Mission Basilica San Buenaventura 1782

Mission San Buenaventura is a nice small Mission. Has lots of history and interesting artifacts. Well maintained and clean. The garden is nice and the church and alter are beautiful. The gift shop is nice. We paid $8 per adult at the gift shop. The self guided tours begin in the gift shop and they provide you with a map that is easy to follow. Overall it was a great experience and I do recommend.

Lovely mission, though it is on the smaller side. Good site for a pilgrimage as it is a Jubilee year site and hosts many relics including one of the True Cross.

The Mission Basilica is beautifully preserved, showcasing rich history and stunning architecture. The church and its peaceful yard offer a lovely place to reflect and explore. There’s a small museum at the entrance that gives great insight into the site’s past. Plan to spend about an hour here—it’s the perfect quick cultural stop. Tickets are available at the door.

We stumbled upon Mission Basilica San Buenaventura by chance and didn’t even realize it was right in downtown Ventura! Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see the whole place, but we did get to step inside the church, and it was absolutely beautiful — peaceful, historic, and full of charm. We’re definitely planning to come back to tour the entire mission next time. A lovely hidden gem in the heart of Ventura!

This is a beautiful mission. The priests really care about the parishioners and people in general. The gift shop is my favorite with very friendly staff. There is a chapel which has a Michael Angelo authorized replica of the Virgen and Jesus and many amazing relics from saints such as St. Jude! Their entry fee as a museum is very low, and I support it because it is a beautiful historical site that must be preserved for our children. I love their small garden. It is very serene. The bathrooms are located behind the gift shop through the garden and other bathrooms are located on the outside behind the church. I love this place!!!

The garden is great! In the morning, there is mass inside.

Amazing history. Cost is $8.00 to self tour the grounds. Well worth it if you love historical places

Beautiful mission, relaxing, serene. Very informative. The short video is a must watch. The grounds are will maintained

First time actually checking out VTA properly and had to make a stop at the Mission, which is probably the most OG thing in the city. It is a bit whitewashed (real talk: The Chumash were not as happy as portrayed) but regardless, it is a part of California history, and I respect that. I visit cathedrals/churches/missions whenever I travel internationally (Mexico, China, and Italy already this year), and would place the historical significance of the Missions near the top of any global list. $8 at the door, and worth it, if for nothing else, the peacefulness and tranquility...

We stumbled upon Mission Basilica San Buenaventura by chance and didn't even realize it was right in downtown Ventura! Unfortunately, we didn't have time to see the whole place, but we did get to step inside the church, and it was absolutely beautiful -- peaceful, historic, and full of charm. We're definitely planning to come back to tour the entire mission next time. A lovely hidden gem in the heart of Ventura!

I visited Mission Basilica San Buenaventura recently. I had a good time. I enjoyed being in the gift shop, museum, gardens, and church. I liked that there were artifacts in the museum. The gardens were tranquil. The artwork and statues in the church were nice.

I have been a parishioner here at the Mission Basilica San Buenaventura since 2022 when I returned to the faith after 40 years of Protestantism. This beautiful Mission has been a place of spiritual refuge and holiness to me. I love our Masses so much and our wonderful Priests: Father Tom, Father Eduardo and Msgr Jennet. I have experienced true reverence here and the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in our Masses. I'm grateful to be back to my faith.

Wanted to attend mass while in Ventura on vacation so my wife and I went to the Mission Basilica San Buenaventura. Beautiful, well preserved mission and browsed the attached religious store and bought some nice items. A must stop while in Ventura even if you are not Catholic.

Nice and well maintained mission, with a small but beautiful courtyard garden adorned with sculptures and water features. The basilica was also well maintained with some nice art and woodwork. There's also a small museum and gift shop.

Claudia Tellez-Ruiz, their office manager is one of the most condescending and rudest people I have ever met. I went into the office to ask some questions and I am hit with cold and belittling remarks. This deeply saddens me as I have been a practicing Catholic for 22 years and people like this leave a bad impression for people seeking help and guidance through the church. This is not the first bad review based on their customer service and our faith is forgiving of people but I truly hope that she seeks counseling to help whatever is disturbing her to make her treat people like this.

first time here and to be honest, i expect to see the mission like the one in san diego. old and big. this one is small and make sure not coming on sundays, they use it for holy mass...

