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Mission San Luis Rey

4.4 (144 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Mission San Luis Rey Photos

Recommended Reviews - Mission San Luis Rey

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Mother Mary
Yen P.

Beautiful sanctuary place to pray, explore, shop, and enjoy the scenery! My first time visiting here. Thank you!

Rosabell M.

Such a beautiful Mission! It's a huge mission and it also has a coffee shop, museum, gift shop and a cemetery all in the same lot. There's plenty of parking. The mission is active and has masses in service. We went on a Sunday and mass was being held at 9am. As soon as the mass was over we were able to go inside to see the beautiful church! We had an awesome time learning about the history of the mission. We also grabbed some coffee and walked around the cemetery. First mission down, 20 to go in California!

The Mission at San Luis Rey, Oceanside
Conni B.

I love going to the Mission. It is truly a place of peace and contemplation with beautiful gardens and buildings & statuary from the 1700's. Be sure to visit the historic church. Ample picnic areas, as well. The historical gift shop has interesting artifacts, books, paintings, and replicas of adornments found within the Mission Walls. Easy to get to, close to restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations.

Kwang C.

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。

Melody K.

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.

Myrine S.

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.

Cross
Britney M.

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.

Jo S.

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!

The audio guide is a great feature! Try it out!
Perlie P.

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!

Cody A.

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.

Candlelight concert
Michelle M.

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!!

Beautiful mission worth visiting with a lovely historic chapel and a small cafe offering excellent coffee in a peaceful courtyard.

Dianna S.

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

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

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Ask the Community - Mission San Luis Rey

Can I bring my dog?

Dogs are welcomed on our property as long as they are on a leash and you clean up after them. Pets are not allowed inside the cemetery or any of our buildings except for service animals.

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Review Highlights - Mission San Luis Rey

It's a huge mission and it also has a coffee shop, museum, gift shop and a cemetery all in the same lot.

Mentioned in 30 reviews

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Oceanside Museum of Art

Oceanside Museum of Art

4.5(73 reviews)
4.1 mi

Great place to see contemporary and up and coming artist's artwork. You can spend hours casually…read moresoaking in creative works. Parking is conveniently located near. There are a nice amount of restaurants in walking distance. I enjoyed the thr art scavenger hunt with my family. My daughter was totally engaged, so we viewed every installation.

The Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) is all about bringing people together to explore the art and…read morestories of Southern California artists. OMA has everything this art lover is looking for and more. Their staff are super friendly and helpful contributing to the welcoming atmosphere of my museum experience. The exhibitions are always intriguing...current ones like The Art of Autism, Fabulous Fiber, Space Between, Stories that Connect Us, and Ventana Huichola are captivating. I love "The Touch This" experience. It's a fantastic opportunity to touch the art! My inner child enjoys this connection. The educational workshops for all ages are usually hands-on and engaging. There's FREE Art For All on the 1st Sundays from 12pm-2pm to join the fun art-making experience led by artists and cultural partners from the community. If you want to conversate with local artists, there's a FREE Coffee & Conversation also happening at the same time and of course other events with artists/educators to register for. All in all, OMA is by far the BEST museum I've been to. It definitely stimulates my mind and senses. Highly recommended!

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Oceanside Museum of Art
Oceanside Museum of Art
Oceanside Museum of Art

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Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum

Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum

4.3(68 reviews)
3.8 mi

It's a tractor farm!!…read more Recommend bringing cash, this place does take cards but they are solely run by the donations so they really benefit from the cash donations. Support this gem! We've been coming here for a few years and just wonderful seeing every year gets better and better. It's been slowly coming back to life and really is just every little kid dreams come true. Today's Father's day so it's a special event and great for more affordable family gatherings. You just can't beat it. Bathrooms clean, and there was food. But we brought our own snacks and food. Definitely recommend bringing snacks and water. Wear hats, or umbrellas and shoes, gets dusty! Tractor rides and demonstrations, and you can drive a tractor! Our kiddos 2 and 4 got to drive a tractor! Come visit this place, you can see what they have and learn about the farming life, history and the old days how they did it. You can go on many of the tractors just to play on and run around. The black Smith shop is really nice up close encounter to see the blacksmithing at work and can purchase goodies if and when they are available made in shop. They also do repairs as well! The working sawmill is definitely a treat to see! The spindle museum is very interesting and amazing work done at hand. The train station is underway going through remodeling projects. However, it is still really awesome set up, and the volunteers are extremely nice. The watches and clocks is really pretty to see and the history fun. There's an entire property just to walk around and appreciate all the cool construction vehicles, tractors equipment. Just can't beat it. Great way to get outside, walk around and see your kids just beaming with excitement. Sometimes they have the petting zoo and horse rides. We didn't get that far this time with all the added stuff this year. But definitely fun thing to do. We come here about 4 times a year, Father's day and then more in the fall time with the Halloween and Christmas. It can get toasty so take that in account. Come in the mornings and spend a couple of hours. There's even more! So come see for yourself for the next event which is on the website...or even just in a week day to hang out burn some energy. Special events are definitely worth it especially for a lower crowded area and more connections with the folks that run this place. Great family outing!

Came today to see their Tractor Show with my son. He is 1.5 years old and obsessed with tractors. A…read morelot of old machinery outdoors. A bit of a steep price of $10 to get in. We went to the farmhouse and saw cookies being offered but I seemed to have offended these ladies when I asked if any of their items had peanuts because of my son having a peanut allergy. It was a simple question but they were so mean about it. Not too sure if I'll come visit again. It was quite a drive and the volunteers at the farmhouse definitely rubbed me the wrong way about my food allergy question.

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Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum
Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum
Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum

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Museum of Making Music

Museum of Making Music

4.6(190 reviews)
7.3 mi

Today, a group of us enjoyed a docent tour at the Museum of Making Music. It was fantastic. Our…read moredocents, Jim and Greg, were so knowledgeable and full of information about the instruments and their history. The museum is a beautiful space and tour made the experience even better. We so appreciate the docents time today and their obvious time in preparing for the tour. I highly recommend a group tour. You need a minimum of ten people and need to request the tour at least two weeks in advance. So worth it! Thank you for an awesome experience. We will be back!

Such an incredible learning experience coming here to the Museum of Making Music. Free parking with…read moreplenty of space in the lots. Upon entering, you see a piano-shaped desk. The entrance to the museum is on the side, and at first it seems like you're just going to a store. Well, turns out that's the gift shop section and once you finish circling through the museum you end up back where you started! Anyways, we were able to walk in and get tickets up front. We were shown a video on the foundation of the museum and we had a demonstration on how to utilize the tablet kiosks in front of each section. I thought it was very cool to see especially modern instruments and how they looked in the past. It feels really good to appreciate how far instruments have come and how music has really shaped the human experience. I saw many people of all ages come here and enjoy. My favorite part would definitely be the interactive sections where you get to strum or play with some instruments. I definitely wished I knew how to play some chords! Definitely worth a visit at least once.

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Museum of Making Music
Museum of Making Music - Exhibits/instruments

Exhibits/instruments

Museum of Making Music - Beatles set

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Beatles set

California Surf Museum

California Surf Museum

4.7(82 reviews)
4.3 mi

"Charlie don't surf and we think he should Charlie don't…read moresurf and you know that it ain't no good" (The Clash) Dedicated to the history of surfboards and wave riding, the California Surf Museum has entertained tens of thousands of annual visitors from over 40 nations around the globe since 1986. It honors and chronicles the story of surfing over the decades through a vast permanent collection and has a rotating series of special exhibits focusing on narrower topics, As a music fan, I was thrilled to see one of these displays dedicated to "Stars, Cars, and Guitars" and the birth of the modern surf era 1958-1965. If you love that period's music, movies and pop culture (think Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Dick Dale, Gidget, Beach Blanket Bingo) you will love that part of the museum. Other exhibits looked at a collection of surfboards chronicling the history of surfing, the inspirational story of Hawaii's Bethany Hamilton who lost a chunk of her surfboard and her left arm to a tiger shark, a look at the science of wave swells, a look at body surfing and much more. The museum is a blast and takes a deep dive into one of the more interesting aspects of California culture that evolved into American culture.

