Mission San Luis Rey

This mission is well worth a visit. The church’s architecture and art were stunning and the museum (fee required to enter) was filled with loads of artifacts and interesting stuff. There was also a viewing area of the gardens behind the coffee shop, but you cannot enter unless you are in a retreat. Also recommend visiting the Lavanderia if you have time. Not many people go there and it’s a cool place to check out.

Attended a good friend's father's funeral services this afternoon. Both mass and burial ceremony was beautiful. Doves were released and Mariachi was playing. Retreats were held here, which was a huge part of my friend's father's life. My first time being a part of such unique ceremony and to be able to help celebrate one's life in the way it was done today - special.

Beautiful and historic. We came late in the day after a hike. Beautiful grounds and church. The staff at the church discussed some of the history with us.

Beautiful Church with so much History. There is also a nice gift shop along with a peaceful garden area to sit and have a cup of coffee or tea.

Surprised my mom for a mom and daughter night out. The candlelight concert was held at the San Luis Rey mission in Oceanside,CA and was completely mesmerizing! The Range string quartet are breath taking perfection and we just savored every moment. I wish there was a printed program to have as a trinket to a special night. We are hooked for sure and can't wait for the next one!! 🤍

I specifically went to Oceanside to see this Mission and a museum downtown. I also purposely chose to go on a Wednesday at 10 AM, when they opened, to avoid crowds... it was perfect. The Mission did not disappoint. Beautifully kept, my friend and I came in August and paid the adult entry fee of $8., plenty of parking. It was fairly hot day, little to no shade unless you are inside, so be prepared. We did the Self-Guided Tour throughout the whole property inside and out, all 11 points of interest. I loved seeing the oldest Peruvian Pepper tree. A little disappointed that you could not walk through the beautiful gardens and see the pepper tree up close. There was a gentleman walking the grounds to help direct and and to answer any question you had. He was truly a book of information on the history of the entire place. This mission in Oceanside is definitely worth visiting. The Mission: definitely worth a visit. Employee/Volunteers: very nice. Spend: 1-2 hours.

It’s year 1798, the Spaniards got to this area and by systematic abuse of the natives to build mission for the queen of Spain. Now the church and grounds still stand over 200 years later. Looks emblematic from side to side.

This is the largest Mission I have seen and the grounds are kept beautifully. There is a musuem and a cafe that closes early. The retreat portion of the grounds is not open to the public. The structure was rebuilt in the 30s, so only the ruins are original. It's a peaceful place to sit and walk. There is artwork on display.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, located in Oceanside, California, is a great historical site that offers an immersive educational experience into California's colonial past. It's the 18th of the 21 Spanish missions established in California. It's very large and is often known as the "King of the Missions." The mission's church showcases classical and baroque details, including a stunning altar and hand-painted walls that reflect the artistry and religious dedication of the time. The mission grounds feature beautiful gardens, a historic cemetery marked by the iconic skull and crossbones, and the oldest pepper tree in California. It blooms the spring and early summer, from April to June. Mission San Luis Rey offers guided tours, self-guided tours, a gift shop with souvenirs, and a small coffee shop nestled among rose gardens. There's plenty of parking. They offer personal and group retreats, which I recently learned about, it seems so serene. Mission San Luis Rey is pet-friendly, except for the Historic Church and Cemetery grounds.

This visit is very worth it, especially if you have an interest in Catholic missions with Spanish colonial architecture. The $8 admission fee is paid at the gift shop beside the main entrance. The exhibits take about 20 minutes to view. 很值得參觀，如果你對西班牙殖民建築風格的天主教修道院感興趣的話。正門側邊紀念品商店付入場費八美金。大約20分鐘可參觀完全部展覽內容。

I met with Mike. He was very helpful and was able to transfer my mom's ashes from the urn. I had bought one that will fit next to my dad. It was very professional and very sensitive to what what's going on thank you Mission San Luis Ray.