We were in the gift shop less than 5 minutes. After browsing through a book less then a minute the lady tells my wife, "Ma'am, you can't read the books.' Just how are you supposed to know if you like it if you can't even browse it. Had a flashback of my catholic upbringing and thought I might get paddled in the cloak room next. At least this rude person saved us the cost of admission to the actual mission.

My husband and I have visited several of the missions up and down the coast. This one is not huge but it's beautiful and well cared for. The gardens are blooming and it's so pretty and calm. Of course each of the missions is unique but the reason I really love to visit them is that sense of calm and connectedness to something greater. The history is a bonus and this location has a really nice gift shop. We went mid-Pandemic with masks on. Everyone was very respectful of this and the hand sanitizing stations were definitely in use.

Love checking out the Mission churches! Was in the area and decided to pay the $5 admission. There is a little museum that pass through before going onto the grounds. It is very well kept. You can then continue to the church where there is the Pieta statue. Really love the architecture of the church! If you are in the area, this is a nice little stop!

Small but beautiful mission near Main Street Ventura. Came last week and museum/mission gift shop was open as well as the church for visiting. Grateful that the grounds are dog friendly as well. $4 for seniors and $5 for adults for visit. Covid guidelines in place: requires mask and plenty of hand sanitizer everywhere. Meter/street parking not enforced during quarantine. Found parking right in front of the shop.

It's beautiful mission located in on Downtown Main St. Ventura. Nice little gift shop. It has a lot of Artifacts that dates back to the 1700's. There is a lot of Restaurants and stores to eat or shop and a movie theatre to catch a a movie. But a nice place to visit if your in the area.

*Made this trip right before the whole shutdown but they had notifications posted up about the virus and washing hands* When we arrived on this particular Saturday morning it stated that the gift shop opened at 9am. Well the entrance of course is through the gift shop and it was closed, it didn't open until 10am. I suggest to call and make sure to verify the hours. This is Mission #6 visit for us. Once we entered and payed the fee, we went straight to the little museum which displays several Chumash and Mission artifacts. Then you walk out to the garden. The Garden was very beautiful and well maintained. The Church is not too far from there. The only thing remaining from the original mission is the church and the garden. So this Mission is not as large as some of the other one's. It's worth a visit. They do have a school right behind the Mission that is currently active. This is also an active Church so they do hold Mass here. #9 of 21

What a great experience. $9 for entry. So much to see and learn. There are guided docent tours which are free and paid tours. We elected to just stroll around the grounds Parking is good. There is a parking area on site.

This peanut sized mission is good for a visit but probably not the best choice for a fourth grade mission project. Parking is on the street (metered), or in a free lot down the block. The entrance to the mission is through their large gift shop. Their museum is is a small room with some pretty cool artifacts and you can watch a short historical movie. Outside you can explore their well maintained courtyard. While there isn't a whole lot to see or explore here, it's a nice mission experience. - Bathroom in the courtyard - Odd safe sitting outside the church - Be sure to pick up your mission coin in the gift shop - Looking for a Fourth Grade Mission? Try San Juan Capistrano, La Purisima Mission State Historic Park, and Mission San Miguel.

The mission was beautiful and that were it stops!! The so-called mane get was very rude and unprofessional should get training customer service what a letdown after driving a long ways to come see the mission. Not recommended!!

Beautiful church... parking can be a pain especially on Sundays but definitely worth the visit on weekdays. The church has a small gift shop and museum that features precious relics of Saints. My sister got married here in May and the courtyard was filled with beautiful flowers. One note for all that are planning to get married here, if you get Maria as your coordinator, be warned... she's not friendly and absolutely impatient. She doesn't know what she's doing! The day of the practice, she told us where our formation would be but the day of the wedding, it all changed, directing me and other bridesmaids and groomsmen all over the place. She only went over the practice once which was less than 30mins. Maria was rude too. The bride and bridesmaids were 5 mins late and when we got to the church, she greeted us with "you're late"... we haven't even gotten out of the party bus. Not only that, she asked me if I was a guest when I was in full on bridesmaid dress and holding the bride's bouquet. Maria's temper is worse than a nun at catholic school. If she has a stick, she would have whipped each one is for not doing what she wanted us to do. I gave the church a 5 star and possibly 5 for the laugh you'll have about Maria's temper.

