Old Mission San Jose, Fremont

California Historical Landmark No. 334.

Mission San Jose was founded on June 11, 1797 by Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen. This was the 14th of twenty-one Spanish missions established in Alta California. A tour through Old Mission San Jose’s historic facilities will acquaint you with the Mission Museum (formerly the living quarters), the Church, the historic Cemetery, and the Garden. For students researching their 4th grade Mission Project, the Gift Shop provides a packet of historical information.

In the Museum, you may view an 18-minute video depicting Spanish exploration and the 1797 founding of the mission as well as day-to-day living within the mission. You will also see Ohlone Indian artifacts, religious objects from the Franciscan period, and items from the Mission and Rancho eras.

The Church is a reconstruction of the 1830s mission adobe church, built with the materials and using construction methods of that time. It also contains the rare Rosales Opus 14 Spanish Organ. The cemetery holds the graves of many prominent Spanish and American settlers, and the rose garden includes a fountain and plantings representing the original mission period. PutOld Mission San Jose into our Fremont trip tool and find out what's close by, where to stay, and where to head next.