Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park: A Journey Through California’s Past
The Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park offers visitors a window into the region’s rich history. As one of the 21 Spanish missions established in California, this site tells the story of early Spanish colonization, Native American life, and the area’s evolution into the vibrant city it is today.
A Brief History of the Santa Cruz Mission
Founded on September 25, 1791, Mission Santa Cruz was the twelfth mission built by the Spanish to convert the indigenous peoples to Christianity and European ways of life.
Unlike some of California’s larger and better-preserved missions, Santa Cruz faced significant challenges, including natural disasters, floods, and conflicts with settlers. The original mission church was largely destroyed in the 19th century, but today, a smaller church replica stands nearby.
There is one original building still standing. A single-story adobe built between 1822 and 1824 has been restored to its original appearance. The adobe was once housing for the California Indian residents of the Mission.
Exploring the Park
We visited the park while spending a fall weekend in Santa Cruz. We’d just left checking out a fantastic display of migrating monarch butterflies at nearby Natural Bridges State Beach.
As we pulled in, the parking lot had one car in it, which I suspect belonged to the single employee working the visitor center. We entered the visitor center and grabbed some literature before visiting the original Adobe.
Walking through the rooms was an educational experience. The exhibits in the adobe tell the story of the mission through the lens of the perspective of the native Ohlone and Yokuts people. The exhibits show what the daily life was like at the mission. Other displays detail period-accurate furnishings, tools, clothing, and religious artifacts relevant to the mission.
The Adobe took us 20 minutes to make our way through, reading all the interpretive materials along the way.
Afterward, we sat in the courtyard and enjoyed the sounds of buzzing songbirds. The courtyard features features traditional Spanish-style landscaping and native plants. It was quite pleasant.
If you are in the area, I recommend visiting the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park. We’ve visited several Spanish Missions across the West. This was a much more intimate and educational experience than some.
