An annual Halloween tradition on California’s oldest residential street. Join us for an all-ages guided walk down historic Los Rios Street. Hear from ghostly visitors who share their story of their time walking this very same street. Spooky, family friendly tales will be a highlight of your holiday.
The Historical Society has Thousands of photos archived. You can view many of our favorites on this SmugMug site. In addition you can purchase from the site and have the photos printed and delivered to your home or business.
CLICK THE BELOW TO ACCESS PHOTOS:
SJC Historical Society SmugMug
Many individuals and businesses have been buying copies of the Society’s photo collection since it was established. Family Toyota on Camino Capistrano has the largest collection of these photos which are 24″ x 36″ in size. Mollie’s Famous Café has a large number also. Anyone interested in purchasing copies should contact the Society at (949) 493-8444. Prices vary by size.
The Society also has panorama photos which are 8 inches by 3 feet in size. These are special orders and take a bit longer to process.
The Historical Society gives tours every Saturday at 1:00 pm starting at the train depot. Tours last about 45 minutes and include the Society’s own collection of historic structures as well as other homes in the Los Rios District. As the oldest, continuously inhabited street in California, Los Rios Street is a charming neighborhood with a colorful history.
Tours travel through back through history and include centuries-old adobes, 19th century board and batten homes, and more. The Society’s collection includes the Garcia/Pryor House (a beautiful Victorian), the Leck House (a lovely Craftsman from the region’s agricultural era), and the recently restored Silvas Adobe. Every building has its story to tell, and our guides are eager to share them.
Tours are also available by appointment for groups of 5 or more. For more information, or to set up a tour, please email us at info@sjchistory.org or call 949-493-8444.
Love San Juan Capistrano’s unique history?
Volunteer as a walking tour guide! Tours are offered on Saturdays at 1 p.m. from the train depot to the Historical Society museum. You’ll share the history of Los Rios Street and share stories about the museum and other buildings on the grounds. Training provided. Tours take about 45 minutes and you would give a tour about once every 5 or 6 weeks. Schedule flexible. Call, text or email Ann Ronan, 949-702-3977, ann@sjctravel.com
The San Juan Historical Society continues to expand to create the Los Rios Historical Center. In addition to the O’Neill Museum located in the Garcia/Pryor House, the Center currently includes the Arley Leck house, the Silvas Adobe and the tiny Oyharzabal building.
These homes will become Museums for historic depictions, archival resources, gallery exhibits and special events. Contributions for this program would be most appreciated.
In the early 1990s the Society began its Archive Program. The archives include the more than 6,000 plus photo collection, library, genealogical records, oral histories, artifacts and general files. The archives are located at the museum and are available to researchers, media and students. The Historical Society is always interested in acquiring contributions of photos and other items of unique history from San Juan Capistrano and the surrounding area for preservation. Funds for the support of preserving contributions are always greatly appreciated.
Preserving the pictorial history of San Juan Capistrano and the area around it is the purpose of the Photo Preservation Program. The Historical Society has over 6,000 photos in its archives and continues to receive pictures from the local citizens. These photos are copied so that the Society has a negative of the photo, and then is mounted either on large 11 x 14 mats and placed in bins or are mounted and placed in albums. The photos are placed in archival material for handling and mats and the corners used in the albums are all archival material. This way photos can be handled without causing damage. Many students, newspapers, and researchers use these photos for their work.
Copies of the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society’s photograph collection are available for purchase by contacting the Society at (949) 493-8444. Panorama photos are also available (8 inches by 36 inches) by special order. Prices on all photos vary by size.
Click the link below to view the Historical Society Archive:
