Mission San Francisco Solano
Mission San Francisco Solano
4
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
This mission is noted for having been founded under Mexican rule.
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4.0
187 reviews
Excellent
71
Very good
89
Average
25
Poor
2
Terrible
0
Noraatc
Sudbury, MA39,291 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
It was rather interesting to see what was left from one of the California missions. San Francisco Solano, the last California mission, was founded on July 4, 1823 and later rebuilt.
I can’t find a good reason to pay even a moderate entrance fee for an institution for which the primary goal was to convert Native Americans into devoted Christians and Spanish citizens. I have zero respect of proselytizing.
I can’t find a good reason to pay even a moderate entrance fee for an institution for which the primary goal was to convert Native Americans into devoted Christians and Spanish citizens. I have zero respect of proselytizing.
Written 19 May 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.
Davigeta
Saint Louis, MO1,122 contributions
May 2023
This is the last of the Spanish missions in California, actually built under Mexican rule. There were a number of exhibits on the missions in general, as well as this one. Parking was a little tough. Admission is $3.00 per person but also includes General Vallejo Home, which is fairly close by. There was a candle-making demonstration when we were there. Worth a visit.
Written 28 May 2023
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.
Andrew S
Rockville, MD110 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
The Sonoma state park includes the remains of Mission St. Francis Solano, Mexican barracks, and adjoining buildings and garden, all just off the central town plaza, as well as Gen. Mariano Vallejo's estate Lachryma Montis (about a 15" walk along the walking path), and Gen. Vallejo's Petaluma Adobe, to which you must drive. The guides at the Mission and at the Vallejo home are well-informed and can give you a detailed historical account. Although the original mission chapel (ca. 1823) was destroyed, there is a newer one built in the 1860s. A gift shop adjoins the barracks exhibits, and there is a film as well as display panels. You can walk through the Vallejo home and also visit the guest house El Delirio, the old reservoir/pond, and the general's son's retreat cottage up the hill. Admission fees are very reasonable and cover all the sites.
Written 10 August 2023
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.
Danielle N
42 contributions
Nov 2022
The State Park people are wonderful - they are so knowledgeable and make it "come to life". They were just decorating for the holidays while we were there and it was lovely. They are bringing back La Posada this year - i bet that is wonderful. Sadly the gift store is closed on Wednesdays and we were there on a Wednesday.
Written 18 November 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.
Hermes_NL 🇳🇱
Amsterdam, The Netherlands21,567 contributions
Nov 2019
The Mission in Sonoma is most Northern Mission of the 21 Missions on El Camino Real ... starting all the way in the south at San Diego. It is nice and historically interesting to see those missions when travelling in California ... major cities such as San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco were named after them, and are still connected by El Camino (now often coinciding with Highway 101 or other highways, and with Mission Street in San Francisco). In Sonoma religious volunteers are quite happy to tell you more about their Mission and there are nice displays in the museum. Also the Chapel is still intact and in use. Worthwhile of a short visit when in the wine country!
Written 16 December 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.
Shiroh
South Central Orange County, CA340 contributions
Amateur California historians should add this to their list of must-see sites.
Not only is this the last of the 21 Franciscan missions founded in California, but it is also the only one financed by the newly-independent Mexican government. While Mexico claimed all of Alta (upper) California, the British and Russians had ambitions here as well. To keep the Russians from expanding their territorial claims beyond Fort Ross to the northwest, Mexico decided to establish this northernmost mission in the chain.
The state park includes Mission San Francisco Solano, the Blue Wing Inn, Sonoma Barracks, the Toscano Hotel, the Servants Quarters (the remains of La Casa Grande) and Vallejo's Home. The sites are located on the north side of the town plaza, which encompasses a city park. Also surrounding the plaza are a number of shops and restaurants (Ben & Jerry's was a hit with our kids).
At this plaza in in mid-June 1846 a group of men known as "Bear Flaggers" raised the original bear flag and proclaimed California independence from Mexico. The first California flag only flew until July 9, when it was replaced by the Stars and Stripes by an officer of the US Navy who claimed the land in the name of the United States. This is where California's history as an eventual state of the Union began, and now you know the rest of the story.
If you can visit when groups of 4th graders are taking the tour, try tagging along to hear their teacher's explanation of California history. The mission buildings are restored to look like a museum, and as the property is owned the the state there are no services in the chapel (in fact, there are no pews). If you have time, go west across the street to see the barracks and the other park buildings. Across the street to the south of the mission and barracks is a city park, and this is a good place for a picnic lunch and to let the kids run around and stretch their legs.
