Mission San Diego de Alcalá: California's first mission, and how to visit
It's California's first mission, founded by Junípero Serra on July 16, 1769, and moved to its Mission Valley site in 1774. Admission is $8 for adults and $3 for kids 12 and under, daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a Green Line Trolley stop is nearby.
- Founded
- July 16, 1769
- Current site
- Since 1774
- Adults
- $8
- Hours
- 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
First of 21 California missions
Mission Valley
Kids 12 and under $3
Daily, visitor center
The short version
- Mission San Diego de Alcalá was founded on July 16, 1769, on Presidio Hill, the first of California's 21 missions.
- It moved inland to its current Mission Valley site in 1774, to be near Kumeyaay villages, water and farmland.
- On the night of November 4–5, 1775, Kumeyaay warriors from at least 15 villages attacked and burned it; Father Luis Jayme was killed and is buried in the sanctuary.
- Admission (effective October 2025): adults $8, seniors 55+ and military $5, children 12 and under $3.
- It's still a working Catholic parish and has been a minor basilica since 1976.
The "Mother of the Missions" sits at the quiet east end of Mission Valley, a few minutes off I-8, and most visitors to San Diego never see it. It's worth the detour: a whitewashed church, gardens and a small museum on the spot where California's mission system began, plus a far more turbulent early history than the postcard suggests.
The mission's first decades
Mission San Diego de Alcalá and the Journal of San Diego History (San Diego History Center), checked October 20, 2026.
Visiting
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | 10818 San Diego Mission Rd, San Diego 92108 |
| Hours | Visitor center daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Adults | $8 |
| Seniors 55+ and military | $5 |
| Children 12 and under | $3 |
| Phone | (619) 281-8449 |
Mission San Diego de Alcalá, prices effective October 2025, checked October 20, 2026.
Why it isn't on Presidio Hill
Serra founded the mission beside the new Spanish presidio on the hill above today's Old Town. In 1774 it moved up the San Diego River valley to its current site, according to the mission's own history, to be closer to Kumeyaay villages and to better water and farmland. The original site is now Presidio Park; see Presidio Park and the Serra Museum.
The 1775 attack
On the night of November 4–5, 1775, warriors from at least 15 Kumeyaay villages attacked the new mission and burned it, according to the Journal of San Diego History. Father Luis Jayme was killed; the Church regards him as California's first Christian martyr, and he is buried in the sanctuary. For the Kumeyaay, it was resistance to the Spanish presence on their land. Serra returned in 1776 to rebuild, and the church you see is the product of that rebuilding and later restoration.
Mission
Transit
Pins from OpenStreetMap.
See these on the full San Diego mapMake it a history day: the mission, then Old Town State Historic Park and the presidio site. Curious where the name came from? See why it's called San Diego.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on October 20, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
- PrimaryVisiting the mission
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá · Checked October 20, 2026
Prices, hours, address
- PrimaryEarly history
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá · Checked October 20, 2026
1769 founding, 1774 move, Father Jayme
- BackgroundThe 1775 mission revolt
Journal of San Diego History, San Diego History Center · July 1997
Attack date and villages
- BackgroundMission San Diego de Alcalá
Wikipedia · Checked October 20, 2026
National Historic Landmark 1970, basilica 1976