Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Spanish colonial mission in Oceanside, US.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is a Spanish colonial mission in Oceanside with a cross-shaped church and thick walls made of adobe and brick. The buildings blend Baroque and Classical design, and the grounds include gardens, a cemetery, and restored living quarters.

The mission was founded in 1798 and was the eighteenth of twenty-one Spanish missions built in Alta California. It played a key role in colonizing the region during the late 1700s and early 1800s.

The mission takes its name from the Luiseño people, whom it lent its name to. Pablo Tac, a Luiseño convert, wrote an early account of mission life in Rome around 1835, later edited and translated in 1958. The first Peruvian pepper tree in California was planted here in 1830.

The grounds are open to visitors daily, with guided tours in multiple languages offered throughout the week. Comfortable shoes are recommended since there are several buildings and outdoor areas to explore.

The first Peruvian pepper tree in California was planted here in 1830; it was later renamed the California pepper tree. In 1957 Disney filmed Zorro scenes at the mission, using it as a stand-in for Mission San Gabriel, and added a skull and crossbones to the cemetery entrance.