around the mission that is free.

The Mission

When I arrived, I was surprised by how small this mission was; it is a spot where you can spend 20 minutes and easily see it all.

The woman working there was fantastic, and she spent a reasonable amount of time telling me about the mission and its history. I would not have had as good of a time if she was not there to direct me.

She let me know that the mission initially stood across the street where the massive church in the photo above is now and that you can go over there and see the remains of the old wall behind the church.

I did that first, and it was cool to see it still there (above photo), then I went back and explored the current mission.

Since it was built at half the original size, the museum portion of the mission is inside the gift shop. There are five main displays featuring garments worn and a few other artifacts.

They also have the painting that the mission was designed to replicate. They believe this mission may have been an L and not a quadrangle like most of the others.

After browsing the museum, I went out into the garden. The garden is small as well, but it features a lovely fountain in the middle.

It also has the typical statue of Father Serra in the garden as well.

From here, you can see the top of the large church that stands on the old mission ground popping up from behind the wall.

After browsing the garden, I headed back in and saw the chapel.

The chapel here is tiny, as I’m sure you could have guessed, with only a dozen or so pews. They do hold Mass here on the weekends though, so it is a working chapel.

I was the only one there so I took some time to explore and look around a little bit.

After finishing my time in the chapel, I said my goodbyes to the nice woman working there then headed back out to see the mission from the front.

Even though this is not a long visit, it is still a great 15 minute stop. Especially since it is a free mission that is trying to maintain California’s mission history. If you want to see an original part of one of the buildings built around the mission, be sure to head two minutes down the street to Santa Cruz State Historic Park as well. Lastly, check out all of the missions I visited here and let me know what you think in the comments.

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Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park

Review Highlights

“ I loved the 3-foot wide walls on the Adobe that would've been weather and humidity-proof for the year-round seasons. ” in 5 reviews

“ My daughter has a 4th grade Mission project and she wanted to visit another mission besides San Juan Bautista . ” in 2 reviews

“ There is a public square/park and it comes equipped with it's own parking and gift shop. ” in 8 reviews

Location & Hours

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144 School St

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

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Got a question about Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park ? Ask the Yelp community!

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Overall rating

This is a quiet little mission with a great park ranger who was very welcoming. Parking was easy to find. After you visit the chapel, make sure to make your way down the street to the state park office/shop to see the original adobe living quarters and the old giant avocado tree.

I love visiting Missions and learning more about their history and have been to several in CA. This one is on the smaller side and is well taken care of. They do have a homeless issue in this area which I am very sympathetic to but be prepared when you visit.

See all photos from Sunil R. for Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park

A petite remnant of the Santa Cruz Mission. I knew about the Ohlone and Miwok from attending universities and pow wows in the Bay Area. The restoration and up-keeping of the Mission were remarkable! You can't miss the magnificent avocado tree with the giant hollow trunk. Oh, how I wished I could speak tree to listen to its narrative. I can't imagine just how much history it witnessed. I loved the 3-foot wide walls on the Adobe that would've been weather and humidity-proof for the year-round seasons. The roof in the adobe were made of tree-stuff. The structural integrity of the site was astounding even after experiencing the 1989 earthquake. The exhibits emphasized on agricultural manufacturing and processing that would've been taken place in the Mission and inside the Adobe. The stairs made sense, and also the use of leather to tie some of the tools. However, the iron-based tools made me wonder how these dwellers would have access to masonry and blacksmith. Until... well, I can't spoil everything here. Just come visit if you're so curious about it. There are limited street parking around the nearby park, school, and church. Alternatively, park in downtown and take a walk through the 40-some stairs of an alley just next to the park. The park is practically wheelchair accessible, but I wasn't sure if signs were posted.

SC Mission State Park Entrance

Loved the visit, my first one. Everything looks like remodeled/new and there are doing a great job in preserving the site, the mission. The picnic/bbq area is fantastic, great views of Santa Cruz bay. It caught me by total surprise...I knew about the park, but not this mini mission where you can see images and paraphernalia of the daily lives of the people back then, the native American culture blending with the colonizers. Lots of historical info in a very nice natural environment. Great to spend a day picnicking there. The houses nearby are very pretty and the whole area seems quiet and walkable too.

See all photos from Carmen V. for Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park

This is a small mission with a small--pretty garden. The people in the museum were nice, and the displays are interesting and well presented. It is worth stopping if you are in the area. I am happy that the state has preserved this mission That said this mission did not move me as some of the others do. I didn't get the same sense of history here as I have at other missions. Perhaps it is because the Padres did not put the effort into this location as they did some of the others along highway 101. There isn't a line of adobe arches.

The smallest California mission that I have seen. Looks exactly like the one we have back in San Gabriel, white and clean. Growing up with a mission right around the corner, it is great to visit the other California missions.

We went to Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park. It has one of the original California Missions It was started by Father Lasuen. There is also a larger church on the property (Holy Cross Church) that was started in 1889. There is a museum and gift shop at the park as well.

See all photos from Samantha K. for Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park

If you are a California history buff and want the opportunity to walk through one of the oldest remaining buildings from the Mission era, this is worth your time and effort to see. The state park is separate from the Mission replica that is run by the Catholic Church. Touring both attractions in the same day is easy as they are within a block's walking distance. Be sure to check the hours of operation for both as their hours don't always synch up. The state park has one wing of the original Mission complex left and is a good demo of an adobe building. There are several rooms to tour and each one takes you through different historic eras and residents who made their home at the Adobe. Every weekend the park has a different theme to feature. Candle making, cooking demos, textile creation, gardens and other topics are discussed. The Mole and Mariachi Festival held in September is a lot of fun. The gift shop is small but has a unique book section and great items to purchase. Why do I know all this? I live across the street from the state park and enjoy going to the park often ! I hope to see you soon at the adobe.

This is the original colonization site/mission in santa cruz, predating the east coast colonies by a decade or so. There are 21 mission sites in California, and this is Santa Cruz's. It's also how Santa Cruz got it's name. It's located on a small hill overlooking the downtown area right next to the catholic church. There is a public square/park and it comes equipped with it's own parking and gift shop. since it's just off the beaten path of downtown/beach this doesn't get the same scale of crowds. If you are looking for a less busy thing to enjoy in Santa Cruz this is one of your options. As far as California missions go, this is on the lower end of the grandeur scale. It's not as preserved as the one in San Juan Bautista or as spectacular as the one in San Luis Obispo. Except for one long outbuilding there's not much left to look at. It is a great place to learn about the history of California in general and Santa Cruz in particular, and the garden area has great spots for a picnic lunch. Should you chose to visit and assuming you take the ranger led tour(recommended as the best way to learn about the mission. Otherwise you'll be doing the "I wonder what this was for" kind of self guided tour" it'll a take about an hour or so to run through the whole place including the replica of the original chapel. Just visiting the replica chapel/gift shop and the grounds will take a bit less. If you are interested in the history of the area, are doing a pilgrimage of mission sites, or have a spare hour or so this is the thing to do in Santa Cruz.

My mom has a keen eye and saw the sign for this place from the main road. I yelped it, and lo and behold...there it is! This mission is on the smaller side. From the self guided tour through one side of the building, the mission itself was pretty big back in the day. Even though it was a replica of the original mission, it was still interesting to see how Native Americans, Spaniards, and Padres coexisted. I was also walking around in the back and found a really good area to take pics. Those pretty and delicate pink flowers seemed to be prevalent in the area. What are they called? They're so pretty. I enjoyed this mission even though some say it isn't up to par with other missions. If you just want a taste of history and culture into your Santa Cruz visit, you can find it here.

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