I really enjoyed my tour of Mission Dolores. I visited on a
Wednesday morning when only a few people were around, and most of the time I
found myself alone during the tour. The tour starts with the small chapel,
beautifully washed in yellow light. The wooden altar was hand carved in
Mexico and brought to the mission in 1780. The beamed ceiling is covered in
multicolored motifs which are said to resemble the local Ohlone Indian
decorative patterns. On the floor of the chapel there are a few plaques
marking the burial sights of prominent locals. As you exit the chapel there
is a diorama of the mission as it appeared in 1799. From there you can go
into the new basilica which has some beautiful panels and stained glass
windows. Next you'll find the small museum which houses different religious
artifactsy or things found during the restorations of the chapel. Inside the
museum, on the left as you enter, a section of the wall plaster is cut away
to show the thick adobe bricks. The last stop of the tour is the cemetery,
where many local notables from the early times of the city are buried. If you
read the names on the graves you'll recognize the names of many streets in
San Francisco. The cemetery also holds the remains of more than 5000 Native
Americans most of whom died in the measles epidemics of 1804 and 1826. The
cemetery was green and peaceful and I saw a few hummingbirds. The entrance
fee is $3 and $2 more if you want the audio tour.
