Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa

Mission San Luis Obispo
Picture taken 1:35pm 8 Jul 2001

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was founded 1 September 1772 (5^th in order) by Blessed Junípero Serra. The mission is named for Saint Luis, Bishop of Toulouse. The Indian name was Tishlini. The mission is the halfway point in the chain and is often called the "Prince of Missions." Because of flaming arrows, the mission was built with tiles; the first roof tiles made in California. In the late 1800's the mission was remodeled as a parish church; a New England steeple was even added. The steeple was removed and the mission restored in 1934. The church is active.

Note: Heard a news report on 18 May that the Mission Church will be undergoing seismic retrofit between now and some time in November 2008. The Church may be closed during the week for this period. Services on the weekend are scheduled to continue. Call them in advance if you have any questions. Also, on 12 June 2008 the silk floss tree that has stood in front of the Mission Church since 1963 was cut down as its roots were undermining the Mission foundation. KSBY (the local TV station) has a story on that. If you act fast you can get a piece of the tree from the service; see the story for details.

Start tour.

Location

The mission is in the middle of downtown San Luis Obispo at the corner of Monterey and Chorro Streets. Exit U.S. 101 at either Marsh (if Northbound) or Broad (if Southbound) Streets and proceed as shown in the map below (Marsh and Higuera are one-way streets in the direction indicated and Monterey is closed in front of the Mission). There are various parking lots in the area; depending on the day and time of day you may have to search some for a spot to park (first try the Mission parking lot with entry just behind the Mission church). GPS at the Serra statue (see picture above) 35°16'34"N 120°40'05"W. (California Landmark 325)

Mission Location Map

See this Mission from a satellite then switch to a detailed map using Google maps.

Or, if you'd prefer a topological map...

Contact

Open daily 9am-4pm (5pm during daylight savings time). Closed Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas day. [Note: MissionTour tries to keep this information up to date but cannot guarantee its accuracy as this is not the official Mission website. If planning a drive to the Mission please contact them directly to get the latest information in order to avoid disappointment.]
Mass schedule in Mission Church: Saturday Vigil @ 5:30pm, Sunday @ 7:00, 9:00, 10:30am & 6:00pm (English), 12:10pm (Bilingual). Daily @ 7:00am & 12:10pm. Thursday 7:00pm (Spanish)
Mail: 751 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Phone: (805) 781-8220 (voice), (805) 781-8214 (fax)
E-mail: office@oldmissionslo.org
Web Site: http://www.missionsanluisobispo.org/

Navigation for Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa:

Mission Home :: History :: Map :: Plaza :: Museum :: Church :: Garden :: Fiestas :: Santa Margarita Asistencia