I specifically went to Oceanside to see this Mission and a museum downtown. I also purposely chose to go on a Wednesday at 10 AM, when they opened, to avoid crowds... it was perfect. The Mission did not disappoint. Beautifully kept, my friend and I came in August and paid the adult entry fee of $8., plenty of parking. It was fairly hot day, little to no shade unless you are inside, so be prepared. We did the Self-Guided Tour throughout the whole property inside and out, all 11 points of interest. I loved seeing the oldest Peruvian Pepper tree. A little disappointed that you could not walk through the beautiful gardens and see the pepper tree up close. There was a gentleman walking the grounds to help direct and and to answer any question you had. He was truly a book of information on the history of the entire place. This mission in Oceanside is definitely worth visiting. The Mission: definitely worth a visit. Employee/Volunteers: very nice. Spend: 1-2 hours.

Perfect day at the mission in Oceanside. Peaceful setting, beautiful church and lots of areas to sit and enjoy the peace and quiet inside the church and outside with nature. Bookstore and tours also available. Great way to spend the day alone or with family and friends.

It's been a long time since I've been to the San Luis Rey Mission. The last time was when I was in elementary school and we had a field trip lol I remember walking around the mission and then having a picnic in the grass lol Unfortunately, what brought me back to the mission, was a loss in the family. I have a couple family members who are buried here at San Luis Rey Mission. A family member recently passed away and his ashes are now in the wall at the mission. The service was beautiful. It's a great resting place. Very pretty clouds and greenery (flowers etc). We were really happy with the service. The mission is just as beautiful as it always has been.

I have attended 2 retreats ( Coming Home Vet Retreat and Art and Spirituality ) at this Mission and I highly recommend it. The grounds are beautiful and the program encourages deep reflection for the participants.

Mission San Luis Rey escaped my previous visits in Oceanside since it is further away from downtown, about 15 minutes car ride. During my last visit, we realized we had more time to spend in the area, so we decided to check out the Mission. The Mission spreads out on beautiful grounds, it is more to visit that you might think. Lots of outdoors areas, ruins of an old laundry, cacti gardens, a cemetery, many spaces to explore. The place has even a cute coffee shop with a nice seating area behind, a cute yard. Lots of California history here (for more details check the review of my Yelp friend J. David H.), the mission was founded in 1798 with an European gothic style for the cathedral, more unique for our area. They do tour here, or you can visit on your own for $8 full admission, free for kids under 5. The place is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm. Lots to see and explore, very peaceful and serene, you can spend at least an hour here and gather more information about So Cal. We enjoyed our visit, the church is beautiful, it is a "working" church so they do held service here. Since we went before Christmas, the place was nicely decorated for the holidays!

Beautiful mission. We went through the museum to learn its history. Since it was Friday, we listened to docents giving school tours. We spent about two hours touring the property.

Our first time checking out this mission. Docents were friendly and informative. We added the audio guide to help us navigate the museum portion. I'm a sucks for a good audio tour and this one did not disappoint! So much info and I loved that you could listen to only what you were interested in. My kids 13 and 10, enjoyed the audio tour as well. There was a small coffee shop with snacks. The gift shop was really big with lots of unusual, but beautiful gifts. We had a nice picnic on the grass area out front. Restrooms were nice and clean. We really enjoyed our visit!

Our group did a tour of the mission. Very enlightening to learn the history and see the artifacts our docent was great.

We came here with family (about 12), to pay our respects to a beloved member buried here. It was our first time at this Mission. I must admit that it was quite awesome, serene, beautiful grounds. We walked around, saw the giant Pepper tree from afar, and of course visited the cemetery. We also went into the church itself. Everything at this Mission is "first class" Because we were pressed for time and with family, we did not go into the museum. When we are this way again, we will visit the museum

Amazing church for its history . Amazing community and can't wait to involve my self more.

Such a beautiful location offering services for the afterlife. Danielle and her team are extremely professional. The prices are extremely reasonable for the beautiful location. Simple, thoughtful, and reasonable. All the details simply laid out for you... Which I appreciate in addition, Danielle made some recommendations for additional services needed... Which we ended up following... Again, top-notch vendors for such an intimate stage of life.

Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside, CA - November 22, 2023 I always enjoy checking out California missions. I've been to most, but not all, of them. This was my first visit to Mission San Luis Rey. It is a nicely done mission with several rooms dedicated displaying Spanish artifacts from the mission days from the beginning of the 19th century - baskets, tools, cooking utensils, reconstruction of a typical Spanish room of the Friars of the day, beautiful paintings, etc. The mission is well taken care of with a large enclosed Cemetary with lots of plush vegetation. The inner courtyard is also nicely taken care of with lots of flowering plants and vegetation. The sanctuary was closed when we were there, but the pictures looked nice. This particular mission doesn't have much information about the original Native American inhabitants that were consumed by the Spanish missionaries when they arrived. I'm actually more interested in the original inhabitants than I am of the Spanish missionaries that took over their way of life. Nice mission if you want to get a feel for the Catholic missionaries that took this land over 200 years ago.

Absolutely stunning the King Of Missions. This mission is simply time stopped in time and beauty. Went here for a candlelight concert, and instantly fell in love. I've never been to this mission but the location is wonderful. I also met one of the brothers and he was kind to tell us the differences of the Franciscan brotherhood. If you have a chance to be in Oceanside I decidedly recommend visiting this historic mission!!

This place was absolutely beautiful. The church and cemetery are free to roam, the museum is $8 an adult plus $3 for audio if you wish. The church was huge and gorgeous, they have candles available for purchase. The paintings were incredible to see and the architecture was stunning. The museum was great, I learned so much. They had tons of things to look at. Roaming the grounds were some real life friars! It was absolutely incredible to witness. There is also a gift shop at the end of the museum that had a lot of wonderful things. Including holy water that they fill themselves. There is also a cute coffee shop on the property with great drinks and a nice patio with a view of the courtyard. Really beautiful and educational place, it's definitely a must-do when in the area.

While beaches, the pier, and the historic downtown are on the radar for most who visit Oceanside, California, you can take in a little history/culture by venturing farther inland to discover Mission San Luis Rey, the 18th of California's Spanish missions which was founded back in 1798. I wasn't sure what to expect having visited Spanish missions in other states, but none in California. My understanding is that the California missions are all historic and beautiful, but the ones most people visit are farther north along the Pacific coast in the Santa Barbara/Solvang/San Juan Capistrano areas, although they extend from San Diego all the way to Sonoma (north of San Francisco). There is plenty of free parking and a museum on site that charges a nominal admission fee if you're interested in the history of the mission. There is also a small cafe with beautiful views of the gardens. The mission and grounds themselves are free to roam about. While not the most intriguing of Spanish missions, it's a great change of pace from the activity of Oceanside, as the grounds are very picturesque and peaceful. Overall, Mission San Luis Rey isn't a place I'd venture out of the way to visit, but would recommend to those visiting the Oceanside area who appreciate such attractions and a little culture.

This review is in regards to the cemetery. I recently lost my father and my parents wanted to be buried at San Luis Rey Mission. The plots had been picked years ago. Danielle and her staff are amazing. They walked us thru everything and helped with all the arrangements for the graveside service of my dad. Father Ignatius did an awesome graveside service and was so kind and loving. My mother in law is also at this cemetery. It is a clean and well kept cemetery with a excellent staff to help you thru the difficult times.

Came by here today on Memorial Day to check out this mission. $8 per adult and $5 for kid but baby was free. 12 rooms total and very short museum visit. Gift shop at the end. They also have a cemetery chapel and parish office, none of which we visited. Exterior is nice, church was in use at the time of our visit around 1pm.

I don't identify as Catholic anymore, but I like going to missions and learning about California history, albeit controversial. I remember going here on a school field trip and thinking it was super boring. I don't know what teacher thought it would be a good idea to bring a bunch of first graders here (esp when not everyone in the class is Catholic and the town I grew up in (Fallbrook) is ultra conservative), but I digress. As an adult, I loved this place! It's bigger than the mission in San Diego and I'd say it's as nice as the one in San Juan Capistrano. Admission for the museum is $8. The church is free to enter, although donations are welcome. As usual, there is a white-washed version of how the Spaniards came and converted the Indigenous Americans (called the Luiseños) along with a curated collection of artifacts and paintings. The grounds are beautiful; unfortunately a lot of it is closed off to the public as they're used for religious retreats that the church holds periodically. The cemetery is gorgeous; probably one of the nicest I've seen. Lastly there is a gift shop and a coffee shop! This is the first time I've seen a coffee shop in a mission, which I thought was really cool! Whether you are Catholic or not, this mission is a great place to visit!

