Quick facts: Size: Very small Price: Free (donations) Est time in museum: 15 - 20 minutes Recommended for: Locals interested in San Diego's early history Best Feature: None really. Small mission/museum. Much smaller than I thought it would be. It is on top of a hill so you get some decent views of the surrounding area, although there are large trees that obscure the views. The 'museum' is primarily one main area, about the same size as a small chapel and a smaller room as you go up the mission tower. There is a small trail area next to the museum if you wanted to take a walk. Overall a peaceful location. When I visited there in the summer there wasn't anything on display in the main areas other than a few Indian artifacts in a glass display. The other 'displays' were mainly text and some old pictures explaining the local indian culture in early San Diego. So it seems as though they do not have exhibits on display all year round in the main area. The mission itself didn't appear to be in the best condition as well. Would I recommend a visit? Probably not especially if you have to drive more than a few miles just to see it, but it is right next to Old Town, so if you have time at the end of your day, you can stop by for a quick look, but you wouldn't be missing much if you didn't.

Beautiful event venue with amazing views. Sun sets on the venue and is incredible in the evening!

There is no cost to enter this interactive museum. What I enjoy is the 360 view from the top of the tower. There are a lot of steps yet each floor reveals much history about the Birthplace of California, San Diego history, the mission's history and more! If you enjoy museums as much as I do, you will certainly love Junipero Serra Museum. Bring a lunch to enjoy a picnic outside. This museum is part of Presidio Park which has numerous hiking trails around. There is convenient parking nearby.

Beautiful building. It looks like it is old, but it is only 95 years old, not 300 years old. Great views and a historic site. Great museum about a person fundamental to the European settlement of California.

Beautiful old building... Needs a little exterior maintenance but otherwise really cool. Small FREE museum, you can climb the tower see old pictures of what the valley looked like 100 years ago. Looks like it can be rented for events too. Lots of trails and open spaces to explore as well.

I photographed a wedding here and oh my gosh this place is PERFECT. Architecturally perfect, beautiful places for photos, and sweet people that run the place. Can't wait to come back and photograph another wedding here!!! Nothing else needs to be said - look at it. <3

Stumbled upon this hidden gem while trying to navigate to get to old Town. The staff was very friendly here. Interesting sight to see small but interesting. Tons of walking on those steep stairs knees almost gave out and said Jesus just take over from here. Snap crackle and pop!!!! Lol. You have access to go inside the tower and they have a interactive screens about the history of the building, great place to take photos, and It's free. They do accept donations to help jeep the structure preserved so if you are in the area do check it out, this spot is really heavy if you are looking for ghost so hopefully if you are in the building you'll sense a little but of something with you:)

The Junipero Serra Museum created the most beautiful backdrop for our romantic summer wedding under the stars. When looking for a venue, we had some pretty specific criteria: -Outdoor Reception (the San Diego weather deserves to be taken advantage of) -Beautiful view -Dancing until 11pm -Within the city of San Diego (less than 20 mins from USD) -The right size for 100 guests (not too big, not too small) You'd be surprised by how few venues fit this criteria. With our church wedding taking place at USD, we were firm on our criteria, but all it took was a few steps across the terrace at the Serra Museum to know it was the one. First of all, the museum itself is stunning. They recently re-stucco'd the exterior of the building giving it a pristine white color. The arches across the terrace perfectly framed components of our event like our bar, DJ and lounge set up. Then, turn the other way and you've got a beautiful sunset view that stretches for miles. The sun set perfectly as our guests were seated for dinner and during dancing, we were treated to a spectacular firework show from Sea World. Additional considerations when planning a wedding: If you wanted, you could hold your ceremony in the museum itself. The museum was available for use during our reception. They have plenty of parking. They have a preferred vendor list and you must use one of the approved caterers. The list was plentiful and we went with the Abbey Catering, who did a phenomenal job. The venue is a historic building and not ADA compliant. There are a lot of stairs, but the height on the hill makes for the perfect views. We have to give a shoutout to the venue's coordinator, Sue, who is fabulous! She was so responsive and made herself available on numerous occasions for us to tour the space and walk through with our various vendors. We loved working with her and were so grateful for all of her help throughout the entire planning process. You can walk the terrace at anytime so we love that for years to come, we'll be able to come back to revisit the special place that will forever hold a spot in our hearts.

