A small reproduction of the original 1791 California mission, built in 1931 at one-third scale from historic photographs of the original building, which was destroyed by earthquake. The reproduction stands on the downtown plaza and contains a museum covering the mission period and the fate of the Ohlone people who were brought here — sometimes by force — to be converted and put to work.
The original mission site is now occupied by Holy Cross Church, whose grounds contain the mission cemetery where both missionaries and Indigenous people are buried. The museum is small but honestly presented — the exhibit on the mission system's effect on California's Native population is more direct than museums at more famous missions tend to be. Good stop before heading down to the Boardwalk.