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Mission San Antonio de Pala

Part of Interesting Sights, our guide to interesting sights, viewpoints and landmarks in San Diego County.

Mission San Antonio de Pala was founded June 13, 1816 as an asistencia of Mission San Luis Rey. It has a chapel, a freestanding bell tower with a cactus on top and an old cemetery. The museum and gift shop are open only the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, 10 am to 2 pm.Checked October 23, 2026.

1816founded
2nd and 4thSaturday, museum
10 to 2museum hours
Activeparish
A white mission bell tower with a cross above a stone-ringed well and garden, surrounded by trees
The courtyard and bell tower at Mission San Antonio de Pala. Thomas Farley, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Address11798 Pala Mission Road, Pala, CA 92059
Museum and gift shopOpen only the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Parish officeWednesday to Friday, 8:30 am to 3:00 pm
GroupsGroup tours and field trips need a reservation (link on the Contact page)
Good forAll ages; it is an active parish, so dress and behave respectfully
Official pagemissionsanantoniodepala.org

What You See

The mission is on the Pala reservation and is described on its own site as the only historic mission facility still serving a Mission Indian tribe. Points of interest listed: the chapel, a freestanding bell tower with a cactus on top, the old Luiseno cemetery, gardens, a pepper tree and an olive grove.

About This Page

This page uses only the parish’s own website. It is not a tribal page and covers no casino or other attractions.

Related

The mother mission is Mission San Luis Rey Museum.

What We Could Not Verify

  • Public visiting hours for the chapel are not stated on the pages we read; mass times are on the site. The parish can confirm.
  • The museum fee is not stated. The parish can confirm.
  • Specific museum Saturdays are not listed; use the 2nd and 4th Saturday rule and check with the parish.
  • No map point: coordinates were not confirmed.

More in Interesting Sights

FAQ

When is the Pala Mission museum open?

Only the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, per the museum and gift shop page.

Is the chapel open to visitors?

Chapel public hours are not stated on the pages we read. Mass times are on the parish website; call the parish to confirm.

Sources

  1. Mission San Antonio de Pala
  2. Museum and gift shop
  3. Contact

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.