Address
751 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
United States
San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
General Information
Founded:
September 1, 1772 - The 5th California Mission
Also Called:
Mission San Luis Obispo
Current Status:
The principal Roman Catholic Church in the Town of San Luis Obispo which is part of the Diocese of Monterey.
Summary:
San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was founded on September 1, 1772. The mission church was built in 1792-1794. The former convento (now a museum) has a distinctive front colonnade. The museum has a special room that focuses on the Chumash Indians. A large modern plaza in front of Mission San Luis Obispo is a popular site for community events.
Directions
The Mission is located in the center of San Luis Obispo, reached from U.S. 101. Take Exit 203A leading to Santa Rosa Street. You take Santa Rosa for less than half a mile, and turn right on Palm Street. The mission will be on the left side of the street.
Website(s)
https://missionsanluisobispo.org (This is primarily the Parish website)
Phone(s)
805-543-6850 - Mission/Gift Shop
805-781-8220 - Parish/Rectory
Fees, Hours, Tours and Church Services
Please contact the mission directly by telephone or by visiting the mission website for the most current information.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it is best to check for current information.
Weddings and Other Special Services
Weddings are normally held on Saturdays but contact the Parish Office by telephone (805-781-8220) or check the mission website for exact dates and times. Non-parishioners are invited to hold a Catholic wedding in the mission church but must provide their own priest. Guidelines and forms are available on the website.
Special Events
- Special Parish events are noted on the mission website which is primarily devoted to Parish programs and activities.
- Mission Plaza, a large city square built just below the mission and dedicated in 1970, is a popular site for outdoor events. If you are planning a visit to this mission, check this city event website to see if anything is scheduled.
Unique Attractions
- The former convento of the mission, to the left of the mission church, has a distinctive look. It has a colonnade of eleven (11) round columns set on square pedestals. It now houses a museum and gift shop.
- The inviting Mission Square (a city facility) has a statue of a grizzly bear on which kids love to climb. With the mission in the background, this makes a great photograph. The picturesque area in which San Luis Obispo is located was called "La Cañada de los Osos" (Valley of the Bears) by the Spanish.
- The mission museum is extensive and has an excellent collection of Chumash artifacts and wall drawings of Indian life.
- There is a beautiful garden at the back of the mission.
Tips for Visitors
- Allow at least several hours to explore the mission, its distinctive museum, the mission garden, and Mission Plaza. When you explore the Mission Plaza area, be sure to go beyond the central square to where a small stream runs through the area. This is one of the best vantage points for a picture of the mission complex.
- There is a statue of Junípero Serra, the mission's founder, to the right of the church. This elevated location offers a good view of the plaza, which can often be quite crowded.
Year Secularized
1835
Year Returned to Catholic Church
1859
Patron Saint (Named For)
St. Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, France, a 14th century Franciscan
Prominent Missionary Leaders
- Founding Father President - Fr. Junípero Serra
- Founding Missionary - Fr. José Cavaller
- Prominent Missionary Leader - Fr. Luis Antonio Martínez, a jovial and generous man and effective manager, led the mission for thirty-four (34) years.
Indians Joining Mission
San Luis Obispo was the first mission founded in the land of the Chumash people. The neophytes at the mission were called Obispeños.
Mission Site
Located in a spacious valley along the central coast which the Spanish named "La Cañada de los Osos" (Valley of the Bears) when they discovered many grizzlies there. In the mission era bear hunting by "Californios" was prevalent.
Unlike many of the missions, which were relocated over time, Mission San Luis Obispo stands on its original site.
Mission Layout
Traditional quadrangle
Water Source
San Luis Obispo Creek was described as "having the finest water".
Population
The highest recorded population was 832 in 1804.
Livestock
San Luis Obispo had a relatively stable livestock herd during its last twenty (20) years as a mission, with twice as many sheep as cattle in most years. In 1832, the last year for which we have detailed records, the mission had 2,500 cattle and 5,422 sheep.
Agricultural Output
Over the years 1804-1832, San Luis Obispo produced 167,000 bushels of wheat, barley, corn, beans, peas, and lentils. Despite its relatively small population, it had the fourth highest production of wheat in the entire chain. The mission even had its own grist mill.
San Luis Obispo had grape arbors within the mission quadrangle and there was a garden in the northeast corner.
Mission Church
The San Luis Obispo Church was built between 1792-1794. The vestibule was added in 1820. The prominent numbers inscribed on the church facade refer to the year the mission was founded in 1772.
The former convento (which now contains a museum and gift shop) has a distinctive front colonnade of eleven (11) round columns set on square pedestals.
A New England-style steeple was added to the church in 1868 but removed in 1934.
Mission Bells
There are three (3) bells suspended in the church facade.
Mission Art and Artifacts
The most significant devotional art is in an alcove on the right hand side of the church where an illuminated painting of Our Lady of Refuge may be seen. The alcove was once the entrance to the funerary chapel, which led out onto the mission cemetery.
Significant Events
In 1776 a pagan Indian fired an arrow with a burning wick attached into one of the dry thatched roofs of San Luis Obispo. This started a fire that nearly destroyed several buildings.
This disaster led to experimentation to make tile locally. By 1790 most of the missions had tile roofs that were not as vulnerable to attack.
Interesting Facts
- This mission had an active life of sixty-three (63) years.
- A statue of a grizzly bear in the plaza celebrates the original discovery of "La Cañada de los Osos" (Valley of the Bears) by the Portola expedition as they returned to San Diego from a failed attempt to find Monterey in December, 1769.
- A long secondary nave to the right of the altar forms an L-shaped church plan, the only one of its kind in the California missions.
- The combination vestibule and belfry at the front facade of the mission while somewhat similar to that in San Antonio de Padua, is unique among the California missions.
- The large plaza in front of the church was dedicated in 1970.
For Additional Information
- Edgar, K.J. (2000). Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. (PowerKids Press, Missions of California Series)
- Kocher, P.H. (1972). Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa 1772-1972: A Historical Sketch.
Historical Gallery
Mission San Luis Obispo, the fifth California mission, had a long productive life in the mission era, and then became a parish church. The church was "modernized" with a steeple and white siding in 1868, but restored to its mission-era appearance in 1934.
The Historical Image Gallery contains a wealth of historic drawings, illustrations and paintings.
Contemporary Gallery
The Contemporary Image Gallery contains more recent photographs taken by several different photographers from around the Church gardens and the Church interior.
Architectural Gallery
