On Sunday, November 1, 2026, Mission San Juan Capistrano will mark its 250th anniversary. This remarkable milestone offers an opportunity to reflect on the Mission’s enduring legacy of tradition, faith and its far-reaching historical significance in California and beyond.
In celebration of this historic anniversary, the Mission Preservation Foundation is proud to present a special, yearlong Artifact of the Month program. Throughout 2026, the Mission will showcase a different artifact from its extensive archives each month, offering visitors a rare opportunity to encounter objects that tell the story of the Mission across centuries.
Many of these artifacts are seldom seen by the public. This rotating exhibition will include an original 19th-century confessional booth, the historic 1865 Lincoln Document, rare books and many more significant pieces that illuminate the Mission’s enduring legacy.
January 2026
– Artifact of the Month (Jan. 5 – Feb. 2): Mary Pickford’s Wedding painting from 1924 (Location: Mission Treasures Exhibit)
February 2026
– Artifact of the Month (Feb. 2 – March 2): The Lincoln Document signed on March 18, 1865, on limited display (Location: Mission Treasures Exhibit)
March 2026
– Artifact of the Month (March 2 – April 6): The Leon Rene Piano from 1930 (Location: Leon Rene Exhibit)
April 2026
– Artifact of the Month (April 6 – May 4): Confessional Booth from the early 1800s (Location: Sala)
May 2026
– Artifact of the Month (May 4 – June 1): Baptismal Font from the early 1800s (Location: Serra Chapel)
June 2026
– Artifact of the Month (June 1 – July 6): Forster Saddle from the 1830s (Location: Mission Treasures Exhibit)
July 2026
– Artifact of the Month (July 6 – August 3): Mission Inventories written from 1791-1834 (Location: Sala)
August 2026
– Artifact of the Month (Aug. 3 – Sept. 4): Historic Photograph Collection from the early – late 1800s (Location: Mission Treasures Exhibit)
September 2026
– Artifact of the Month (Sept. 4 – Oct. 5): Books written about the Mission from the early 1900s; Chinigchinich, Capistrano Nights and Little Chapters (Location: Mission Treasures Exhibit)
October 2026
– Artifact of the Month (Oct. 5 – Nov. 2): Acjachemen Baskets from the early 1900s (Location: Acjachemen Exhibit)
November 2026
– Artifact of the Month (Nov. 2 – Dec. 7): Sacramental Registers written in 1776 (Location: Mission Treasures Exhibit)
December 2026
– Artifact of the Month (Dec. 7 – Jan. 4, 2027): Station XII of the Stations of the Cross painting from 1800 (Location: Serra Chapel)