A beautiful museum with nice staff and amazing artifacts they did a great job at preserving some pieces of California’s history.

This is a truly BEAUTIFUL and historic setting for a special event; however, it's challenging due to LOTS of stairs. Very tough for vendors loading in and for elderly or people with difficulty walking. (Blue & white designed petite WEDDING CAKE by Sweet Cheeks Baking Co.)

My mom and I visited the museum recently and liked it. Admission is free but they do ask for donations. Museum is very small and surrounding areas are beautiful. Happy we visited

A great place to learn some San Diego history. And on a gray, wet day like today the trees around here smell so good!

This place is so beautiful the history lesson here is amazing. I highly recommend that u come visit. They are non Profit so put in a fiver for them. Fun experience for me and my 3 girls.

The historic significance of this site is awe inspiring. As you come up the hill, take note of the statue of an Indian. Beneath this statue is the archaeological site of the who lived outside of Old Town San Diego. Don't just visit the building, walk the grounds. You will see so much more of the FEEL of San Diego. Beautiful vistas.

Great location and view. Limited hours at this time of year.

We had a great time here! It was easy to find street parking and admission was free. The line to get in moved very quickly. The exhibits were interesting and we had a lot of fun. The staff was very nice. I can't wait to go back.

Visited on a weekday while it was closed and still enjoyed the area. On a previous visit during business hours (the weekend), the museum displayed many artifacts collected from indigenous people groups. This was a fascinating homage to the political landscape of early Baja California and the colonial mission system. The mirador or lookout tower in the museum was great! It offered a breathtaking view of the city. I would definitely recommend visiting this place to anyone who is interested in getting to know California or San Diego.

(Translated by Google) My daughter celebrated her wedding here, I could not imagine a nicer location for it. The wedding planner and the manager really worked hard to make this day unforgettable. Everything was clean and we did not have any uninvited guests. (Original) Meine Tochter feierte ihre Hochzeit hier, ich hätte mir keine schönere Location dafür vorstellen können. Die Weddingplanerin und der Manager haben sich wirklich ins Zeug gelegt um diesen Tag unvergesslich zu machen. Alles war sauber und wir hatten auch keine ungebetenen Gäste.

Beautiful place. Great history, fun for tge whole family and a peaceful setting. Great for a quiet day away from the traffic and noise!

Beautiful

I DJ many weddings & special events here. It is an incredibly unique, historic & beautiful venue. The attached pictures are from this past weekend. The views are great. Climb the tower for the views & history lessons posted inside. Highly recommend. DJ Dale

A lot of activity

I love museums and historical places! The presidio in a way is a cradle of California, hence I'd expect to see more information on the Spanish navigators, Indian tribes and the historical exploration of the west coast. The place lack of exhibitions, but has free entrance. I still recommend visiting, the views from the top are picturesque!

(Translated by Google) A historical and very good museum. (Original) Um museo histórico e muito bom.

This place is a perfect wedding venue. If your a able to book during the summer, you get a perfect view of the sea world fireworks.

Creepy at night.

Is a historic place with a large green area to enjoy under the trees you can seat and read a book or just let the time go by

Grateful for the scenic view, SD historical significance & education. Staff was friendly & informative. BA clean!! We (2) gave $10 donation though is free.. and glad we stopped in!

I Officiated a wedding here recently. This place is organized and has it together! I hope to Officiate many more because I love venues that really make sure the couple’s day is special!

This is an event venue- not a museum. For a free museum, it's fine. For a museum where you're pressured to donate $10 per person, total waste of time. There's about half a Wikipedia article's worth of info here.

I just had a great experience DJing here last weekend! The view is simply awesome and the historic building and location is very beautiful. This is an amazing location for anyone looking to get married at a San Diego landmark!

