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Photo: Omar A., CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
If driving, be aware of campus parking restrictions.
Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, United States. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís which traces its founding to 1777. The campus mirrors the Mission's architectural style and contains Mission Revival architecture and other Spanish Colonial Revival styles. The university is classified as a "Doctoral/Professional" university.
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The eighth Franciscan California mission, founded by Father Serra. It was built nearer to the Guadalupe River, moved to its present location in 1828, and restored in 1929. It is the only mission on a university campus. In front of the church, see the hitching ring and step for dismounting from a carriage; peer through the fence into the rose garden on the north side of the church; measure the life-sized statue of Fr. Serra, stroll along the walkway covered with gnarled wisteria vines, into the Mission Gardens with the giant sago palm, Sacred Heart Statue, adobe wall (with a hole for cooking), grinding stone.
The museum combines rotating exhibitions with a permanent collection of works by Ernest de Saisset, a 19th-century Santa Clara student who studied painting in Paris. The museum is often closed between exhibitions, so call ahead or check the website for open dates.
This museum occupies the historical Santa Clara railway depot building near the Santa Clara Caltrain station. It features a variety of historical railroad artifacts and elaborate model railroads at HO and N scales.
The grounds surrounding City Hall include a statue of Santa Clara, fountains, "Stroll Into the Past" plaques, other public artwork, and a set of flagpoles featuring all the flags that have flown over Santa Clara. Inside City Hall hangs a collection of historical photographs. City Hall is across the street from the Triton Museum and worth a stroll around the grounds if you are visiting the museum.
The museum offers a variety of rotating exhibits. Classes and special events may require a fee.
Learn a bit of local and technological history, and see what it takes to enter a cleanroom. Allow 1–2 hours.