Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa


Those reverberatory bells heard around downtown emanate from this fifth California mission, founded by Padre Junípero Serra in 1772 and named for a 13th-century French saint. Cradled by bountiful gardens, the modest church has an unusual L-shape and whitewashed walls decorated with Stations of the Cross. The friars' former residential quarters now house an old-fashioned museum with artifacts illustrating life during the Chumash tribal and Spanish colonial periods. Interesting guided tours run most days at 1:15pm.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art

0.07 MILES

By the creek, this small gallery showcases the work of local painters, sculptors, printmakers and fine-art photographers, as well as traveling California…

2. Bubblegum Alley

0.12 MILES

SLO’s weirdest sight is colorfully plastered with thousands of wads of ABC (‘already been chewed’) gum. Watch where you step!

3. Tolosa Winery

4.07 MILES

No-oak Chardonnay, barrel-selected Pinot Noir and bold estate Syrah, with artisanal cheese, charcuterie and chocolate pairings on weekends.

4. Niven Family Wine Estates

5.17 MILES

Samples from six different labels inside an early-20th-century wooden schoolhouse, with two bocce ball courts outside.

5. Edna Valley Vineyard

5.42 MILES

Sip Paragon Vineyard estate Chardonnay by panoramic windows overlooking fields of grapes.

6. Sextant Wines

6.14 MILES

Boisterous tasting room pours different varietals from Edna Valley and Paso Robles, with a tiny gourmet deli.

7. Avila Valley Barn

7.15 MILES

At this rural farm stand and pick-your-own berry farm, you can park alongside the sheep and goat pens, lick an ice-cream cone, then grab a basket and walk…

8. Chamisal Vineyards

7.66 MILES

In a rust-colored barn tasting room, tipple hand-crafted, small-lot wines grown mostly organically.