Mission Dolores, San Francisco
The historic Mission Dolores. Photo by Bentley Smith.
Facade of Mission Dolores and the new basilica. Photo by Neil C.
Hand-painted altarpiece. Photo by Robb.
Native-style painted ceiling. Photo by Robb.
The new basilica, with the mission on far left. Photo by Bentley Smith.
Incorporating San Francisco's oldest standing structure, the Mission San Francisco de Asis (more commonly known as Mission Dolores), has withstood the test of time as well as two major earthquakes.
History
The sixth of twenty-one Californian missions founded by Franciscan missionary Junípero Serra in the 18th and 19th centuries, Mission Dolores was established in the Bay Area in 1776. From these humble beginnings grew what was to become the city of San Francisco.
What to See
The mission's small, simple chapel, built solidly by Native Americans who were converted to Christianity, is a curious mixture of native construction methods and Spanish-colonial style.
Inside, the ceiling depicts original Ohlone Indian basket designs, executed in vegetable dyes. Other notable features include wall frescoes and a hand-painted wooden altar. Some of the mission's artifacts were brought from Mexico by mule in the late 18th century.
Near the chapel is a small museum and a pretty little mission cemetery (made famous by a scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo) that holds the graves of mid-19th-century European immigrants. The remains of an estimated 5,000 Native Americans lie here in unmarked graves. A statue of Father Serra stands in the mission garden.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Mission San Francisco de Asis; Mission Dolores |
| Location: | 16th St. (at Dolores St.), San Francisco, California, USA |
| Coordinates: | 37.764235, -122.426679 |
| Phone: | 415/621-8203 |
| Website: | http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist5/misdolor.html |
| Streetcar: | J |
| Bus: | 14, 26, or 33 to Church and 16th sts |
| Hours: | May-Oct daily 9am-4:30pm; Nov-Apr daily 9am-4pm; Good Friday 9am-noon. Closed Thanksgiving and Dec 25. |
| Cost: | $3 adults, $2 children. |
| Tours: | A 45-minute audio tour costs $5; otherwise, admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children. |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Mission Dolores. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our San Francisco Map or get our free Google Earth download.