We just had our wedding at Junipero Serra Museum. Sue and Scott made the whole planning process so easy. It was an unforgettable night in a beautiful setting! Plus we even got to watch the sea world fireworks, which was a fun surprise for our guests!

It's a neat historic spot. Not a great tourist spot. Difficult to get there by foot. Safest way is to access it by car.

A museum with fascinating, interactive videos and exhibits on the effects of the first Spanish Presidio and Mission in California on the local Native Americans. Housed in a 1920s Spanish Revival structure that was built by a man named Marston, this museum is a must see for enthusiasts of local San Diego and Southern California history.

(Translated by Google) Very nice the view is very good (Original) Muy bonito la vista es muy buena

The exhibition is a little sparse, you can't always go up into the tower for the best view, and the 'ruins' of the Presidio are little more than some statues and mounds of dirt. But the building has an interesting history and is set in a peaceful, beautiful park (minus the freeway noise)

Super awesome clean place, love sing the history of San Diego and the view you can see from this place

Great place for visiting and know the history of San Diego city and place.

Although not open this was a beautiful area to see and view the valley.

It is like oasis in the desert.

The first mission in California, 1769, not to be missed for the history, gardens and lovely church (still offering Mass and weddings)

When though it was closed. Good view and river exhibit in back, excellent. Will have to go back.

A look at San Diegos beginning. Donations accepted. Fascinating even to this SD native.

What a perfect way to spend a rainy San Diego, CA day! There is lots to see at this science center, I think I spent over 3 hours in there. My favorite was the rainforest exhibit because it was an experience to be surrounded by pretty butterflies fluttering around you. The aquarium is also something to see. I also enjoyed the colorful mineral exhibit and also the penguins! The planetarium is a good place to take a 30 minute nap. Cool museum for adults and kids would also enjoy it.

So beautiful

Beautiful view, San Diego historical site, been going here since I was young!!

One of America’s Finest city’s places to visit

Beautiful view

(Translated by Google) Family weekend and the privilege to know more about the history of San Diego (Original) Fin de semana en familia y el privilegio de conocer más sobre la historia de San Diego

Has great exhibit in the back. Compares current status of area and how it was in the last century

Needs improvements Nothing fascinating about this location. Could be really cool if they had more lightning and blocked freeway noise with Bamboo. Very little parking.

(Translated by Google) A small museum but very educational. It includes a lot of information about the natives of San Diego. (Original) Un museo pequeño pero muy educativo. Incluye mucha información acerca de los nativos de San Diego.

Beautiful place. Well worth the stop in

A true Jewel of San Diego History.. Its Amazing Architecture (Spanish) And Breath taking 360° Beautiful View....a must! If you have time go and check it out. Ps.theres a lot of walking involved wear your tennis shoes.

Beautiful spot for a wedding!

Cool

Junípero Serra Museum is currently operating according to Summer hours and opened to public from Memorial Day till Labor Day Friday-Monday 10 am - 5 pm. As of now museum is undergoing renovation and its Main Hall and Tower are not available to visitors. During much anticipated renovation museum Visitors Center and Store are opened to public. On July 16th Junípero Serra Museum will be reopened for the 250th anniversary of the founding of contemporary San Diego, and the 90th anniversary of the dedication of the Museum. Original site of the first Mission and Presidio in Alta California is only one minute walk from the Serra museum building and museum employees are providing walking maps and directions. Grounds and views of canyons and hills are absolutely stunning and picture perfect. I will definitely return and post more photos after museum will be fully renovated.

Amazing historic site to visit. Presidio and museum. Plus... You will see photography sessions... And San Diego

Good display

Excellent, clean, Helpful people, nice view.

The museum, the park, everything is awesome! The museum is only open on weekends so try to make it then as it’s a great little learning experience for kids and adults. The grounds are clean and plenty of flowers blooming as of late! Bring a blanket and enjoy the afternoon on the grounds.

Meditation class every Sat 8AM