The Spanish Heritage tour takes viewers to Mission San Fernando Rey de
Espana, Los Encinos Historical Park, Casa Adobe de San Rafael, and Compass
Tree Park, starting and ending at Woodbury University. The Spanish began to
settle in the San Fernando Valley in 1797, starting with the establishment of the
Mission San Fernando, and the gifting of land to Spanish nobility. With so much
land given out at one time, it was hard for landholders to know which land was
theirs and which was their neighbors, so four sycamore trees were planted in the
shape of a compass to establish set boundaries between land, and to help
travelers find their way. With land holdings established and roads created, places
like the Adobe de San Rafael and the De la Osa Adobe at the Los Encinos
historical park began to thrive.
Each location has a voice-over available. The mission has two additional
triggers that play music and one image layover. Casa Adobe de San Rafael has a
gallery wall of historic pictures along with its voice-over, and Compass Tree Park
has a 3D model showing the viewer what the landscape may have looked like
during Spanish rule. Each voice-over has location-specific background noises,
adding more depth to the experience.
