Mission Exterior: Mission San Xavier del Bac is a beautiful Spanish style mission just south of Tucson, Ariz. The mission has a white exterior, which makes it easily visible for miles in the Arizona desert. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Mission Interior: The ornate interior of the mission shows off many artifacts and art work. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission located just south of Tucson, Ariz. on the Tohono O’odham Nation San Xavier Indian Reservation.
The mission was constructed in the late 1700s. While there were periods of time when the mission sat empty in the early 1800s, the mission has been active serving the community since 1859.
The mission was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
The facility hosts 200,000 visitors a year.
The mission has suspended all outside visitors and tours until further notice due to the COVID-19 virus. Before planning a visit, be sure to call for the latest status.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country and he shares his photographs, which appear in the ‘Posts from the Road’ series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Visitors: The mission welcomes visitors daily except when services are being held. About 200,000 people a year visit the mission. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Building Detail: Shown is an architectural detail of the Spanish Colonial mission, which was constructed in the late 1700s. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Restoration: Exterior restoration has been a work in progress for several years. This view of the front of the mission shows the restored tower on the left while the darker right tower is still being restored. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
