Southwestern Mission Research Center
Committed to promoting and fostering education, research and preservation relating to the Spanish Borderlands for over 50 years
Welcome!
The Southwestern Mission Research Center is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. We’re committed to the cause of supporting Spanish Borderlands research and education. Our Kino Missions tours introduce people to the history and culture of the Pimería Alta, in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and Arizona. Proceeds from these tours enable us to sponsor important scholarship on a broader level, assist with publications, and promote education. Furthermore we engage in cooperative restoration projects with the mission communities.
Explore our website to learn more about Spanish colonial missions. Most of all you will find out about the work of the Southwestern Mission Research Center.
Upcoming SMRC Mission Tours
Retrace the steps of Father Kino and the missionaries who followed him. You’ll be guided by scholars and enthusiasts who know and love the region. Most noteworthy they volunteer their time to share their knowledge of the Spanish borderlands missions with others.
In the News…
Anza Tour at Historic Canoa Ranch
On Friday, October 21, 2022, you can take an Anza tour at Historic Canoa Ranch. Learn about Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza and the group of Spanish colonial settlers who, in 1775, made their first stop at Canoa Ranch as they began an epic 1200-mile journey from...
read moreUpdate on Mission San Gabriel
Mission San Gabriel continues to make great progress with repairs to the Church two years after the fire in July, 2020. The recent restrictions made getting repair equipment and new materials more difficult and timely. The Mission hopes...
read moreA Critical Retrofit of Mission Santa Inés
The California Missions Foundation (CMF) is joining with Mission Santa Inés for a critical retrofit of the mission, which will be a $3.6 million project. CMF is currently forming a fundraising committee and will be reaching out to engage everyone from the local...
read moreRead our previous entries
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SMRC REVISTA
Highlights recent news and events, feature articles, and notes on recently published books and articles pertaining to the Spanish Borderlands.