Mission Santa Clara de Asís Church

Website: https://www.scu.edu/

Hours: Open to visitors; check campus/mission website for hours and Mass times

Admission: Free (active parish; check for Mass/services)

Mission Santa Clara de Asís is a Spanish colonial-era mission founded in 1777 and located on the campus of Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California.

The site combines an active parish church and mission buildings set within the university campus, where visitors can view the mission church, landscaped grounds, and interpretive displays about the mission era. The mission is also notable for its role in the early Spanish California mission network and for its continued use by the university community.

Established by Franciscan missionaries in 1777 to serve the local Ohlone people and Spanish settlers, the mission underwent multiple rebuildings following earthquakes, fires, and periods of secularization. Over the 19th and 20th centuries the site became integrated with Santa Clara College, now Santa Clara University.

The mission sits in central Santa Clara on the university campus, within the San Francisco Bay Area of northern California, several miles inland from San Jose and about 45-60 miles south of San Francisco.

• Founding and current use: Founded in 1777 and sited on the campus of Santa Clara University, where it still functions as a parish church and university chapel.
• Reconstruction history: The mission has been rebuilt and repaired repeatedly after earthquakes and fires, so the present church reflects later reconstructions as well as surviving colonial elements.

Mission Santa Clara de Asís is located on the Santa Clara University campus in downtown Santa Clara. It is a short walk (about 10-15 minutes) from the Santa Clara Transit Center / VTA light rail stops and from the Caltrain Santa Clara station; regional drivers can reach the campus via US‑101 or El Camino Real (CA‑82).

If arriving by Caltrain or VTA, follow signs to the university and the mission courtyard; the mission is on campus and pedestrian access from the transit center is straightforward.

• The mission sits on the Santa Clara University campus, so check campus visitor parking rules and opening hours before you go-parts of the mission are an active parish and access can vary around services and university events.
• Contact the parish office or the university's visitor center ahead of your visit if you want a guided look or access outside posted hours; combining the mission stop with the campus museum or archives yields more historical context.