Explore Los Angeles Missions, Ranchos, and Historic Adobes

The history of early Los Angeles settlers is preserved in a network of historic Missions and Ranchos. These locations provide invaluable insights into the Spanish settlement of California and offer a glimpse into the lives of ranchers and early politicians. Additionally, they shed light on the original Tongva and Tataviam people of the Los Angeles basin. This article presents a comprehensive list of notable sites, organized into Local History Museums and Historic Home Museums.

San Gabriel Mission

428 S. Mission Drive
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 457-3035
www.sangabrielmissionchurch.org
The San Gabriel Mission, established in 1771, is situated in San Gabriel, just north of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley. As the fourth mission built by Junipero Serra, it stands as one of the best-preserved missions in the California mission system. Notably, eleven families from this mission walked nine miles to help found what is now known as El Pueblo de Nuestra la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula, or Los Angeles. The Mission remains active as a Catholic church with a history museum onsite.

Avila Adobe

10 E Olvera St
Los Angeles, CA
elpueblo.lacity.org/
The Avila Adobe at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Site is recognized as the oldest house in Los Angeles, constructed in 1818 by Francisco José Avila, the mayor of Los Angeles in 1910. The adobe is a museum that is authentically furnished as it would have appeared in the 1940s and is free for public visits.

San Fernando Mission

15151 San Fernando Mission Blvd.
Mission Hills, CA
(818) 361-0186
The San Fernando Mission, built in 1797, is located in the Mission Hills district of Los Angeles in the East San Fernando Valley. Designated as the 17th mission in the California Mission system, the San Fernando Rey de España is an active Catholic church that also features an onsite museum.

Los Encinos State Historic Park

16756 Moorpark St.
Encino CA 91436
(818)784-4849
los-encinos.org
The Los Encinos State Historic Park preserves the last remaining parcel of land from what used to be the Indian Village of the Tongva and Tataviam Indians, known in this region as Fernandeno. It also includes the 1849 rancho buildings from the de La Osa Rancho that occupied this area post the establishment of the San Fernando Mission.

Leonis Adobe Museum

23537 Calabasas Road
Calabasas, CA 91302
(818) 222-6511
leonisadobemuseum.org
The Leonis Adobe serves as the original 2-story adobe home of Miguel Leonis, famously known as the King of Calabasas. The site features period livestock, gardens, and a vineyard, alongside the Plummer House, an 1870 Victorian home relocated from Hollywood, and a wild west jail.

Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum

18127 S. Alameda St
Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220
(310) 603-0088
www.dominguezrancho.com
The Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum, located at Rancho San Pedro, marks a significant Spanish land grant of 75,000 acres awarded to Juan Jose Dominguez by King Carlos III in 1784. Dominguez, a retired Spanish soldier, came to California during the Portola expedition and later served with Father Junipero Serra. The Rancho encompassed the complete Los Angeles harbor, and the land continues to be managed by the Dominguez family. The museum offers free tours of the Adobe residence every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, in addition to openings on the first Thursday and Friday of each month.

Rancho Los Cerritos

4600 Virginia Road
Long Beach, California 90807
(562) 570-1755
www.rancholoscerritos.org
In 1784, when the Spanish were establishing their settlements in California, Manuel Nieto received a land grant covering the southern half of the Los Angeles Basin. By 1834, this land was divided into six parcels, one of which, Rancho Los Cerritos, was given to Nieto’s daughter Manuela Cota. The original ranch house, later remodeled by the Bixby family, has since become a free museum.

Rancho Los Alamitos

6400 Bixby Hill Road (Enter through the residential security gate at the intersection of Anaheim and Palo Verde)
Long Beach, CA 90815
(562) 431-3541
www.rancholosalamitos.org
Rancho Los Alamitos represents another portion of the original Nieto land grant, situated on the ancient Tongva village site of Povuu’nga, now enveloped by a gated community adjacent to California State University Long Beach. The ranch features the original adobe structure from the 1800s, a 1948 horse barn, and a new exhibit center with remnants of the original village still visible. Admission to the museum is free.

Andres Pico Adobe

10940 Sepulveda Blvd
Mission Hills, CA 91346
(818) 365-7810
sfvhs.com
The Andres Pico Adobe, built in 1834, is located in the Mission Hills area of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. This historic house was constructed for Andres Pico, who was a general in the Mexican-California armed forces. It currently serves as a museum showcasing San Fernando Valley’s rich history, operated by the San Fernando Valley Historical Society.

Centinela Adobe Complex

7643 Midfield Ave
Westchester, CA 90045
310-412-2812 or 310-649-6272
www.histsocentvalley.org
The Historical Society of Centinela Valley manages the Centinela Adobe Complex, owned by the City of Inglewood. This site includes Ignacio Machado’s 1834 adobe, the South Bay’s first residence; the Daniel Freeman Land Office; and the Walter Haskell Research Center, which features vintage fashions, memorabilia, and archives. The complex is open on Sundays from 2-4 PM.

