Did you know that California’s oldest neighborhood is just a train ride away from Los Angeles?
The Los Rios Historic District in San Juan Capistrano dates back to 1776, meaning that it turns 250 this year. The city is celebrating by offering free historic trolley tours on one day a month, welcoming guests for an engaging ride through the heart of the city.
San Juan Capistrano 250 trolley rides
The San Juan Capistrano Historical Society hosts these fun and fascinating free trolley tours, which start and end at the SJC Library parking lot. Hop aboard to hear stories about the people and places that shaped San Juan Capistrano, including Los Rios Street’s famous 200+ year old adobes.
The tours are only available on the first Tuesday of the month from 10-11am and 11:30-12:30pm. They’re completely free to join, but it’s best to register in advance at the SJC250 website.
If you can’t make it on the elusive guided trolley tour, you can still enjoy free rides on the trolley (sans tour), which operates on weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Los Rios Street
Founded in 1776 by Junípero Serra, Mission San Juan Capistrano became the seventh of California’s Spanish missions, part of a system that imposed severe suffering and loss on Indigenous groups.
The surrounding town developed around the mission, with Los Rios Street emerging alongside it. Once extending as far as what is now Dana Point Harbor, the street today measures only about 600 feet. Of the original adobe residences, three dating back about 230 years remain, while most of the others were constructed in the early 1900s by European settlers.
Read our article to learn more about California’s oldest neighborhood.Visiting San Juan Capistrano from Los Angeles
🚗 By car: You can reach San Juan Capistrano by car via I-5 in about 1-1.5 hours from L.A., depending on traffic.
🚂 By train: The Metrolink Orange County line gets you from Union Station to San Juan Capistrano station in 1 hour and 15 minutes.
