Welcome to Mission San Luis Rey
The self-guided tour through Mission San Luis Rey features several stops beginning with several period rooms.
You'll explore the rooms in order of the history of the mission, beginning with the Luiseño Indian peoples and their lifestyle before moving into rooms that show what life was like once the area was turned into the mission.
You'll see such exhibits as the original document that President Abraham Lincoln signed to return the mission to the Catholic Church, as well as information showing how the area was restored and turned into a historic landmark.
Looking to the Back of the Chapel at the Mission San Luis Rey
Historic Mission Church
When you step through the front doors of the mission's historic church, you'll enter a world of traditional Spanish Colonial architecture featuring Classical and Baroque styles.
The combination of the cultures of the Luiseño Indians and the Spanish is apparent in the decorations and paintings that adorn the church's halls.
In addition to exploring the beauty of the church, you can use the space from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for private prayer and meditation each day.
Outdoor Hallway of the Mission San Luis Rey
The Roman Arches
Sprawling across the front of the museum, 32 Roman arches frame the corridor.
Carefully restored, the arches once spanned the long exterior of el convento, or the friary.
Old El Camino Bell at Mission San Luis Rey
El Camino Real Bell
View the original 1906 bell, one of the chain of bells across the 21 California missions known as the Royal Road or King’s Highway.
Stretching across from San Diego’s Mission San Diego de Alcalá to Sonoma’s Mission San Francisco Solano, El Camino Road provided monks, friars, and pilgrims a path to each of California’s missions.
It’s a charming relic and part of early Southern California history when it was known as Alta California by the Spanish.
Agapito Court at the Mission San Luis Rey
Agapito Court
Once a private courtyard for the mission's friars, today the restored area is an excellent place to enjoy the beauty of California.
Originally, it housed fountains for drinking water and was used to grow herbs and plants for medicine.
Just to the left of Agapito Court is the Sacred Garden, a private garden for the people who lived at the mission.
Archway to the Oldest Pepper Tree in California at Mission San Luis Rey
Carriage Arch
One of the few remaining remnants of the original quadrangle, the Carriage Arch is a four-sided patio that was used for outdoor activities of both work and pleasure.
It was a shared space used by the surrounding classrooms, workshops, and dormitories. A kitchen, winery, and infirmary also shared the space.
Today, these buildings are used as the mission's Retreat Center.
Carved Headstones at the Cemetery at the Mission San Luis Rey
Historic Cemetery
In operation for more than 200 years, the mission's historic cemetery is the oldest community burial ground in North County San Diego.
In addition to graves for early settlers, the cemetery houses a monument for the Luiseño Indians and crypts for friars' past.
Many Beautiful Gardens at the Mission San Luis Rey
The Sunken Gardens
Descend 46 tiled steps to the shallow valley in the southwest corner of the mission and you’ll find the Sunken Gardens.
Along with the lavandería, the Sunken Gardens are an active archeological site and include the kiln that was used to fire the adobe bricks that built the mission itself.
Recent digs at the site have unearthed data that the Luiseño Indians constructed both areas while under the direction of Fr. Antonio Peyri. This allows visitors a physical, solemn place in which to contemplate the colonization and displacement of the Indigenous peoples of this land.
The Restoration of Mission San Luis Rey Began in 1892
Lavandería
Step under the gated arch and make your way down a grand staircase to visit the San Luis Rey Mission lavandería, a place where members once washed their clothing and took their baths.
Aqueducts poured water into gorgeous stone and tile pools, and gargoyle fountains even spouted water onto the mission's lush orchards.
Madonna Chapel
Originally a mortuary chapel and unique to Mission San Luis Rey, the Madonna Chapel features small doors that lead to hidden passageways.
A staircase to the right rises to a mourners' balcony, while the left is the friar's entryway.
Sign to the Old Peper Tree at the Mission San Luis Rey
Pepper Tree
If you love botany as much as you love history, you need to stop to take a look at the mission's pepper tree.
The oldest one in California, this tree was planted by Friar Peyri in 1830. Once just Peruvian seeds, today the old tree's branches must be supported by tall stakes.
Ruins of the Mormon Battalion Sleeping Quarters at Mission San Luis Rey
Soldiers Barracks
The barracks once housed the area's Spanish soldiers. Today, they are in ruins. Even so, a walk through them shows you the history of the mission, including its apartments, a lookout tower, and more.
Visit this area to learn how the troops lived during the Mexican-American War in the 1840s as well.
The self-guided tour will end with a short video presentation. The video tells you even more about the history and allows you to purchase a 30-minute version to take home.
Día de Los Muertos
Celebrate and remember cherished departed relatives and friends on Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
The festival held each year at the end of October and first days on November includes live music, entertainment, interactive experiences, vendors, and vibrant, elaborate altars in what may be California’s largest Día de Los Muertos celebration.