Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Oceanside (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre, and Oceanside City Hall. Also, be sure to include Oceanside Museum of Art in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Oceanside (California).
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Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
School in Oceanside, California. Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is a former Spanish mission in San Luis Rey, a neighborhood of Oceanside, California. This Mission lent its name to the Luiseño tribe of Mission Indians.
At its prime, Mission San Luis Rey's structures and services compound covered almost 950,400 acres (384,600 ha), making it the largest of the Californian missions, along with its surrounding agricultural land. Multiple outposts were built in support of Mission San Luis Rey and placed under its supervision, including San Antonio de Pala Asistencia in 1816 and Las Flores Estancia in 1823.[1]
Address: 4050 Mission Ave., 92057-6402 Oceanside
Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre
Public beach in Oceanside, California. The Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre is a public entertainment and recreation complex located at the foot of the Oceanside Pier in Oceanside, California. Formerly known as the Oceanside Pier Amphitheater, also known as Oceanside Bandshell, the complex was renamed in 2012 posthumously in honor of football player Junior Seau. Seau was a hometown hero to Oceanside and especially its Samoan Community.[2]
Address: Oceanside, 200 N the Strand, Oceanside, CA 92054
Oceanside City Hall
The Oceanside City Hall and Fire Station, also known as Oceanside Civic Center, at 704 and 714 Third St. in Oceanside, California, was built in 1929. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
It consists of two buildings, a single-story L-shaped city hall and a two-story fire station with a 50 feet (15 m) tower, which are visually linked by a retaining wall.
The buildings were designed by architect Irving J. Gill in 1929 as part of a larger civic complex which was not completed.
The listing included one contributing object.[3]
Oceanside Museum of Art
Museum in Oceanside, California. Oceanside Museum of Art is a fine arts museum located at 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside, California in northern San Diego County, California. The museum began holding exhibits in 1995, with a dedicated facility opening on October 6, 1997. It is housed in two buildings designed by Irving Gill and Frederick Fisher, modernist architects from southern California.
The museum houses art focused on works by contemporary artists of southern California. Works exhibited include paintings, sculptures, furniture, art quilts and fiber designs, and glass. The museum also hosts or sponsors classes, lectures, tours, concerts, films, events, and chartered travel to other cultural art exhibits. The museum typically features over a dozen modern and contemporary art exhibitions each year, including exhibits at other community locations.
The museum's 20,020 square foot facility includes 9,128 square feet of gallery space. The museum attracts 25,000 visitors each year, including 4,000 students who participate in programs.[4]
Address: 704 Pier View Way, 92054-2802 Oceanside
Batiquitos Lagoon
The Batiquitos Lagoon is a coastal wetland and estuary located between southern Carlsbad and Encinitas, in the North County region of San Diego County, California. The lagoon itself consists of 610 acres with a drainage basin of about 55,000 acres. Its primary freshwater tributaries being San Marcos Creek from the east and Encinitas Creek which flows north along Green Valley, entering the lagoon under El Camino Real and La Costa Avenue, respectively. It is one of the few remaining tidal wetlands on the southern California coast.[5]
California Surf Museum
Museum in Oceanside, California. The California Surf Museum is a museum located at 312 Pier View Way in Oceanside, California, dedicated to archiving and displaying surfboards, surf art, memorabilia, surfing equipment, photographs, magazines, videos, and more. The California Surf Museum's permanent time line of surfboards includes wooden boards from the early 1900s to today's modern boards. The museum has rotating exhibits and is visited by an estimated 20,000 people annually. It was founded in 1986 in Encinitas, California and subsequently moved to Pacific Beach before settling in Oceanside in 1991. The current location is a 5,100-square-foot building located in downtown Oceanside close to the pier. The museum hosts a number of events annually including a fundraising gala, three-day Surf Film Festival, "Legends Day", book signings, concerts and more. The California Surf Museum is a 501 non-profit organization.
The Museum features a display of many unique pieces of surfing memorabilia, including a display dedicated to Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm in a shark attack off the coast of Hawaii. The display includes the board that Hamilton was riding at the time with a large piece missing where the shark bit off Hamilton's arm, as well as the bathing suit she was wearing at the time, a gift from Ocean Photographer Aaron Chang.[6]
Address: 312 Pier View Way, 92054-2525 Oceanside
Mount Ecclesia
Mount Ecclesia is the location of the international headquarters of the fraternal and service organization The Rosicrucian Fellowship, located on grounds in Oceanside, California. It is also the location of its spiritual temple, called The Ecclesia, situated upon the promontory of a high mesa overlooking the San Luis Rey River Valley and the Franciscan Mission San Luis Rey de Francia.
On April 7, 1995, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Rosicrucian Fellowship Temple.[7]
Address: 2222 Mission Ave, 92058 Oceanside
Buena Vista Lagoon
Geographical feature. Buena Vista Lagoon is a freshwater lagoon adjacent to the Pacific Ocean in the South Coast region of Southern California within North County, San Diego County.
The lagoon covers 223 acres of wetland habitat and serves as a geographic border between Carlsbad and Oceanside. Buena Vista Lagoon is managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The lagoon is home to the Buena Vista Audubon Society Nature Center, and is California's first Ecological Reserve. Two non-profit organizations are committed to the preservation and management of the lagoon: the Buena Vista Audubon Society and the Buena Vista Lagoon Foundation[8]
Prince of Peace Abbey
Monastery
Address: 650 Benet Hill Rd, 92058-1253 Oceanside
San Luis Rey
Neighborhood in Oceanside, California. San Luis Rey is a neighborhood in Oceanside, California. San Luis Rey is along the San Luis Rey River, 4 miles northeast of downtown Oceanside. San Luis Rey has a post office with ZIP code 92068, which opened in 1861.[9]
Eternal Hills Memorial Park
Cemetery
Address: 1999 S El Camino Real, 92054-5754 Oceanside