The museum provides a great history lesson. The grounds were beautiful and well maintained (crew is friendly and do a great job). Very nice statues. It also includes a functioning church and cemetery. Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Lilted my first candle today in a very long time. How powerful can one journey lead to many thoughts landing me here today

Amazing food & service I absolutely love this restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Such a beautiful church . I love coming here with my family . Everyone who hasn't came here before should definitely check out their museum and coffee shop :)

Sometimes you find yourself in North County SD, belly full of food and beer, freeways full of cars, and you've had your fill of the outdoors. Ain't it nice to have the ole mission right there to round out the day? The history of the arrival of Catholicism to California is not really one to be celebrated, but the physical legacy of these old structures is really terrific. San Luis Rey isn't among the more famous. In fact, lovely as it is, it feels like it's getting swallowed up by development on all sides -- an understandable consequence of the overdevelopment of this area. But the grounds are still lovely, and even where the grounds are a little more dilapidated, the place shows character. Much as I liked our brief self-guided walk through the museum, I especially liked hanging outside, where one can enjoy a ground squirrel metropolis adjacent to the garden of drought-loving plants. Places like this survive thanks to their appeal as wedding spots -- the manicured courtyards, the old pepper trees. But they also are a nice monument to a California that briefly was, and never will be again.

This mission is off the beaten track through Oceanside, but well worth a diversion. It is old, it is large, and it is great to look through. The mission has much to offer: a large grassy area with picnic tables, a view of the adobe ruins of former military barracks, a mission church, a mission cemetery (but not dating to the original mission founding), a really professional and wonderful museum, the state's oldest living pepper tree, a large gift shop and a cute little coffee shop and patio area. The most offerings of any mission I have been to so far. The best advice I can give you is to take your time and enjoy all the exhibits and look everywhere you can - the tree came to my attention as I was heading to the restrooms, and the café was found that way as well! Never know what you'll come across . . . Allow at least 2 hours for a decent visit, although I tend to really engage and spent about 3 hours here. But as mentioned earlier, well worth a trip off the beaten path.

We recently visited this mission as it's not that far away from us and yet we've never checked it out. We didn't attend a mass; our primary reason to stop in was more for historical reasons. While we weren't allowed to enter the sanctuary on this day, we were able to look at the beautiful interior from the front entrance. Although access was limited we were able to purchase and light a candle in memory of a family member. The mission has a nice gift shop and a museum which has a small admission fee. We walked through the museum which had many historical artifacts and excellent information on the mission's history - I really thought it was worthwhile. We spent about 45 minutes doing the self tour. Near the public restrooms you can view part of the grounds where the oldest pepper tree in California resides. It was brought here from Peru as were all the pepper trees that are peppered throughout California (see what I did there?). A must stop for anyone interested in the missions of California or just California history in general.

Beautiful venue and ambiance with so many gorgeous candles. Musicians were amazing! Angelic experience being in an old mission s church with great acoustics to hear violins playing Four seasons of Vivaldi. Took me back in time! The only minute change would have made the experience perfect was the talking interruptions by the musicians! Few introductions would have been better!

I love this place that brings joy and also peace to many people. A piece of history that is so special. I never tire of visiting the Mission San Luis Rey. There is always something going on. A 4th grade visit, a sing-a-long movie night, a dog blessing. My husband and I have had a membership, which provides some discounts, taken tours, that are highly informative, attended events for foodies and I have retreated here, and visit to light a candle for my mom as a remembrance. Now, there is a new reason to visit SLR, for the new "Mission Grounds" Coffee house. They offer basic coffee and snacks and a pleasant area to sit, talk or work near the garden. It is such a blessing to have this new addition, but be aware they close by 3pm. In addition, I love the new changes to the website, they have an application online that you may download and the gift shop is always stocked with new and interesting items, much of it locally sourced, I love the new water bottles and picked up a special item too. The special item is a "Cat's Meow" wooden piece. The very first time I moved away from home and lived on my own, a Cat's Meow piece was made for the historic clubhouse on the farmland which I lived. Now, I own the historic Mission SLR which is my final resting home. PS The mission asked the Cat's Meow team to re-create this piece, as they had one many years ago. It just made my week to find this special item and I love telling the story. Visit SLR, if you are ever in Oceanside and grab some Mission Grounds coffee and enjoy all it has to offer. #Oceanside #MissionSanLuisRey #MissionGrounds #CatsMeow #MyMostReviewedPlace

