Welcome to Old Capistrano, Home of the “Jewel of the Missions” located in the center of Southern California along the Gold Coast. Junipero Serra founded the Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, the seventh of 21 Spanish Missions established in California by Franciscan Padres. Spain controlled California until 1821 when Mexico won its independence. In 1845, the Mission was sold to Don Juan Forster for $710 dollars, paid for in hides and tallow. President Abraham Lincoln returned the Mission to the Catholic Church in 1865. This rural farming and ranching community, population 33,000, has been the center of Orange County Art, Living History, and Cultural Celebration for over 200 years.
The Mystery
Within the Mission walls lies the mysterious ruin of The Great Stone Church. This magnificent Roman Greco style cathedral once rose high in the California wilderness until it was destroyed only six years after it’s completion in the earthquake of 1812. Many of the forty parishioners who perished in the rubble are buried in the Mission Cemetery. Six years after the tragedy, in the early morning of December 14, 1818, the Mission was ransacked by pirates in a surprise attack by Hippolyte Bouchard and his pirate crew who had dropped anchor in San Juan Bay in search of plunder!
And The Romance of Early California
Today, The Mission San Juan Capistrano is a place of peace and unsurpassed beauty, its gardens a haven for lady bugs, humming birds and the famous Swallows of Capistrano who arrive every spring to nest and have their young, returning to Argentina in the Autumn. The romance of early California is alive as you share the historic streets with Pirates and Padres, Lords and Ladies, Rancheros and The Acjachemem Nation, the native population who labored with the Spanish to build the Mission and once alone inhabited what is known as the Capistrano Valley.
A time to Relax
Dine surrounded by age old stone and adobe, floral gardens and patio fountains. Proprietor Chefs greet their quests with old world hospitality and prepare delectable recipes. Stroll through the shops, antique stores and galleries of Historic downtown and discover unique gifts and treasures. Enjoy the timeless soundtrack of the Mission Bells and Arriving Trains. Close your eyes and time stands still.
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Chamber Happenings
Second Saturday Art Fair On Saturday, July 12, we will host our first "Second Saturday Art Fair". This Art Fair will be a year-round monthly event to showcase 50+ artists, craftspeople, musicians, and performers displaying their work in the parks and plazas along downtown Camino Capistrano, Verdugo and Los Rios Streets. Download the application from www.theblackcatgallery.com/downloads/ArtistApplicationOnline.pdf or by calling our office at (949) 493-4700.
Farmers' Market Booths Available to Chamber Members! Your Chamber has a few booths available at the Farmers' Market. If a member is interested in setting up a table, please call your Chamber office at (949)493-4700.
Enhanced Chamber Member Business Listings, Events, Weather, Maps,Transportation, Equestrian, Weddings, History and Mystery, Living in SJC, and Feature Articles.
Location
The community is situated in a coastal valley one mile from the ocean and halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. The City has easy access to the rest of Orange County and Southern California via Interstate 5, the San Joaquin Tollway and the Foothill Transportation Corridor. The City is served by both Amtrak and Metrolink rail service. We are located twenty miles south of Orange County (John Wayne) Airport and sixty miles from Los Angeles and San Diego International Airports. >
Climate
Mean Daily Temperature January . . . . . . . . . 53.2 Degrees
Mean Daily Temperature July . . . . . . . . . . . . 66.7 Degrees
Mean Minimum Temperature January . . . . . . 41.6 Degrees
Mean Maximum Temperature July . . . . . . . . .75.0 Degrees
Average Annual Precipitation . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.34 Inches
Mild winters and pleasant summers with offshore breezes prevailing. The sun is usually shining and the birds are always singing. It would be difficult to find nicer weather, anywhere in the world. We are blessed to live and work in this community.
Facts
City Motto ~"Preserving the Past to Enhance the Future"
City Tree ~Sycamore
City Flower ~Red Geranium
City Song ~ "When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano" - by Leon Rene
City Poet ~ Red Steagall, Official Cowboy Poet of San Juan Capistrano
Area ~ 13.6 square miles
Incorporated ~ 1961
Our Mission Statement :
"Our Mission is Your Success!"
"To Promote and Foster a Vibrant Business Environment in San Juan Capistrano"
The San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce is the
"Community Information Center".
We are as close to you as your telephone or your computer for business referrals to our Chamber of Commerce Members. Let us connect you to the local professionals for the quality products and serivces you deserve.
