Texas
San Antonio Missions
Inscribed 2015
The San Antonio Missions are a group of five frontier mission complexes and a ranch built by Franciscan missionaries in the 18th century. They illustrate the Spanish Crown’s efforts to colonize, evangelize and defend the northern frontier of New Spain while also demonstrating the inventive interchange that occurred between indigenous peoples, missionaries, and colonizers, resulting in a fundamental and permanent change in the cultures and values of all involved. The Missions display an interweaving of Spanish and Coahuiltecan cultures, illustrated by a variety of features, including the decorative elements of churches, which combine Catholic symbols with indigenous designs inspired by nature. In addition to evangelizing the area’s indigenous population into converts loyal to the Catholic Church, the missions also included all the components required to establish self-sustaining, socio-economic communities loyal to the Spanish Crown.
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In 1978, the Spanish colonial missions in San Antonio became a part of the National Park Service.
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The San Antonio Missions tell the stories of the people who came into the Spanish missions to live in the 1700s.
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Misión San José y San Miguel de Aguayo was established in 1720. Located at 6519 San Jose Drive, it was designated the San Jose Mission National Historic Site in 1941. Photo courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service.
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The grounds outside of the buildings are landscaped beautifully in the warm seasons.
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The entrance of the Mission Conception building.
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Map of San Antonio Missions.