San Diego's Spanish heritage is nowhere more firmly rooted than in its dramatically beautiful missions. It was here the missionary monks, led by Father Junipero Serra, began their chain of 21 missions throughout California. Two missions and two assistencias can still be found within the United States. Between 1769 and 1823, the Spanish built 21 missions in a chain that stretched from San Diego to north of the San Francisco Bay in an attempt to colonize "Alta California". The missions were approximately 30 miles apart, which was considered a one-day's journey on horseback. The road connecting the missions was known as the El Camino Real, which means "The Royal Highway." Father Junipero Serra established nine missions before his death and burial at Mission San Carlos. The Mack Daddy of them all is San Luis Rey. Often called the "King of the Missions," Mission San Luis Rey is the largest of all 21 California missions. Established by Father Fermin de Lasuen in 1798, the mission was the eighteenth founded and was named after King Luis IX of France. Until the mid-1800s, the mission's church was the largest structure in California. Soon after its founding in 1798, Mission San Luis Rey housed and served the largest population of Native Americans (more than 2,000). It was the only one in California to have a wooden cupola and dome of its type and design, made from pine trees brought down from Palomar Mountain After its dedication, Mission San Luis Rey de Francia was left in the care of Father Antonio Peyri. Father Peyri was extremely popular with the local Natives and he cultivated what would eventually become a thriving community. Despite his hard work and local popularity, the Mexican Government mandated that Father Peyri return to Spain in 1832. It is fabled that the local Indians followed Father Peyri to the San Diego Harbor and begged him to stay. When he insisted that he must go, two Native boys chose to accompany him back to Spain. Pablo Tac, one of the Indian boys, became a priest and wrote an autobiography of his journey. San Luis Rey is an inspiring family friendly place to visit. Self guided tours takes a few hours to half day to cover all the grounds. The price of admission is a bargain. Adults $7, youth 6-18 $3. Enjoy a coffee at "Mission Grounds", their in house shop. There is also merchandise for sell in the small gift store.

Sometimes in life you meet people who say " if you need anything, just call me." Of course, you go out of yer way to not make that call. You like to think that they meant it, but you really don't want to be a bother. Sarah is not that Gal. She is a doer. A follow througher . Having to deal with the passing of my mom was the worst. But Sarah literally made parts of the situation absolutely perfect. Anyone who has the pleasure ( unfortunately) to deal with her, is the lucky one. Every phone call resulted in a problem solved. It's like she was made for her job. I'm so grateful for her in this unfortunate time. Just can't say enough good things about her. Thank you

Mission San Luis Rey De Francia is called the King of the Missions. I believe it is called the King because at over 60 acres, this Mission is the largest (area wise) of the 21 California missions. It is located in beautiful Oceanside, CA. Each mission is beautiful and special in it's own way. We explored a bit of Mission San Luis Rey. Inside the Church, as expected, it is very lovely, spiritual, and historical. There is a museum to discover more, and the admission is only $7. Wonderful gift shop. Do not miss exploring some of the grounds as well. From a distance, you can spot the oldest Pepper Tree in California. It was a couple of hours very well spent.

Beautiful peace of history, always refreshing and fun! Take the time to go to Mass while their it's heaven on earth.

The museum and church were beautiful! I wish the gardens were more available to be able to walk through than only people attending retreats can visit them. The staff were super polite, and so were the Friars.

Slowly but surely we're trying to finish our visits to all these Mission's, so this would be #10 on our list Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. Named after St. Louis IX, King of France. Now while we went a couple of weeks ago, the Church was closed off on the front so we couldn't step foot inside. The Garden was off limits, so we could only take pictures from the side but it did look beautiful and well kept. The museum was closed until further notice, so it looks like we're going to have to return to this Mission to do a little more exploring. The gift shop was open though lol. The cemetery old and new are very massive and both are very well kept We will have to return since what we mostly did was walk around cemetery and the gift shop. #18 of 21

My youngest daughter is in the fourth grade this year and in California for history you learn about your state ! Since we are homeschooling we thought it would be cool to go see a California mission up close ! We chose San Luis Rey because we visit Carlsbad, ca often and Oceanside is right next door. We really enjoyed our time here today (10-12-21), even my other two kids thought it was cool. The museum was fun and the kids did the audio tour for $3 a piece. So much to see and learn !

