Mission Dolores
Mission Dolores
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
The oldest building in San Francisco features adobe walls, original tiles and timbers lashed together with rawhide and hand-carved altars.
Duration: < 1 hour
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Mission District
From burritos to bicyclists, the Mission is the foundation for all things hip in the city. Cultural attractions, an independent arts community, sumptuous street murals and a high density of bars and cafes make this neighborhood a magnet for young people. While terrific inexpensive food is abundant, its top-of-the-line restaurants now compete with the city’s best for fashionable diners. Indulge as the locals do by heading to Mission Dolores Park, buy some ice cream, and savor one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country.
How to get there
- Church St • 6 min walk
- 16th St Mission • 8 min walk
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Attractions
1,082 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
345 reviews
Excellent
162
Very good
147
Average
30
Poor
3
Terrible
3
Arun K
Nagpur District, India3,374 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
Building of San Francisco constructed in 1780 has been continuously in use for religious purposes.
Very popular amongst its followers.
Awesome construction & interiors are really beautiful.
A must see place for history lovers.
Very popular amongst its followers.
Awesome construction & interiors are really beautiful.
A must see place for history lovers.
Written August 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.
phvi2617
Anaheim, CA641 contributions
Feb 2022
The Mission Dolores chapel dates back to 1791 and is an interesting historic site to visit. Admission is $7 for the self-guided tour. It's a nice, short visit if you're interested in history or exploring the Mission District.
Written April 2, 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.
GmaSandra
Port Saint Lucie, FL763 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
The chapel and basilica were beautiful. Many gorgeous stained glass windows in the basilica. You get a small brochure which guides you through the various parts of the grounds. The descriptions we're helpful.
There is a small but very nice gift shop. The ladies who work there are very helpful. Thanks.
There is a small but very nice gift shop. The ladies who work there are very helpful. Thanks.
Written January 6, 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.
Sandra M
Henderson, NV396 contributions
May 2021
This trip we saw a number of missions...each is a little different & special. Really enjoyed the tour of this & seeing the new church built on the corner. After this we have one left to visit on a future trip to CA.
Written June 21, 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.
TrinityDiodore
North Ridgeville, OH350 contributions
Mar 2014 • Family
Eeeeeeeek!! I was so excited to visit Mission Dolores! I took a Native American studies class and some of our studies had focused on Junípero Serra and the importance of Mission Dolores. So for me, this was a geeky kids dream--to actually see the place where it all happened. The architecture is stunning. The entrance fee is well worth it and used to upkeep the grounds and property. The gentleman working the register was so kind--you could tell he loved what he did! Even my brother, who is from SF, had never been there and commented on how nice and interesting the place was. Just the art and history alone make it well worth a visit. Pope John Paul II even visited there, as his picture was featured. There is a large, more modern Catholic Sanctuary adjacent to the old mission, and that was interesting too. There was a large wooden cross at the front, drilled with holes, and people had written on small scraps of paper their prayers, then slipped them into a hole in the cross. For what it's worth, I had two prayers and both were answered! God is good. :) And this place was awesome. The cemetery is really incredible too.
Written July 6, 2014
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.
RSNN
Portland, OR5,803 contributions
Jan 2016 • Solo
I was in San Francisco for a Film Noir film festival and wanted to see Mission Dolores because it was used as a setting in an Alfred Hitchcock film . I thought this would be a fun place to go see and compare it to what I remember seeing from the old Classic Hitchcock film– VERTIGO. A film that had so many sites and attractions of San Francisco featured in it that it is part Suspense thriller and part Vacation Travelogue.
In Vertigo, Jimmy Stewart plays a private Detective that is hired to follow a man’s wife, played by Kim Novak. He follows her here to Mission Dolores. Follows her into the chaple. And when I walked into the church– it hit me– it was almost exactly the same. As soon as I saw the awesome American Indian design pattern of the ceiling. And that painted and gilded Baroque alter is so cool and distinctive looking. You feel like you stepped into the film. Then he follows her out into the cemetery and observes her at a certain grave. After she leaves, he walks over to it and takes note of the name of the grave. I tried to find it. But buck couldn’t. Over the decades it is clear that the gardens have been altered since 1957. Still it was interesting to try to find it all the same.
Mission Dolores is also know as Mision San Francisco de Asis. It is named after St. Francis of Assisi. It was founded in 1776 and is an old Spanish style church. It is the oldest intact building in San Francisco. Its cemetery is the only one remaining cemetery within the city limits. And is the resting place of early California Pioneers like Louis Antonio Arguello, the first Mexican governor of Alta California.
In the gardens of the cemetery there are traditional native trees, shrubs, flowers and plants. And there is an Ohlone Indian style hut you can check out. The tombstones are old style standing tombstones that one would find in an old pioneer cemetery. What struck me is how looks different it looks now as compared to what I recall from watching the scene filmed here in Vertigo. It also felt much smaller than it looked in the film. Still, it is an awesome place. Peaceful and calm. With much to look at. Well worth the visit.
