Mission San Luis Rey

Built in 1798,and tucked away in a quiet North San Diego County Valley, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean and Oceanside, you will find a majestic jewel of early California history called Mission San Luis Rey,the largest of the California Missions.
Walking through the Sunken Gardens or along the arched colonnade, you will be transported to the past, imagining the everyday life of the Franciscan Friars and Indians who inhabited the Mission more than two centuries ago.Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, located in Oceanside, California, is the eighteenth in a line of twenty-one California Missions. Founded on June 13, 1798 by Fr. Fermin de Lasuen and currently operated by the Franciscan Friars of California, the mission provides both guided and self-guided tours, a museum, gift shop, Franciscan Retreat Center, and Cemetery as well as various functions and events.Visitors are welcome to stroll through the Mission Church and surrounding grounds and to attend weekend mass.