We ate actually members of the mission which supports its maintenance. The mission is well maintained and lovely for a stroll or for a prayer or meditation. There is an annual gala which sells out which includes a concert n the ruins and a lovely dinner. Definitely recommended for a visit along with a stroll through the lovely town.

I haven't been here in years and thought that we would do a day trip and visit. Its a self guided tour with a handheld device that you hold up to your ear to listen to the guide. You are given a map and you follow it anyway you want. When you reach an area of interest, there's a number or set of numbers that you input into the device and it plays the information for you. Again, you go at your own pace so there's no rush. The actual tour can easily last you 2 hours or more depending on how you navigate the area. I'm sure that you can do it quicker, or slower, depending on what interests you, but we weren't in any sort of rush. They have information plaques that coincide with each exhibit, as well as the numbers that you input which provide different information. Its a great place for families, kids, singles, or couples that want to just take time exploring our history. The mission is walking distance from everything, its not in the middle of nowhere. Take a day trip to this wonderful place and learn part of CA history.

Fascinating insight into the California mission experience, Beautiful gardens, church and museum eperience. The village around the mission is worth spending time in. A pleasant change from Anaheim pace and crowds.

The Mission grounds were beautiful. The history of the Mission and California’s colonization by Europeans is interconnected. I loved learning about this history. They preserved the rooms and artifacts well. It was a pleasant afternoon. We spent approximately 1.5 hrs on the Mission grounds and that was just enough time. The town is lovely as well and we enjoyed wandering through the shops.

This was an amazing place. Don't miss it if you are in the area. We took the "self guided" tour with a hand held "phone type thing" to punch in numbers that gave you info. We learned a lot, but probably the icing on the cake was the beautiful gardens that were so well kept. So many many photo opts!! The Capistrano swallows were also very interesting to hear about. We found the place to be very peaceful. We also enjoyed walking around the lovely town.

Mission San Juan Capistrano is a beautiful and fascinating look into part of American history. As someone from the East Coast, I'd never seen the remnants of an actual mission. It was fascinating learning about it and seeing one up close. The attraction is lovingly maintained by a wonderful staff that genuinely cares about the historical location they are preserving through their tours, gift shop, and special events. An audio walking tour is available and easy to use. The gardens are beautiful. The displays are well-maintained and very informative. We went with a group of 6. Some were history buffs, some not so much. Still everyone really enjoyed themselves. Definitely a must-see.

A beautiful day to spend time by myself wandering the grounds and viewing the architectural history. The flowers and grounds were fabulous. And the humming birds were numerous! Being Catholic, I enjoyed having a chance to pray in the chapel