So much charm in this little spot! The staff were very friendly and had tons of insider knowledge…read moreto share. I am more into art than surfing itself (I'm a scaredy cat) but I found a ton to keep my interest here. The highlight is easily the shark-chomped board from that famous surfer Bethany who had her arm taken by a tiger shark back in the day. Only $7 per adult, kids under a certain age free.

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California Surf Museum
California Surf Museum
California Surf Museum

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Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society

Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society

4.5(14 reviews)
11.1 mi

There's a cool authentic mastodon bone inside! The black light room is fun too!…read more The Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society is such a hidden treasure in the community! If you've never been, it's absolutely worth stopping by. They have a fascinating collection of rocks, minerals, fossils, and beautiful handcrafted pieces that are both educational and visually stunning. The volunteers were friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. They took the time to answer questions and share interesting facts, which made the visit even more enjoyable. One important thing to know -- they receive funding based on visitor counts. So simply stopping in and supporting them with your presence truly makes a difference. It's a small effort that helps keep this unique place running for the community. Whether you're a serious rock enthusiast or just looking for something different to explore, this spot is definitely worth a visit!

Really small mini museum but they have super friendly staff/volunteers who are so knowledgeable and…read morealways happy to share information on gems and the area. We've now been here twice and each time got to check out some really neat rocks. It's worth a visit if you're in the area. They have some glow in the dark rocks in the back which are cool for the kids to see. They also have some fossils and dinosaur displays. But the rocks here are the true gem here, no pun intended! Today I left with a 12 inch piece of selenite and the girls left with some pretty stones from the discount drawer and their free visit stone (kids only). They have stones and other trinkets for sale towards the front of the museum. We will be back! Seems like they always have cool pieces.

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Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society - Navada mineral grab bag

Navada mineral grab bag

Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society - Ultraviolet Room

Ultraviolet Room

Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society - Wow so many cool things here

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Wow so many cool things here

Maritime Museum - Star of India, the world's oldest active sailing ship, a San Diego icon only found at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

Maritime Museum

4.5(363 reviews)
36.3 miLittle Italy

The Maritime Museum of San Diego is honestly one of the most impressive history museums I've…read morevisited because the artifacts are the museum. You aren't just looking at history -- you're surrounded by ships that actually survived it. The Star of India, launched in 1863, survived mutiny, violent storms, collisions at sea, and decades carrying immigrants across dangerous oceans. Some sailors believed the ship was cursed after captains died during early voyages, yet somehow she survived long enough to become the oldest active sailing ship in the world. HMS Surprise shows the brutal reality of naval warfare during the Age of Sail. Ships like this once carried enough cannon firepower to destroy enemy vessels while sailors lived packed below deck surrounded by gunpowder, disease, and fear of battle. The Berkeley steam ferry even helped evacuate survivors during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake while much of the city burned. One of the most fascinating exhibits is the Soviet B-39 submarine from the Cold War. The inside is unbelievably cramped and gives you a real sense of what life was like beneath the ocean during one of the most dangerous periods in modern history. The USS Dolphin may have been my favorite. This experimental deep-diving U.S. Navy submarine helped test advanced underwater technology and launched the deepest-fired torpedo in naval history. The museum also includes the San Salvador, recreating the ship that explored California's coastline in 1542 -- long before America existed as a country. What makes this place incredible is the timeline it creates: 1500s exploration... 1800s global sailing... steam-powered industry... world wars... Cold War submarines... All sitting together in one harbor. This place doesn't just teach maritime history -- it shows how ships shaped exploration, immigration, trade, warfare, and entire empires.

What an absolute gem. The Maritime Museum is a collection of floating ships available to tour…read more We enjoyed the add-on ($10) 45 minute, docent-led, bay tour on the Pilot. We learned so much. The Museum is well-organized with plenty of memorabilia and artifacts to enjoy. There are several boats to explore. There's also plenty of seating along the boats, to just enjoy the scenery. The Maritime Museum is a must!

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Maritime Museum - Onboard the schooner 'Californian'.

Onboard the schooner 'Californian'.

Maritime Museum - Onboard the schooner 'Californian'.

Onboard the schooner 'Californian'.

Maritime Museum - Galley

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Galley

The CADO Avocado Museum Experience - Cassette tape wall installation.

