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Mission San Jose

Mission San Jose

Mission San Jose
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Founded in 1720, this Spanish frontier mission, the largest of the five San Antonio missions, is best known for its rose window. On Sundays, this Texas and U.S. National historic site offers a mariachi mass.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • NikaNumber1
    Royal Oak, Michigan10,138 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice historic site and way to spend a couple of hours
    It’s an interesting park enclosed by a walled off fortress. The church is simple, but it still stands. I was glad to see the rendering of how it looked when the exterior was tiled. The living quarters are small and cozy, but has a fireplace in each room. The cooking ovens surround the area as well as some well.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written November 30, 2023
  • Meghan M
    Houston, Texas70 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Take advantage of the free tours!
    There are free tours of Mission San Jose most mornings. Our guide was amazing! He was very knowledgeable and worked to keep the kids on the tour engaged. My son is currently studying Texas History in 4th grade and the tour seemed to cover several curriculum objectives! The grown-ups learned a lot too. There are private companies that offer tours of all the missions, but I wasn't sure my 9 year old would have the attention span for multiple missions. The free tour at San Jose offered by the park was about an hour and just perfect!
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written January 4, 2024
  • Tiffany L
    Jacksonville, Florida4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great start in San Antonio
    It’s a beautiful place. Andrew, our tour guide, did a fantastic job at providing information. It was informative and entertaining, 45 mins is just the right amount of time. It’s free, highly recommend. Thanks Andrew!
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written February 13, 2024
  • murnauontour
    355 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Probably what the Alamo would have looked like if there wasn't a reason to remember the Alamo
    Great example of a Mission in San Antonio - one of four in the National Park area, not including the Alamo itself. Has a similar layout to what the Alamo would have been like so you can get an idea of what it looked like without the changes brought about by downtown San Antonio and the Mexican Army. You get a good sense of scale and the visitor centre and exhibition in the Mission compound itself explain what was going on in these places. Admission was free and there was ample local parking. You can drive or cycle between the other missions. Very much the vibe of various westerns from my childhood.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written April 12, 2024
  • Gabriel H
    Bellaire, Texas7,152 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A good lesson in history
    This is one of the best preserved missions in the San Antonio region, which has the luxury of 5 missions, including the oldest, the Alamo. Some of the Mission San Jose buildings are original, others are partly restored. There are guided tours that provide excellent background and place the mission in proper historical context. The artefacts and utensils are enlightening; the church is very authentic and the lodging areas make you grateful you live today. Our guide was excellent. There is ample parking and a very good gift shop. The only deficiency is that there isn't a place to have a cup of coffee or refreshments in the mission or the gift shop.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written April 25, 2024
  • California_momofsix
    1,123 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fully restored mission and free ranger tours
    Fully restored mission, with a church that is still functional, a mill and living quarters. This mission is also where the National Park visitor's center is located. Large well maintained grounds. Clean bathrooms and a large parking lot. This mission really helped me visualize what life in the mission was like. Other than the Alamo, this was the busiest of the missions. We enjoyed the little museum and especially the movie which gives a good basic overview of the history and daily life of the Texas missions. There is a ranger led tour twice a day in the morning (10 and 11 I believe). Quality of the tours vary. To be honest, I wasn't too impressed with the ranger that provided our tour, maybe he is new? He seemed really nervous and stumbled over his words and repeated himself a lot. There was a large crowd of people. On our way out to the parking lot we overheard the beginning of the next tour given by a different ranger, much more personable and engaging. Would definitely recommend if you are interested in learning more about mission history.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written June 8, 2024
  • Trina
    Salt Lake City, Utah557 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don't skip mission this for the Alamo...
    Awesome place to visit to learn about the history of San Antonio. Don't just visit the Alamo, get out to a couple of the other missions found on the outskirts of San Antonio, it's worth it. You can either do self guided, or I believe the vistor center can schedule for a guided tour.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written July 30, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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The Elusive Armadillo
10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Upon advice from friends, we started here for our dip into the Mission history. We watched the film inside the visitor Center first which provided the context for the indigenous roots of the Mission system and the changes to indigenous culture. We then went on a 40 minute tour (free and well worth your time) which took us inside the Mission and provided information on the buildings themselves and the indigenous people who lived there. As a person who comes from The Yukon I was impressed to see the Native peoples hilighted and their contributions and struggles recognized. The Mission itself is a great place to start and was not as busy and hurried as the Alamo.
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kelly B
Iowa5,608 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Family
Wow! I can see why they call this one the crown jewel of the missions.