The gift shop had a nice mixture of items both religious and tourist related. They even had a copy a great book about Hitchcock films that featured California locations in many of his films. The title of the book is “Footsteps In The Fog, Alfred Hitchcock’s San Francisco” The chapter about Vertigo makes this a great book to own. It has lots of photos from back when these films where shot and how the sites looked back then. You probably can pick up a nice used copy from Amazon and save yourself some money. Handy too, if you wish to do a Hitchcock theme site seeing trip around San Francisco while you are visiting the city.
Mission Dolores is well worth a visit. And not that hard to find. If you are a history buff or just a film buff. You can spent time and soak up the atmosphere and feel you are somehow connected to the past. I spent about an hour here. And it doesn’t cost much at all as far as fees go. The site has a Gift Shop, The Chapel, Sanctuary, Museum, Cemetery, and the Basilica.
You enter at the Gift Shop.
The cost is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and children.
Open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Easter.
9 AM until 4:30 PM May 31– Oct 31
9 AM until 4:00 PM Nov 1– April 30
In Vertigo, Jimmy Stewart plays a private Detective that is hired to follow a man’s wife, played by Kim Novak. He follows her here to Mission Dolores. Follows her into the chaple. And when I walked into the church– it hit me– it was almost exactly the same. As soon as I saw the awesome American Indian design pattern of the ceiling. And that painted and gilded Baroque alter is so cool and distinctive looking. You feel like you stepped into the film. Then he follows her out into the cemetery and observes her at a certain grave. After she leaves, he walks over to it and takes note of the name of the grave. I tried to find it. But buck couldn’t. Over the decades it is clear that the gardens have been altered since 1957. Still it was interesting to try to find it all the same.
Mission Dolores is also know as Mision San Francisco de Asis. It is named after St. Francis of Assisi. It was founded in 1776 and is an old Spanish style church. It is the oldest intact building in San Francisco. Its cemetery is the only one remaining cemetery within the city limits. And is the resting place of early California Pioneers like Louis Antonio Arguello, the first Mexican governor of Alta California.
In the gardens of the cemetery there are traditional native trees, shrubs, flowers and plants. And there is an Ohlone Indian style hut you can check out. The tombstones are old style standing tombstones that one would find in an old pioneer cemetery. What struck me is how looks different it looks now as compared to what I recall from watching the scene filmed here in Vertigo. It also felt much smaller than it looked in the film. Still, it is an awesome place. Peaceful and calm. With much to look at. Well worth the visit.
The gift shop had a nice mixture of items both religious and tourist related. They even had a copy a great book about Hitchcock films that featured California locations in many of his films. The title of the book is “Footsteps In The Fog, Alfred Hitchcock’s San Francisco” The chapter about Vertigo makes this a great book to own. It has lots of photos from back when these films where shot and how the sites looked back then. You probably can pick up a nice used copy from Amazon and save yourself some money. Handy too, if you wish to do a Hitchcock theme site seeing trip around San Francisco while you are visiting the city.
Mission Dolores is well worth a visit. And not that hard to find. If you are a history buff or just a film buff. You can spent time and soak up the atmosphere and feel you are somehow connected to the past. I spent about an hour here. And it doesn’t cost much at all as far as fees go. The site has a Gift Shop, The Chapel, Sanctuary, Museum, Cemetery, and the Basilica.
You enter at the Gift Shop.
The cost is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and children.
Open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Easter.
9 AM until 4:30 PM May 31– Oct 31
9 AM until 4:00 PM Nov 1– April 30
Written August 2, 2016
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.
jeffysgirl
Northeast515 contributions
After dropping off our luggage at our Union Square hotel, we were off to Mission Dolores. We used the buses but still had a long walk to get there (maybe we did something wrong). The Mission District seemed a little less safe than some of the areas we explored but I think this is just because it was less crowded. The fee was $5. each (cash) for Mission Dolores. Luckily for us there was a docent led tour that day. We missed the portion at the awe inspiring alter unfortunately but caught up after that. He let a couple of children ring the bells which had a beautiful tone and then he proceeded to give a thorough history of both Mission Dolores and the basilica next door. Even if a docent is not present, there is a brochure that you could use for your own walking tour. Both buildings are rich in history and beauty and I would highly recommend a stop here. The stained glass in the basilica is amazing as is the tile mosaic outside. There is also one of the only cemetaries in San Francisco in a lovely setting outside.
Written August 4, 2007
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.
USBtraveler
Yorktown, VA43 contributions
Sep 2019
The chapel is the oldest building in San Francisco - built of adobe and still with its original tiles roof. Beautiful (but simple at the same time). Peaceful cemetery at the back. The more modern basilica next to it is beautiful inside and out too and also well worth a visit. They ask for a minimum of $7 as a donation to visit the chapel and the basilica but it is well worth it. And if you are lucky to hear the organist playing in the basilica, the acoustics are tremendous - in fact there is a well-known choir which travels to perform at the basilica once a year because of the acoustics. The gift shop also sells iron Indian arrow-heads for 79 cents a piece.You can also attend services at the chapel (7:30am and 09:00am every weekday).
