Walking Tours
Learn more about the Mission San Jose area with a Walking Tour. We have partnered with the Washington Township Museum of Local History and others, to help you appreciate this special location selected long ago by the Spanish Franciscans for Mission San Jose.
Tours Offered during the Celebration
WHY WAS THE MISSION IN FREMONT NAMED "MISSION SAN JOSE?"
Contrary to what you may have read in most books, we are not the Mission San Jose de Guadalupe. In the early part of the 1900's, a sign was erected on the roof of the Museum which said "Mission San Jose de Guadalupe." Many books have since been published and, unfortunately, the authors use this reference in their stories. When this Mission was founded it was named "La Mision del Gloriosisimo Patriarch San Jose" in honor of St. Joseph. All of our record books refer to the Mission as Mission San Jose. Though the pueblo (city) of San Jose was founded 13 miles south near the Guadalupe River, the only connection between the pueblo and the Old Mission is that both were named in honor of St. Joseph.