Montebello History Museum at the Sanchez Adobe

946 Adobe Ave
Montebello, CA 90640
323-887-4592
www.montebellohistoricalsociety.org
The Montebello Historical Society oversees the 1844 Sanchez Adobe museum, the former home of Juan Matias Sanchez. This museum exhibits a collection of family photographs, memorabilia, and items related to both the surrounding area and the First San Gabriel Mission.

The Old Mill Foundation

1120 Old Mill Road
San Marino, CA 91108
(626) 449-5458
www.old-mill.org
The Old Mill, or El Molino Viejo, is an 1816, two-story adobe gristmill that served Mission San Gabriel and is known as the first commercial structure in Southern California. The museum showcases artifacts from the mill, antique paintings and furnishings, along with an upstairs art gallery utilized by the California Art Club. Visiting hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 1-4 PM.

Pio Pico Adobe – El Ranchito

6003 Pioneer Boulevard
Whittier, CA
562-695-1217
This adobe ranch house, known as El Ranchito, was constructed in 1853 by Pío de Jesus Pico IV, who served two terms as governor of California in 1832 and 1846 during the Mexican-American War. It is now operated as Pio Pico State Historic Park and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM to 3:30 PM.

Catalina Verdugo Adobe in Glendale

2211 Bonita Drive
Glendale, CA 91208

The Catalina Verdugo Adobe is considered the oldest dwelling in Glendale. The house has been meticulously restored and furnished in an authentic 1800s style. While the grounds are accessible year-round, tours of the interior are available only by appointment with the head docent at (818) 244-2841.

This park is also notable for housing the remnants of the “Oak of Peace,” where an important meeting occurred in 1847, shortly leading to the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga at Campo de Cahuenga, which ultimately ended the Mexican-American War.

Casa Adobe de San Rafael & Park

330 Dorothy Drive
Glendale, CA 91202
(818) 502-9080
www.glendaleca.gov
The Casa Adobe de San Rafael was constructed in 1870 by Los Angeles County Sheriff Tomas Sanchez. It has undergone restoration and is furnished with period-appropriate 19th-century decor. Public tours take place every Sunday in July and August, along with the first Sunday of each month year-round. The 1.6-acre park surrounds the adobe and is open daily until dusk.

Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum

15415 East Don Julian Road
City of Industry, California 91745
(626) 968-8492
www.homesteadmuseum.org
Nestled in the City of Industry, the Homestead Museum features a Victorian-era house built around the remains of an adobe from the 1840s, alongside a Spanish Colonial Revival mansion known as La Casa Nueva from the 1920s. Additionally, El Campo Santo, a private cemetery, lies on-site, containing the remains of Pio Pico and families of early pioneers. Guided tours of the houses are available free of charge from Wednesday to Sunday. The museum gallery and cemetery are open daily.

Camarillo Ranch House, Camarillo

201 Camarillo Ranch Road
Camarillo, CA. 93012
(805) 389-8182
www.camarilloranch.org
The Camarillo Ranch was originally a land grant to Gabriel Ruiz in 1766, later purchased by Juan Camarillo in 1875. The existing three-story, 14-room Victorian Queen Anne ranch house was constructed in 1892 to replace the prior adobe that was lost to fire. Public tours are offered on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, subject to availability and fee.

Campo de Cahuenga

3919 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91604
(818) 762-3998 ext: *2
www.campodecahuenga.com
Campo de Cahuenga, a significant historic site in North Hollywood, is situated directly across from Universal City Metro Station and is managed by City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks. This site marks the location where the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed on January 13, 1847, concluding the Mexican-American War. The building is usually open once a month on the first Saturday, but invaluable information about California history can be accessed through their website. An annual commemoration event occurs each January conducted by the Campo de Cahuenga Historical Memorials Association.

Hathaway Ranch and Oil Museum

11901 East Florence Avenue
Santa Fe Springs, CA
(562) 777-3444
www.hathawayranchmuseum.org
The Hathaway Ranch & Oil Museum offers a historical narrative spanning five generations of the Hathaway family, encompassing their ranch and the oil industry on this 5-acre Heritage Park campus located in Santa Fe Springs, just south of Downtown LA. The site also features an exhibit on the Tongva Indian Village and a railroad exhibit.

Adobe de Palomares in Pomona

491 E. Arrow Highway
Pomona, CA
(909) 620-0264
www.pomonahistorical.org
The Adobe de Palomares served as the residence of Don Ygnacio Palomares, whose Rancho San Jose extended across a significant portion of what is now eastern Los Angeles County. Most of the structure has been carefully restored and furnished to reflect its appearance during the 1860s. It is open for public visits on Sundays from 2 PM to 5 PM.