San Juan Bautista State Historic Park

About this adventure

San Juan Bautista State Historic Park preserves the old town plaza beside California's 15th Spanish-era mission, once the 'town square' of the largest town in central California and a crossroads for travel between the north and south of the state. Families can walk through four historic museums built in the 1800s: the Plaza Hotel, the Zanetta House/Plaza Hall, the Plaza Stables and the Castro-Breen Adobe, many furnished with room vignettes and colorful exhibits. Outside are a blacksmith shop, a historic jail and an early American settler's cabin. Exhibits trace the people of California from the Amah Mutsun and other Native Americans through the Spanish, Mexican and American eras, making it a good fit for kids studying California missions and history in fourth grade. Visits are self-guided; guided walking tours can be booked in advance by phone. The neighboring Old Mission San Juan Bautista is run separately and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.