We arrived around 10 a.m on a Saturday in June; although there were other people visiting as well it was far from crowded.

Near the parking lot there’s a very nice gift shop. Restrooms and water fountains/water bottle refill are also located here.

The actual church is on the far side of the courtyard. Along the way are a few rooms in the long buildings that you can go in. I believe there’s another set of restrooms as you approach the church.

The interior of the church is lovely, and the exterior very impressive. If you continue walking past the church ( you need to go through a stone arch) you’ll find an old mill. Also near the church are a few more rooms with furniture inside, so you can see what it was like. There’s also a miniature model of the mission.

Like the other missions, this one is free and there’s no parking fee. The church does welcome a small donation: there’s a donation box inside the church.
Written July 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

boo2U
Bowie, MD1,118 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
If you only have time to visit one mission, Mission San Jose is the one you need to visit, The last time I was here, we didn't have time to see the film, on this visit that is what we did and I'm glad we did, it was well done and very interesting. There was also new artwork in the gift shop and I did purchase a new hand carved, hand painted figure and a handmade and hand painted bowl to add to my collection...so guess you can call me a "collector" now. I also was surprised at a few areas we had missed last time we were there, this is def. a great stop if you love architecture, history and culture.
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stephen366
Greater London, UK197 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Although the whole site has been reconstructed and hardly anything is original, this is a wonderful place to visit.

It is a large area that was not overcrowded and the tour, which is free, was informative and entertaining.

All the Rangers were happy to answer questions and chat and they made the visit special.
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Holly H
Powell, OH207 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This was the perfect way to start our San Antonio history tour. The mission is pretty has been nicely restored. Loved the colors inside the church. There is no cost to get in but donations are accepted. You can rent bike here. There was a yoga class taking place outside the church and a choir rehearsal inside. There is a National Parks gift shop as well as clean bathrooms.
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TheLeongOhana
United States7,575 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Couples
It’s been over 20 plus years since I last visited the San Antonio missions. The National Park Service in collaboration with the Catholic Church have done a very good job maintaining the churches but also creating visitor centers to provide more information on their history. Definitely so much nicer and better maintained now than my first visit.

The San Jose Mission was the largest in size and breadth including many of the supporting structures. Inside each were more details about life in the mission as well as the efforts during its renovation. Rangers also roamed throughout and gave talks.

It was a little walk from the visitor center to the back where the church was located. Path was mostly gravel.
Written May 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amanda
Clinton, MO41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2021
This was by far better than visiting the Alamo, Riverwalk, and the main plaza. The detail that has been restored on the outside of the mission is gorgeous and the grounds are beautifully kept. Its fairly open and you can wander through portions of the walls remaining and peek into the windows as well. We felt as if we were on a movie set.
Written April 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JennieB97140
Portland, OR23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Couples
It was pretty hot when we got there so we made sure we had cold water with us. There is a lot of walking involved all around the complex. The main church is beautiful. They were getting ready to say mass so we just peeked inside. Take note of the carved door (it's huge) and the statues carved into the stone around the door.
Written June 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TOB
Pleasant Hill, MO346 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
My daughter and son in-law picked this as a morning tour for us. It was really amazing. First started in 1720, and stone work starting in mid 1700s, the buildings are really interesting. The church is VERY beautiful and sitting inside looking around in silence, quite relaxing. A great place to pray and meditate. Our 5 year old grand daughter was quite taken with the beauty and after 5 minutes being inside, asked if she could stay a little longer. Nice national park representation and clean facilities. Worth the trip!
Written March 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PurpleAnkh
Fort Washington, MD280 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
I am fascinated by the historical significance and the architecture of the mission. I did the mission as part of a half day tour and the visit was awesome. I liked being able to visit the exhibits and seeing some of the original plans such as the living quarters for the residents when the mission was active.
Written June 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MISSION SAN JOSE - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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