Mission Santa Clara de Asís is one of the original 21 California missions, founded in 1777 and now embedded within the campus of Santa Clara University, the oldest university in California. The mission church — a graceful Spanish Colonial Revival building with a red-tiled roof and a tall bell tower — is one of the most beautiful in the state. The courtyard garden is particularly peaceful, shaded by old trees and set apart from the busy university streets.
The de Saisset Museum, adjacent to the mission on the same campus, holds California mission-era artifacts and rotating contemporary art exhibitions. Both the mission and the museum are free to visit. The university campus surrounding them is pleasant to walk through: palms line the central paths, and the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture of the 1920s buildings forms a coherent and handsome ensemble. Worth a half-day for anyone staying in the South Bay.