In the early 50’s, Knott’s Berry Farm, an amusement park in Buena Park, California, commissioned a series of models of the California missions.  The models were displayed for many years, but were retired in 1998.

The mission models deteriorated in storage, but after a three-year restoration effort, they are now being placed on display once again.  The models were restored by Bob Weir, a veteran wood carver who has been employed at Knott’s for more than 20 years.

Each of the models – some as large as 12×12 feet – is displayed in it’s own small “hut.”

In addition to their historical and educational value, the models hold a sentimental attraction for many visitors who saw them as children.

One of our favorite California Missions is featured in the Fall 2016 issue of Via Magazine. The answer to the “mystery spot” puzzle that appears on the last page of the magazine is Mission San Juan Bautista.

The clues provided say that the mystery location was the setting for the climactic scene in Hitchcock’s classic 1958 film, Vertigo. Unfortunately, nothing is said about the beauty or the historic significance of the mission itself.

If you’d like to contribute to the preservation of this beautiful and historically important mission, please visit savemissionsjb.com

A group of scholars and government officials from the United States and Mexico met at the University of California at Riverside to discuss the cultural significance of preservation of the Spanish missions.

The 21 California Missions are actually an extension of a long string of missions that run the length of the Baja California peninsula.  Mexico considers the Spanish missions to be an important part of their cultural heritage, and preservation efforts and funded by the Mexican government.  In California, the missions do not receive State or Federal funding, so preservation efforts must be funded by the church or by private donations.

The goal of the meeting, which was organized by the UC-Mexico Initiative’s Arts and Cultures Working Group, was to discuss the importance of the missions to local communities today, and explore ideas for coordinating and improving preservation efforts.  The meeting also highlighted efforts by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to designate El Camino Real – the cultural route that connected Baja California with upper California – as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The  initiative also aims to foster collaboration through:

• technology and innovations
• academic exchange and collaborations
• engagement to solve shared and complex social, political, environmental and economic problems
• increased breadth and depth of collaborative research
• bilateral opportunities for scholarly pursuits

Further Reading

Mexico-US effort aims to preserve missions – Mexico Daily News.  June 10, 2016

Preservation of Spanish missions in California and Mexico examined – University of California at Riverside.  June 3, 2016