Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Exhibit Grand Opening and Film Premiere
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
11:00 A.M.
New exhibits and a wall-sized movie projection to tell the story of the Ohlone and Yokuts Indian experience at the Santa Cruz Mission will make their debut on Friday, February 22 at 11:00 a.m. The public is invited to visit the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park for this dedication and ribbon cutting that will include a tour of the exhibits, film screening, and refreshments.
This portion of the adobe, built in the early 1800’s, is the only surviving building from Mission Santa Cruz. Archeological excavations in the 1980’s revealed that this had been Indian family housing, with one family assigned to each of the rooms. This is the only example of its kind still standing in California today. The movie, We are Still Here, shows how the abundant lives of the Ohlone Indians were changed forever with the institution of the mission system. The new exhibits interpret the mission experience of the Ohlone and Yokuts Indians, and are a welcome addition to the 7-room building that also includes information about archeological excavations and Neary-Rodriguez family history. This project includes exhibits by BANG! Creative, movie by Emmy award winning filmmaker Richard Crawford, mural by Ann Thiermann, work by Nicky Carbajal and Val Lopez of the Amah Mutsun Tribe and work of state parks staff and specialists including Julie Sidel, Alex Takone and Mark Hylkema.
The park hosts weekly living history activities and is an educational hub for school students studying California Mission history. Guided and self-guided tours are also available Thursday-Saturday at the park. California State Parks and park partners, Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, invite you to visit the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, your State Park downtown. The park is located on School Street off Mission and Emmet Street in Santa Cruz. The event is free and takes place rain or shine. For more information, please call (831) 425-5849.