After a failed lunch at Rumfish y Vino, we walked back to our car by way of this mission. As a child, I was taken by my parents to many of the California missions since we lived in CA and since we all had to study California history in the 4th grade. Ironically, I never went to this mission in Ventura, and there it was right in front of me. I had to add this one to my list of visited missions. It has a lovely courtyard with a fountain, lots of flowers, trees and bushes, and pretty decent church. It's old, of course, but well preserved. I think my favorites are still in Santa Barbara and San Juan Capistrano, but I'm glad I got to add this one to my list !!

Beautiful Mission in Buenaventura. I once tried to visit all of the Missions in California. Santa Barbara one's my favorite, Buenaventura ones I visit the most. I like the shopps on the Main st. It's fun to explore those antiques/goodwill shops there. Restaurants and coffee shops including Starbucks, they have it all. Still the best thing to do is walking around the Mission.

I have seen a lot of missions; this one is a great one. I enjoyed the 1803 alter piece from the Philippines.

We took a "field trip" to Ventura one day when our grandson got out of school early. First stop - the historic Mission. Neither Dear Hubby or I had been in years, and it was Adored Grandson's first visit. So peaceful in the gardens. The historical items on display in the museum made for interesting discussions with AG about what life must have been like during the mission era. We always enjoy a chance to check out historic venues.

Got here a little before 9:30am on a Saturday. I was lucky to arrive there early to get street parking right in front of the location. Parking spots don't charge until 10am. Admission for Adults: $4 Hours: M-F: 10am to 5pm Sat: 9am to 5pm Sun: 10am to 5pm Gift store (located next to the church, looks like the rest of the stores on the st) was open. We paid for the admission and went up the stairs entering the museum. It is quite small, we spend only about 10m max inside. This garden is the smallest one that I've seen from the 16 missions I have been to. This a great spot to stop if your passing by the area. Don't expect to be here more than 30m max.

My kid had a 4th grade project on the mission so we took a 2 hr drive to Ventura, well worth the scenic view, agriculture and beach. It took me a few rounds to figure out where to park and how to get it in. Once that was all hashed out, you notice there is outdoors resturants, shops and movies along the street, its a very nice atmoshpere to walk the strip after the museum. So for his project we walked about the ground and the Parish was still in good shape, we took a lot of pictures and visited the gift shop after walking around and got rosarys and information. Great place to visit, you'll be there 45 min to walk through the garden, church, school, museum and gift shop. Not very dauting at all.

My fiancé and I stopped by this beautiful by the beach Mission on our way back from the Glen Tavern Inn. Upon arrival we were able to get a parking spot in front of the mission. Yes, their is a parking meter that comes along with it. =) San Buenaventura Mission is fairly small, but the building in the back is huge. The entrance fee is under 10 bucks per person and they have a ton of stuff in the gift shop. Its kinda cool to walk up these stairs in the gift shop to enter the mission. The next room has quite of bit of relics from the mission and its time. I do have a video posted on my YouTube channel if you would like to see for your selves. The Mission its self is big when entering. It has a beautiful and well maintained garden with a small fountain. Definitely go check it out for your selves if you are in the area or making it a destination spot to visit the Missions of California.

This was father Sierra and the help of the locals to build this beautiful Church at this area. It located in the center of the heart of Ventura, surrounded by local stores and shops. From the front of this church, you can see the beautiful beach in short walking distance. Closed by, there were Museum and the park also the City Hall in a close walking distance. This is a beautiful Church as you can find them from the Southern to Northern of California along with the coastal areas. Next, to the church, there was a small gift shop that sells the pictures or related to religious memorials. I am a fan of The Mission Church, I have been visiting most of the Mission along California, and love all of them. I like the old styles and how they are built. The statutes and the altars are beautiful and the craftsmanship also incredible, that you could not find anywhere. Will be visiting more of these Mission Church any opportunity that I can.

