Great Stone Church Ruins
The roofless walls and arches of the church that fell in 1812, kept as they were.
Mission San Juan Capistrano
The "Jewel of the Missions", with the ruins of a great stone church toppled by an 1812 earthquake, quiet gardens, and the return of the swallows celebrated each March.
Mission San Juan Capistrano, founded by Junípero Serra in 1776, is the most atmospheric of California's missions. At its heart stand the ruins of the Great Stone Church, the grandest building in mission California until an earthquake brought it down in 1812, killing 40 people at Mass.
Around the ruins are flowering courtyards, fountains, workshops and the small Serra Chapel, one of the oldest buildings in California still in use. The mission is famous for its swallows, whose return each spring is celebrated on St. Joseph's Day, March 19.
- Best Time
- Year-round; March for the swallows celebration
- Time Needed
- 2 hours
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- Most days; check missionsjc.com for hours
- Getting There
- In the town of San Juan Capistrano, an hour south of Los Angeles. The Amtrak station is across the street.
What to See
0 of 3 are freeSerra Chapel
A long, low adobe chapel with a gilded Baroque altarpiece, where Junípero Serra said Mass.
Courtyards and Gardens
Fountains, koi ponds, bougainvillea and cactus around the old workshops and soldiers' barracks.
Know Before You Go
- Admission includes an audio tour. The mission's grounds are mostly flat and accessible.
- The big modern basilica next door is a separate parish church, modeled on the Great Stone Church.
Where to Stay
Stay in San Juan Capistrano or Dana Point, or visit on the train from Los Angeles or San Diego.
Where to Eat
Our picks are on the way.
Editor's picks. Nobody paid to be on this list.
Something wrong or out of date?
Traveler Reviews
Sign in and mark Mission San Juan Capistrano as visited to write a review.
Go Next
Worth a DetourDisneyland
California
Walt Disney's original park in Anaheim, an hour from central Los Angeles.
Full Guide
Worth a DetourSan Diego
California
Mild sunny weather all year, Balboa Park and its famous zoo, and a string of laid-back beach towns.
Full Guide
If You're NearbyChrist Cathedral (Crystal Cathedral)
California
Philip Johnson's Crystal Cathedral, a church of more than 10,000 panes of glass, reborn as the Catholic cathedral of Orange County, near Disneyland.
Full Guide
Last checked 2026-10-31. Part of the California list.