Beautiful mission! Love the history! Take the tour! Lots of parking! (Not sure because Of COVID There are picnic tables by fountain outside in the front! So bring a picnic!

My sister is getting married here.....oh where do I start???? Flower girls are not allowed to through petals or anything. Just hold a basket w flowers. Wedding coordinator....not so coordinated. She kept forgetting crucial information throughout the rehearsal. She kept changing it up on who walks in first....who walks in last Oh and let me tell you she took 2 minutes of our time to explain that nobody else should be allowed during the rehearsal because they are wasting the church's time. Family drove from San Francisco all the way to Oceanside only to be told to leave. How sad. It's a church. It's the bride's family. How awful. Even if they lived 5 minutes away that is unacceptable. Everyone is welcome right? I guess not here. And this is something she should have relayed to my sister/the bride. Again she's her wedding coordinator from the church. She kept saying "well you can choose whatever you want to do" like yeah we get that but how would you suggest we do it or how is it traditionally done? And again "whatever you want" we all left the rehearsal clueless ... well even more clueless than we were an hour ago. Oh our questions wouldn't stop because she was winging it. She didn't say that but you can feel it by her being such a mess. Then she proceeds to say whatever u need call me ...and bring the rings in the morning and then by the end he said (groom)ok I'll stop by tomorrow morning with the rings and she yelps nooooo don't do that bring them right before the wedding starts. Oh Lord please help her. Please help us. My sister's wedding coordinator didn't help us. It also got me more frustrated how she bragged how many times she's done this .....but later mentions how they don't really do marriages there, that the last one was 6 months ago maybe more.

This is a wonderful, sacred historical site. I stop in sometimes just to meditate and say a prayer when I drive by.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is worth the drive to North County. With its striking white facade and beautiful grounds you quickly forget about the urban sprawl surrounding it. Reminiscent of Mission Santa Barbara, but with only one bell tower, this is a local favorite for 4th grade California Mission projects. Points of interest include the small but informative museum and a short film on the history of the Mission. There's also a cemetery you can walk through and their famous California Pepper Tree (Oldest in California) located in the west end of the grounds. Keep in mind that the tree is behind two fences so you can only see it from afar. The Mission is beautiful and a perfect family activity when you're looking for something to do on a weekend. - Adults $7, Kids $3 - Plenty of parking - Plenty of Squirrels in the grass out front - Plenty of souvenirs in the gift shop Tip - Be sure to pick up your souvenir Mission San Luis Rey coin $3.

Props for preserving history and a beautiful Faith. I was able to attend a Tridentine Latin Mass in the Saint Claire Chapel past the old pepper tree and rose garden, near the retreatants quarters. THAT ALONE deserves 5 stars. We had many young children, young adults, newlyweds, a couple celebrating their 23rd wedding anniversary, elderly folks and middle age people like me... many races and ethnicities and we all LOVE THE TRIDENTINE LATIN MASS AAAAAAND ALL THE SACRAMENTS as they were codified during the dogmatic Council of Trent. If you haven't read this yet, you don't know how the Mass and Sacraments are SUPPOSED to be. You're missing out on a beautiful Catholic culture. They had to codify them in the 1500s because the Protestant Reformation was trying to destroy them. Thank goodness they did. Props again to Mission San Luis Rey for hearing the desires of Catholics . The Motu Propio from 2007 reiterated the Council of Trent... the Mass needs to be available to the Faithful.

We were fortunate to participate at the end of mass. It reminded me of attending church as a little girl.. The grounds are beautiful, they even have a museum. I enjoyed the gift shop and cafe as well.

San Luis Rey was the 18th mission built in California (of 21 missions). It's on a nice site, set back from the main road. Tons of free parking on-site. The church is lovely. There's a small, quiet cemetery next to it. The museum? Well, really, it's pretty tired and not much. You basically shuffle through some smallish rooms and look at Indian and church artifacts and old photos. You have to pay for the museum and, honestly, it's not worth it. The best part is a washed-out original document signed by Abraham Lincoln. There's a decent gift shop next to the museum. Much of the property is strictly off limits because about 35 friars live here. However, you can visit the church, cemetery, gift shop and old grounds where army barracks and a washing area once stood. All of that is free and open to anyone. You can safely skip the museum and save a few dollars.

