Mission San Juan Capistrano, Spanish mission station in San Juan Capistrano, United States

Mission San Juan Capistrano is a Spanish mission station in San Juan Capistrano, California, with several buildings arranged around courtyards and gardens. The complex includes a small chapel with thick walls, ruins of a larger stone church, and long arcades connecting rooms and workshops.

The complex was founded in 1776 as the seventh station in the chain of California missions and served as a religious and agricultural outpost of Spanish colonial administration. An earthquake in 1812 destroyed the large stone church, leaving ruins that remain visible today.

The mission is named for Saint John of Capistrano, a 15th-century Italian priest. Each March 19, Saint Joseph's Day, the parish marks the traditional "Return of the Swallows." The Serra Chapel, built in 1782, still holds religious services, and three priests — José Barona, Vicente Fustér and Vicente Pascual Oliva — are entombed beneath its sanctuary floor.

The entrance is located on Ortega Highway and leads into a large courtyard from which all areas are accessible. Guided tours help with orientation between chapel, ruins, and gardens, and a visit typically takes one to two hours.

The "Return of the Swallows" is observed every March 19, Saint Joseph's Day, when the birds arrive at the mission. The tradition was popularized in the 1930s by Father John O'Sullivan, who rang the bells to welcome them; the mission's annual celebration still follows that date.