Santa Clara Living

Founded in 1777, Santa Clara has many different historic sites that you might want to visit. Some of the most popular include the Mission Santa Clara de Asis, which is located on the grounds of the University, the Harris-Lass House Museum, and the South Bay Historical Railroad Society. If you enjoy history, you will find plenty to love in Santa Clara.The Mission is the eighth of 21 missions built in California, and it has an interesting history. The first mission on the site was built in 1777, but it was abandoned because of a flood. A new Mission was built on higher ground, but in 1818, an earthquake destroyed it. Finally, a third Mission was erected and finished in 1825. It still stands today on the grounds of the university, and it is a popular attraction.The Harris-Lass House Museum is located on Market Street in the downtown area of Santa Clara. It is the last standing farm site in the city, and guests will be able to visit the house, the barn, the summer kitchen, and the landscaped gardens. The admission price for adults is 3, for seniors aged 60 and over it is 2, and for children between 6 and 12, the admission is only 1.The South Bay Historical Railroad Society contains a museum within the historic Santa Clara Depot. Visitors to the site can see the historic buildings in the area, railroad artifacts, and scale model displays. Admission to the SBHRS is free.You can also take the “Stroll into the Past”, which is a self-guided tour that you can take, leading you around the city to many historic sites. The tour offers 28 plaques that will take you from the first Native American settlement in the area all the way to the present day.