It had been some time since I attended church, so it was great to attend last Sunday morning's Mass and rid myself of some well-earned Catholic guilt. I wasn't able to attend the Eucharist service since I had not confessed & received absolution, so my empty stomach grumbled enviously (and loudly!) as others' rose to take Communion. [1][2] All attempts at humor aside, this Church & adjacent grounds are beautiful and offer a great venue for spiritual reflection. If you haven't attended Mass in awhile, this is a great Church to visit. Footnotes: [1] Actually, I'll have to carry the guilt until I attend Confession services. [2] I'm pretty sure that I just added another sin to my lengthy list.

Though I thought this was the least impressive out of the 3 missions I have been to, I am a fan of all of them. Going through the gift shop if a bit weird, it kind of takes away from the whole experience. Still, it is beautiful and a real part of California culture, worth seeing if you are in the area.

This place is really small, not worth the $4 admission price. We went in because it was opened and everyone was going in. Cute, very pretty, but small, it's not the Santa Barbara mission. Check it out if it's open for some event and can visit it for free, otherwise, it's not worth it, it takes just 5 minutes to check it out entirely.

It only takes a few minutes to tour this mission but at $2 suggested donation, it's well worth it. The well-maintained courtyard boasts a couple of 100-year old pines, a beautifully tiled fountain, an olive press, banana trees and papyrus plants. Or visit for free by attending one of the regular church services. This is a lovely spot with a great vibe. The mission nicely anchors Main Street which has made a transformation in the past decade to a hip stretch of cool shops, bars and restaurants. Across from the Mission, the new Ventura County Art Museum is under construction and next door is a working archaeological dig site where much of the Mission artifacts were excavated. You could easily spend a half day exploring the area on foot, starting with the Mission.

Feels a little odd to leave a not-so-great review for a mission - so excuse me father - but I am a Yelper and I cannot lie. $4 entrance through a tacky little gift shop. The mission and the gardens itself is very small. Just an Eh, can't imagine that you would spend more than 20/25 minutes here. Grounds and the mission are both very pretty - just very small too.

It's a testament to the Spanish friars and Blessed Juniperro Serra ( who began the missions all over California) , that the California Missions continue to be in use and are still standing! I love that historic places like these are safe (so far) from city development. Getting here is a relatively short, straight shot 70 mile or so drive from LA area - it took me 1.5 hours on a Saturday morning, with very little traffic on the 101 freeway (except going through DTLA, of course). You arrive in Ventura and park in one of the self-pay spots along Main street. You can pay using coins or Debit/Credit card). I paid for 2.5 hours but only stayed at the Mission for under 2 hours. You enter the church through the GIFT SHOP! Ooooohhh....way to get more knick knacks, sacred art objects and Christmas decorations! There is a minimal entrance fee for each person (less for seniors) but we were there for a Baptism and got in for free! The Church itself is absolutely beautiful - think how it was built - BY HAND, mostly by indigenous people ( okay - there will be detractors about the Spanish friars, but that's the way it was) in the days before machines did the lifting and cutting of stone, masonry & woodwork. Inside there are several statues of saints, many dating back to the 18th century if not earlier. Do take time to at least admire the architecture and the religious statuary. There is an informational leaflet that is chained to the side entry. According to their website: all that remains of the original Mission is the church and its garden. A small museum sits at the Mission with displays of Chumash Indian artifacts and mission-era items. The garden is typical - fountain lined with Spanish/Mexican tiles. Loevly well maintained garden. Come here to take a tour of history, and you will not be disappointed. An oasis of sacred silence in an otherwise touristy area.

I came here to learn more about California's history. I loved the museum. There were actual artifacts from the mission during it's heyday. The courtyard is beautiful. In the back there is an old water tank and the grave of three priests that died while the mission was still going. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of historical attractions. The grave, museum, water tank, and olive press are the only things left from the mission's early years. The mission seemed like more of a religious attraction and not a historical one.

We struggled to find the entrance to the mission and kind of stumbled onto the church after passing by the mission school. The church or chapel is definitely the highlight of this mission. It was beautiful and a very spiritual place. After leaving the church we discovered the gift shop and decided to go in there and check it out. We were greeted rudely and told to "Pay or leave". We did not see any sign about where or how to pay and would have gladly done so. I was quite taken aback by this rudeness especially at a mission. We paid the $9 for both of us and then walked around the grounds. To be honest it was a beautiful place but not worth the $5 I paid or the $4 my husband paid as a senior. We won't be back and wouldn't really recommend it.

