Mission Dolores
California Mission · San Francisco, California
Mission Dolores, formally Mission San Francisco de Asis, stands on Dolores Street in the Mission District of San Francisco. Its small adobe chapel, completed in 1791 - confirm - is generally described as the oldest intact building in the city, and it came through the 1906 earthquake while much of the neighbourhood burned. Inside, the ceiling carries painted chevron patterns in Ohlone style, done in vegetable dye. Next door rises a far grander basilica from 1918 - confirm - and behind the chapel lies a cemetery that is the last one left within the city limits, with a memorial to the Ohlone and Miwok people buried in unmarked ground. A small museum of mission-era objects completes the site - confirm the admission fee. Both churches are active parish buildings, so Mass times matter. Most visitors need 45 minutes to an hour, and Dolores Park, a popular hilltop green with city views, is a short walk away.
3321 16th Street, San Francisco, California, 94114, United States
The mission is normally open to visitors on most days from the morning until mid-afternoon, commonly about 10 AM to 4 PM, with shorter hours on some holidays - confirm the current schedule with the mission office. The chapel, museum and cemetery are entered together on a self-guided basis, and a small admission or suggested donation applies, commonly USD 5-15 with lower prices for seniors and students - confirm today's amount. The adobe chapel and the basilica close to sightseers during Mass, weddings and funerals, and the basilica keeps its own hours separate from the museum. Holy Week, Christmas and the feast day bring extra services, and a ceremony can close part of the site with little notice, so check before a special trip.