Not only is this the last of the 21 Franciscan missions founded in California, but it is also the only one financed by the newly-independent Mexican government. While Mexico claimed all of Alta (upper) California, the British and Russians had ambitions here as well. To keep the Russians from expanding their territorial claims beyond Fort Ross to the northwest, Mexico decided to establish this northernmost mission in the chain.
The state park includes Mission San Francisco Solano, the Blue Wing Inn, Sonoma Barracks, the Toscano Hotel, the Servants Quarters (the remains of La Casa Grande) and Vallejo's Home. The sites are located on the north side of the town plaza, which encompasses a city park. Also surrounding the plaza are a number of shops and restaurants (Ben & Jerry's was a hit with our kids).
At this plaza in in mid-June 1846 a group of men known as "Bear Flaggers" raised the original bear flag and proclaimed California independence from Mexico. The first California flag only flew until July 9, when it was replaced by the Stars and Stripes by an officer of the US Navy who claimed the land in the name of the United States. This is where California's history as an eventual state of the Union began, and now you know the rest of the story.
If you can visit when groups of 4th graders are taking the tour, try tagging along to hear their teacher's explanation of California history. The mission buildings are restored to look like a museum, and as the property is owned the the state there are no services in the chapel (in fact, there are no pews). If you have time, go west across the street to see the barracks and the other park buildings. Across the street to the south of the mission and barracks is a city park, and this is a good place for a picnic lunch and to let the kids run around and stretch their legs.
Written 16 June 2009
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.
Meek
Dallas, TX12 contributions
Jan 2012
Took a walk back in history. Loved that the park rangers asked if we had a 4th grader. They took extra time to ensure my big boy would have all of the information that he needed for a great report.
Written 4 February 2012
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.
Cyclone05
Des Moines, IA207 contributions
We arrived at the Mission about 15 minutes before it closed for the day, so we kind of had to rush, but the parts we saw were very neat. The building is the northernmost of the California Missions, and one of the oldest buildings in Sonoma.
The inside rooms of the mission are like a museum with a lot of documents and pictures on the walls, which we had to gloss over as we rushed through. We spent some time in the chapel area, though, which is restored to look like it did in the 1800s, and has a very historic feel to it. There's also a courtyard with some other buildings and gardens to check out.
Really, the neatest thing about our visit to the Mission was the feel of the place - knowing we were walking through a building 150 or so years old. You feel like you've been transported to another time from the square, and it's worth stopping by.
The inside rooms of the mission are like a museum with a lot of documents and pictures on the walls, which we had to gloss over as we rushed through. We spent some time in the chapel area, though, which is restored to look like it did in the 1800s, and has a very historic feel to it. There's also a courtyard with some other buildings and gardens to check out.
Really, the neatest thing about our visit to the Mission was the feel of the place - knowing we were walking through a building 150 or so years old. You feel like you've been transported to another time from the square, and it's worth stopping by.
Written 9 November 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.
Jim Mourgos
Kansas City, MO72 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
I caught the walking tour of this interesting mission, which was rebuilt from bits of foundation thanks to earthquakes over the centuries. Thanks to historians and people who care of such things, the Mission was reconstructed and built as we think it must have been like. The walking tour was interesting though our guide was only familiar with this Mission, not all the network of missions. We had to pay a small fee to the park Rangers who were there. Those fine men and women suggested places for us to go and see as well. I'm a native San Franciscan but had yet to see the missions in my own back yard!
It's a small mission, a chapel where you had to stand (no pews) for services, and a large Indian influence of art and architecture. No cemetery though there is a grave plate in the chapel itself! The neighboring building has plaques of those Indians who were working hard building this Mission, only recently placed there in the 1990s.
Fascinating bit, and only three dollars!
It's a small mission, a chapel where you had to stand (no pews) for services, and a large Indian influence of art and architecture. No cemetery though there is a grave plate in the chapel itself! The neighboring building has plaques of those Indians who were working hard building this Mission, only recently placed there in the 1990s.
Fascinating bit, and only three dollars!
Written 10 August 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.
seek-scenic
New Jersey519 contributions
Jun 2016 • Couples
If you are in the town of Sonoma, it is worth taking some time to visit this Mission. The film (actually in the barracks building) is very informative and does not sugar-coat history. In the Mission building is the chapel and a room with drawings of each of the missions. The ranger guide that was mentioned in some of the other reviews would have made our visit much more interesting but was not available at the time that we visited. Without a guide, plan on spending about an hour seeing the Mission, film, and barracks.
Written 25 July 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.
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