We have seen three missions in the past 30 days or so, and I have to admit some disappointment as compared to the other two. This restored Mission is not the most architecturally interesting, but has its points of interest that make it worthwhile visiting. A small admission "donation" of $2 was requested and entitled the payee to a small brochure about the history of this mission. There is a small (very small) museum, and actual church is more plain, a less gold and glitzy altar than some. They have a lovely courtyard garden with statuary and a fountain, but some of the area is fenced off and not accessible to the public, maybe due to ongoing archeological digs? Too bad, there were obviously some signage, but we could not get to them to read what it was all about. I love the immediate area surrounding the Mission. Ventura has made an effort to upgrade the old town, giving it an appealing face lift and inviting tourism to visit its quaint historic part of town. A walk down Main Street is fun to experience and the surrounding Victorian and Craftsman homes are looking beautiful. Unfortunately, there are a still few homeless types roaming around, but quite honestly, does not seriously detract from the charm.

Beautiful church and grounds. I have been here on two different Sundays and never had an issue parking even though it is located on Main Street. They offer donuts and coffee after mass on Sunday for a donation. In between mass, you can explore and skip the entrance fee. The entrance from the gift shop during the week is a little steep up the stairs.

We came here kind of late last Saturday of this review. I didn't know there was a charge to enter, although I imagined a donation fee. In any case, we came when there was a mass & didn't feel right about going since we had drinks across the way. I saw a lady with some baked goods in the middle of the plaza of the mission & bought some cookies, I just felt like I wanted to donate something, was kinda disappointed we were late & not able to do the tour. It's a cute little mission, yes small like most have said, but still worth looking at. They have a little gift shop, from reading I see that is where you have to pay if you want to venture into. But since we were past hours we got a free look on our own. Would love to come back to make it to the mass.

I'm not religious so I'm not about to find god here but I do enjoy sitting in the relaxing courtyard. If this mission is ever converted to a hotel, I'd be tempted to become a long-term resident.

I only gave this a four star, because of the history and education opportunity. This is not one of my favorites. Church is still gorgeous, I just think the surrounding environment is want brings this place down. Still if you have an opportunity to visit this place please do so!

In the middle of downtown Ventura off Main Street lies the 9th out of the 21 Cali Mission. It's not the biggest or prettiest out of all the mission but it has its own style. It was a perfect warm June day to see the mission. Came around 2pm with my family that was visiting from NJ and @ that time, the noon mass was still occurring. We parked along Main St and entered thru the gift shop. My religious grandmother was with me & it was her birthday the day before. Perfect! Told my grandma to pick whatever she wants as her late birthday gift from me. So she picked out a 18k Gold Crucifix necklace and I gladly bought it for her. The lady @ the register kindly assisted us. I got myself a magnet to add to my collection. Paid credit card for the items & the minimum $2 donation for the tour was cash only. Rosaries, Bibles, Mission Memorabilias & Religious Christian-Catholic Items are sold at the gift shop. From the gift shop extends a mini stair way that takes you to the small museum that holds many old artworks & artifacts from the days of California mission founder, Father Junipero Serra (1713-1784) We proceeded to the peaceful Garden area & the renovated church. I felt a sense of peace & serenity that no $2 donation could amount to. This is a great place to check out, located in the heart of Ventura, if you're into history or a Christian/Catholic that's into the religion. It's in a great location so there are lots of other places to check out before or after your visit to the mission. You can park along the street (metered) or at the private lot. Was able to sit down towards the end of a very Catholic traditional mass inside the church, Felt ANGELic & holy again right after 0=) Had a very lovely Sunday @ this mission. PEACE!

This is a quaint mission; however, outside is not so pretty with the homeless people and riff raff running about. Yet, with the ocean breeze nearby and great restaurants down Main Street, this mission is great to visit.

