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home in Argentina. It’s a journey that inspired Leon René’s song, “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.” Increased urbanization has made it tougher to spot the swallows, but


in recent years, the Mission has undertaken a vocalization project using swallow courtship calls to lure the birds back to their nesting grounds at the iconic Great Stone Church. Te annual springtime migration also signals the return of the Fiesta de


las Golondrinas season, highlighted by the Swallows Day Parade, heralded as the largest non-motorized parade in the country. Now heading into its 57th year, the Swallows Day Parade celebrates the best of San Juan Cap- istrano’s heritage and traditions and regularly attracts more than 30,000 visitors from throughout Southern California. But even before the Mission, the Capistrano Valley was home to the


Acjachemen Nation. Also known as the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, these native inhabitants provided much of the sweat equity to build the Mission, as well as the surrounding community. At over 1,900 members strong, the Acjachemen people are a state-rec-


ognized tribe whose influence and significance are present to this day. All over downtown San Juan Capistrano, the original adobes built and once occupied by the Juaneños and Spanish-American settlers still stand. Te current El Adobe de Capistrano Restaurant, a favorite dining op-


tion of former President Richard Nixon, is actually made up of two adobes that formerly served as a residence, a jail and courthouse and a depot station for stagecoaches. Across Camino Capistrano and El Camino Real and adjacent to His-


toric Town Center Park stands the Blas Aguilar adobe, the former home of Don Blas Aguilar, the last alcalde of the area, or mayor under Mexican rule. Te adobe, which recently underwent an extensive rehabilitation, is currently home to a museum, which houses artifacts and relics depicting Juaneño life, history and culture. Another popular destination for both residents and tourists is the pic-


turesque Los Rios Historic District. Located just west of the train depot, the neighborhood is home to several businesses and residents, including some whose family roots predate the Mission. As such, Los Rios Street is on the National Register of Historic Places and the district is considered the oldest continuously inhabited residential neighborhood in California. Te city owes much of its preserved heritage to local volunteers, namely the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society.


Headquartered at the 140-year- old O’Neill Museum on Los Rios Street, the Historical Society has taken on major preservation projects over the years, includ- ing rehabilitating buildings, ar- chiving photos and artifacts and registering historic structures to protect them for the long term. But the Historical Society isn’t about placing things behind glass


barriers. Trough historical walking tours and preservation programs, volunteers regularly welcome visitors to take a peek into San Juan’s past and experience California history. For visitors, it’s a great place to start a journey into the past. Te His-


torical Society hosts tours every Sunday, starting at 1 p.m., at the train platform on Verdugo Street. To learn more about the Society, visit www.sjchistoricalsociety.com. For more information about the Mission, visit www.missionsjc.com.


visitsjc.com | San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce Business Directory & Visitor Guide | 21


O’NEILL MUSEUM


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