Written September 27, 2019
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.
bldit2
San Francisco, CA41 contributions
Nov 2018 • Family
One of my favorite spots in San Francisco. Charming historic mission and modern basilica that is stunning. Small old cemetery is also lovely. Visit the whole site and don’t miss the 18th century building. You will learn so much about SF history, it’s settlement and founding families. A MUST SEE in SF!
Written March 25, 2019
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.
Gryphonisle
San Francisco32 contributions
Apr 2018 • Friends
In my view, any time you're in a mission town, you should visit the mission itself; it's where the town, and California began and the more of them you visit, from state to state and within the same, you will also be able to better gauge how accurately their history is being conveyed, white washed, or ignored completely as is the case here.
Built over a ten year period ending in 1791 but now reduced to the chapel itself, it has survived all the earthquakes that have hit the town as well as the disastrous fire that burned close by following the Big One of 1906, Mission Dolores was a failure at its main mission---agriculture---and was subsequently replaced by two missions to the north, most notably Mission San Francisco de Solano, in Sonoma. Still, the bricks that hold up the centuries old clay tile roof are themselves mostly the same dried mud, manure, straw and ground up shells fashioned by the natives in the late 18th century.
Alongside the south wall is a small cemetery containing the marked remains of various historic figures, including lynched criminals; as well as some of the 5,000 dead natives which are almost entirely unmarked graves and extend out below the street and buildings nearby. Of course the Mission and cemetery were notably featured in Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo", along with Mission San Juan Bautista, to the south, near Monterey.
There are various historical objects pertaining to the church at the rear of the bldg and a reproduction of a native dwelling where the grotto used to be (and seen in "Vertigo") but aside from that the actual role of the natives as slaves--unpaid, held without their permission and forbidden to leave and punished violently if they escaped. Mexico closed all the missions upon its independence as part of its efforts to outlaw slavery.
While this is at the bottom of the "triangle" that is the famous part of the City---Fisherman's Wharf being at the top, it is easily accessible on Muni's J Church line, from the 16th st stop, on the back end of the same lot; or a short walk from Market street (Dolores St/Whole Foods) on the "F" line.
As an added incentive you'll find Dolores Park and better yet BiRite ice cream on 18th and Dolores, two blocks to the South, as well as several top eateries on 18th itself. The Castro is a few blocks south west, at 17th/Castro/Market.
The entrance is NOT at the main doors but at the little gift shop on the south corner of the building. There is a suggested donation.
Built over a ten year period ending in 1791 but now reduced to the chapel itself, it has survived all the earthquakes that have hit the town as well as the disastrous fire that burned close by following the Big One of 1906, Mission Dolores was a failure at its main mission---agriculture---and was subsequently replaced by two missions to the north, most notably Mission San Francisco de Solano, in Sonoma. Still, the bricks that hold up the centuries old clay tile roof are themselves mostly the same dried mud, manure, straw and ground up shells fashioned by the natives in the late 18th century.
Alongside the south wall is a small cemetery containing the marked remains of various historic figures, including lynched criminals; as well as some of the 5,000 dead natives which are almost entirely unmarked graves and extend out below the street and buildings nearby. Of course the Mission and cemetery were notably featured in Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo", along with Mission San Juan Bautista, to the south, near Monterey.
There are various historical objects pertaining to the church at the rear of the bldg and a reproduction of a native dwelling where the grotto used to be (and seen in "Vertigo") but aside from that the actual role of the natives as slaves--unpaid, held without their permission and forbidden to leave and punished violently if they escaped. Mexico closed all the missions upon its independence as part of its efforts to outlaw slavery.
While this is at the bottom of the "triangle" that is the famous part of the City---Fisherman's Wharf being at the top, it is easily accessible on Muni's J Church line, from the 16th st stop, on the back end of the same lot; or a short walk from Market street (Dolores St/Whole Foods) on the "F" line.
As an added incentive you'll find Dolores Park and better yet BiRite ice cream on 18th and Dolores, two blocks to the South, as well as several top eateries on 18th itself. The Castro is a few blocks south west, at 17th/Castro/Market.
The entrance is NOT at the main doors but at the little gift shop on the south corner of the building. There is a suggested donation.
Written April 29, 2018
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.
Rosa Elena V
Fresno, California
I’ll be driving into the city so my daughter and I can visit the mission -and object if her 4th grade mission project. I am concerned about parking. Any suggestions? I’d also like to take her to the Exploratorium afterwards. Any tips for parking would be appreciated.
Written March 8, 2023
A que horas seran las visitas guiadas? en españool hay? cuanto se demora en hacer el recorrido? gracias
Written January 31, 2018
Are either audio or docent tour offered?
Thank you!
Written March 26, 2017
No, there are no audio or docent tours available. It is a self guided tour but they do provide an informational pamphlet. There are also signs posted at each station that you can read for a more in depth visit.
Written March 27, 2017
Anyone know of a tour other than Viator?
Written November 28, 2015
No need for an organized your. Use the public transit to get to the church and enjoy on your own.
Written November 30, 2015
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