Me and my husband walked into the mission we just saw open door and it said visitors so we walked in then we asked somebody where the restaurant was at and he told us we had to get a code number so I went in last the lady in the storefront for a code number and she asked me did I pay to get in and I said no we walked through a door that said visitors And she said well you can't use it if you don't pay I said is this a donation she said no you have to pay to see the mission I said OK well let me go get my husband well if you don't come back I'm gonna go look for you and your husband and I'm gonna make you pay. I never met such a router lady in my life she was a medium height slim Hispanic woman I will never return to that place again she was very rude inconsiderate and she was making it seem like we were trying to sneak in or steal something from them that is horrible and. I do not recommend this mission there are people that work in their store are very rude and unkind I hope somebody gives her a rude awakening. What a great example of a Catholic woman!

Founded 1782, 9 of 21 historic California missions and named for St. Bonaventure, Tuscany, 1221. He once exclaimed "O buona ventura," (oh, good fortune!). The bell tower is unusual because of the asymmetry, the two upper sections are not centered on the base. There are five bells topped by a small done and a cross. The grounds and museum are relatively small compared to the other old missions in California. But it is right in the middle of downtown with a large green grass park across the street. Worth a look.

This morning I called inquiring about Baptisms. The lady I spoke to was very nice and insisted in stopping by to pick up an information form that needed to be filled out. Later that day we did. It was a beautiful Thursday afternoon when there it was founded in 1782 Mission San Buenaventura a.k.a. "Mission by the Sea" one of the first of nine missions founded by Junipero Serra out of 21 total from San Diego to San Francisco, California. San Buenaventura is tucked away off Main Street in Ventura after passing most of the businesses across the street from Mission Park. I can proudly say this is our third mission visited next to Old Mission Santa Barbara #10 and Old Mission San Luis Rey #18 in Oceanside. There is always amazement to see somewhat of what remains of the original structure yet obvious of course has been retrofitted to tailor to today's building standards. Size comparison is very small, but has big history. Well worth a visit I may add. Next visit will be for our sons Baptism for sure one of these days will take a self guided tour. There is a parking lot where the kids whom attend school play during the day, but is said to be opened on weekends for mass which also is across the street from Mission Park. After Aiden's Baptism I'll update with more info. To be continued.........

This was the 2nd California mission that I went to. We went to hear mass here. It is not as crowded as the other mission churches that I've been to. Parking is on the streets though. We didn't have any trouble finding parking.

I find it ironic that I've not even confirmed with the Catholic Church and still have amassed a boatload of guilt over everything to do with my life. The guilt had me in a funk the last several months but after some serious reflection and scrutiny on my part, I'm at peace with my decision to go ahead and embrace the big mystery of faith. Stopped in today, continued my reflection, and the peaceful feeling remains. Beautiful church to just sit and pray about whatever is on your mind and I look forward to visiting again very soon.

Pretty much directly on the path from LA to Santa Barbara, so if you're interested in Missions you can get 2 for 1 essentially. Reviews talk about how small this place is. Well, it's smaller than SB for sure. It's also cheaper to get in. Guys, it's the Ratio, c'mon! I might have enjoyed this even more than the Santa Barbara mission, as the one in SB stands on its glorious own. Here, San Buenaventura sits right on Main Street and as such feels more like a living piece of history. It's also nice that you can extend your stay in Ventura post-Mission with an endless row of good thrift stores. Estimates of 30 minutes for the mission and gift shop are pretty good to go on. The spot is tranquil, so it's good to be a little tranquil yourself as you go through it. What I'll probably remember most are the pair of huge pines in front of the courtyard and the original wooden bell in the museum. Never had considered a wooden bell before - how would that sound? So to end on a bad pun, if it's your mission to venture here, rest assured it will be a good venture.

Took the self-guided tour and really enjoyed it. The Mission grounds are small, but nicely kept and the ambiance is very tranquil and peaceful. The Mission itself was open the day I went, so I got to see pretty much everything in a little less than an hour. I really don't have an issue with paying the fee, it's a nominal charge in the scheme of things and an opportunity to learn about California and Ventura history. If you're looking for something educational and have an hour or so to spend, why not visit the Mission?

Believe it or not, I had no idea that there was a mission here. I especially like that it's walking distance to many boutique shops, thrift shops, and restaurants on Main Street. It's a small mission, but hey, it's one of those Huell Howser California's Gold destinations to check off of your list of places to visit.