This mission was interesting and the grounds were beautiful. They have services during the week also. It is easy to walk. It holds the original paper signed by President Lincoln giving the mission back to the church in 1865.

The Missions of California are beautiful sites to see and I especially love the Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside. I grew up going here on field trips and ended up getting married here this past year. It was a wonderful way to combine faith, marriage, and history all in one venue. Especially for all of our out of town guests who have never been to one of the Missions. Everything was perfect about our day and we are so happy we were able to exchange our vows at such a beautiful and historical place. Highly recommend visiting and seeing all the missions!

Mission San Luis Rey, the 18th of the 21 Catholic missions established in California, dates from 1798. The mission church, the third one built, was constructed in 1811. The mission church has one of the whitest whites you'll ever see on the walls of a building. The top of the steeple, painted blue, reminds me of the Greek Orthodox Church buildings in Greece. The mission was named for King Louis IX of France, but is pronounced loo-ee. The compound originally took up nearly a million acres of land and was known as the king of the missions. The mission church is still used for daily masses, at noon Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays. Non-Catholics are welcome to attend. The grounds include the oldest pepper tree grown in California. A sailor from Peru brought seeds planted in 1830. The berries are not the familiar spice peppercorns. But they were used for medicinal purposes because of their antiseptic and antibacterial properties. The mission is located just off Interstate 5, about 5 miles east of Oceanside, in northern San Diego County.

The "King of the Missions" lives up to its name with sprawling grounds that houses an active parish, is a friar training center, a retreat center, has a chapel and cemetery. Mission San Lius Rey de Francia was the 18th mission established and is the largest of the historic California missions. Set up in 1798 and active under the Spanish flag for about 35 years, it housed the largest population and baptized the most people of all the missions during that time. Because of the ideal conditions (near water, good produce, native americans that owned a lot of livestock) the mission was one the most fruitful in producing goods and trade. The original chapel has been retrofitted and is beautiful. It has a high ceiling that lets in just enough natural light to keep the building lit but preserved. There is no fee to enter the chapel. To enter the museum, there is a $7 fee. Parking on the grounds is free. The self-guided tour has 10 rooms with a 10 minute video at the end. To go through all the rooms while reading most of the information, it will take you between 30-60 minutes depending on your interest level. It goes over the mission lifestyle, shows old clothing, artificats, has vintage paintings and explains the mission's roots and history. Other historic things to see... The main courtyard/friars living area with the 100+ year old pepper tree, the remaining foundation of the soldier barracks, the Lavenderia at the front of the property, where the soldiers used to wash their clothes at the irrigated area and the Kiln, where they would heat and finish off pottery. There are also beautiful and relaxing cemetery grounds right next to the chapel where you can arrange to be buried if you are of faith. You can cover the whole property in 60-90 minutes. Part of the property is blocked off due to this being an active Friar training school, but you can pretty much see it all from where they do allow you to access. If you want to get in a little California history while in Oceanside or if you just want to take a quiet, peaceful walk, Mission San Luis Rey is perfect for that. I had not heard of this mission before until I saw it on Google and then 1 hour later, there I was, checking it out. Oh, the cool things you can do in California on a Sunday afternoon.

It seems odd to review a cemetery for a burial but I have 2 separate experiences with the mission that are opposite of each other. 11 years ago I buried my father here then and last week I brought my mother to be buried with her husband. Death is an emotionally difficult time. When burying my father the staff back then was not very accommodating or honestly lacked interpersonal skills in handling people who wanted to even stay for the lowering of his casket into the ground. My sons and I had to stand over by the building's while he was buried. Fast forward 11 years and it was as different as night and day. Danielle who is the current Director/manager has updated how burials are done. The congregation was invited to stay and witness the lowering. The young woman who directed this part of the funeral engaged me to be sure we did all the things that are important in closing out the life of my mom. She was respectful, invited us to throw flowers on the casket before the closing. The workers who do the actual burial were respectful as well and to put it simply they were all just nice people. A better and improved service was provided in a caring way. A much more positive experience then the first time in 2012. Thank you Danielle and the burial crew. I'm sorry I don't remember your names otherwise I would write them.