The CADO Avocado Museum Experience

3.2(13 reviews)
11.5 mi

TheCado.co (the link to take you there) H aas is featured…read morehere E levated experience as I love the fruit A vocado knowledge is shared V ictory my first time playing cornhole, all bags in on one try, going pro O pen for ticket sales online C ome and see it for yourself A place for the senses D ynamite sister team who created this will guide you (Anne & Mary) O pen to teaching new generations about farming M r. A-Z, Jason Mraz offers insight, as a local Avo farmer via cassette U m forgot how to use a cassette player, but ordered Mr. A-Z on vinyl S ome secrets we will save U nite with like minded avo lovers here E ducation is equal to Instagram influence at this museum M ake it a date E xpect to pay between $14-19 to enter, through September X -rated it's not, yet adults may enjoy it more than kids, please sanitize P hoto opportunities for fruit forward fun E ntertainment value R ipe for the taking I heart avocados, clearly for those that love them E at at Fresh for 10% off avocado smoothies, salads and sandwiches N ewtopia Cyder also offers a Avo-Honey Cider next door C alifornia Avocado Commission is a sponsor E xit at the gift shop does not apply here, only one cute market tote for sale, which is very useful for the environment. Why buy more things you don't need? Buy an EXPERIENCE...thanks Anne and Mary! #TheCADO #NorthCity #SanMarcos #HaasHistory #AnneandMary #TheRipeTime #JasonMrazFarmerandMusician

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS ______________________________________…read more(...And The Enchanted 'Cado Seed) ONCE UPON A TIME, in a land far far away called California... there were 2 sisters named Anne and Mary Spriggins. They were spry, poor millennials living with a dairy cow and 2 iPhones in a farm cottage. The cow's milk was their only current #side-hustle. When dairy milk lost its market appeal to Almond; Soy; Cashew; Coconut; and Cat Milk, Anne asks Mary to sell the cow at the Mercado. On the way, Mary's Uber driver named Ben (along with ride-along: Jerry) offered 3 magic beans in exchange for the dairy cow, and Mary makes the trade. When she arrives home without any money, Anne becomes angry, throws the beans to the ground, and sends Mary to bed without her iPhone. During the night, the magic beans cause a gigantic beanstalk to grow outside Mary's window. The next morning... because duh... the girls climb the beanstalk to a place high in the sky. There, they find an enormous castle and sneak in to take some selfies [#pics or it didn't happen]. But Mary was #woke to a childhood tale about a scary Giant... cannibalism... and larceny gone wrong... so they overcome their #FOMO and climb back down the beanstalk as fast as they can. When they reach the ground, they cut down all but a 3-foot length of beanstalk with an axe. The next morning, giant avocados started blossoming from the remaining stalk, and the sisters called their avocado farmer friend Jason Mraz to help them harvest. Each time they picked one, a new one would grow. They could now have Avocado toast for life! YAAAAAS. Jason explained that the beans from the Uber driver were from the Hass Mother Tree of La Habra Heights -- and all Hass avocados trace their roots back to her. Mary and Anne decided that, if people would believe them... their story needed to be told. They asked Jason to narrate. He found some #lameAF "Captain and Tennille" cassette tapes, which he gladly recorded over. Next they bought all the green paint in 3 Home Depots and got to work. A pop-up museum was born, and the rest is history. Pro tip: this immersive seed-to-toast art experience features SoCal's finest bumpy-skinned fruit. Here, you can hear Jason tell the story, visit with Hass Mother, and bring home your own enchanted 'cado seeds. But hurry... it all ends Sept. 22. After that, your #FOMO struggle is real.

Photos
The CADO Avocado Museum Experience - Cassette tape audio guide featuring the voice of Jason Mraz.

Cassette tape audio guide featuring the voice of Jason Mraz.

The CADO Avocado Museum Experience - Wore my fruit shirt for the occasion...

Wore my fruit shirt for the occasion...

The CADO Avocado Museum Experience - Wife says I have 2 faults: I don't listen, and one other thing

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Wife says I have 2 faults: I don't listen, and one other thing

Mission San Luis Rey - museums - Updated May 2026

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