Mission San Gabriel Arcangel (Messenger of God) was founded in 1771, the 4th mission founded under the direction of Fr Junipero Serra, following his establishment of Mission San Diego (1st), Mission San Carlos in Carmel (2nd), and Mission San Antonio in the Valley of the Oaks (3rd).

The site was selected to be near the Rio de los Tremblores (now the Santa Ana River), named by earlier Spanish explorers who had experienced earthquakes in the area. It was a devastating flood in 1776, however, that forced Mission San Gabriel to be moved to its current location, closer to the mountains, 5 miles away from the flood plain.

The original mission site is located near the intersection of San Gabriel Blvd and Lincoln Ave.

Made of stone (lower walls) and brick (upper walls), the completion of the current Mission San Gabriel took 14 years. It was designed in a Moorish style based on a Cordova cathedral in Spain. Its tall, narrow windows and buttresses are unique as compared to all other Camino Real missions.

Earthquakes have damaged the Mission over time. The catastrophic earthquake of 1812 that damaged many missions in the area also destroyed Mission San Gabriel's three-bell campanario and some outer buildings. Reconstruction of the mission at that time replaced it with the current six-bell tower. Extensive earthquake damage also occurred in 1987 and 1994 with subsequent repairs.

Most notable at Mission San Gabriel (besides its unique design) is the 300+ year old painting 'Our Lady of Sorrows' which still hangs within the mission, next to the high alter. It is told that when the local Tongvas natives tried to drive away the Spanish missionaries, when this painting was displayed, the Tongvas immediately made peace because of the painting's beauty.

Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, like all other Alta California missions, was abandoned after secularization in 1834 and fell into ruins. Here, though, a functioning parish church occurred between 1864-1908 with the missionaries doing significant restoration and rebuilding. Often referred to as fortress-like, much here is reflective of the original mission. It is definitely worth a visit.