Upcoming
Downtown Historic District Walking Tour
San Mateo – Sunday, July 12, 2026 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Explore the fascinating architecture of San Mateo’s Downtown Historic District on a tour led by the San Mateo Heritage Alliance. The District’s eclectic mix of styles includes Art Deco, Colonial, Classical and Greek Revival, Spanish Colonial, Mission and Tudor Revival. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
The tour is FREE and limited to 25 people. Registration is required. Contact tour@smheritage.org to reserve your spot!
Past Events
Downtown Historic District Walking Tour
Monthly tours are held throughout the summer. Please check our posted events and social media accounts for announcements of scheduled tour dates, or email tour@smheritage.org to get on our mailing list.
Virtual Community Workshop - Historic Policy Update Effort
A virtual workshop held to help shape San Mateo’s historic preservation future. Participants explored Preservation & Policy 101, shared memories and visions through a Digital Time Capsule activity, discussed how preservation relates to property, and contributed to a Preservation Priorities exercise to help guide future preservation efforts.
Yoshiko Yamanouchi House Historic District Tour
An exclusive tour of San Mateo's newest Historic District, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2023. The Yoshiko Yamanouchi House is listed at the local level of significance under Criteria A and B in the areas of Ethnic Heritage/Asian/Japanese and Social History/Women’s History for its association with a prominent member of the Issei (immigrant) generation in San Mateo’s Japanese American community. This new historic district highlights the influence of the Japanese American Community in San Mateo, from the early 20th century to today.
Historic Resources and Districts
An informational community meeting on San Mateo’s Historic Resources and Districts. Provided an opportunity to clarify how a building or district is designated as historic, what protections are afforded to historic resources, how historic resources can be modified, and how the community can become involved in next steps of the City’s related policy work. Moderated by a neutral facilitator and included a presentation by the City’s historic resources consultant, Architectural Resources Group, followed by a question-and-answer period.
Dia de los Muertos
An event featuring wine and cheese among the tombs! Participants learned about St. John's most celebrated residents and our efforts to maintain the historical character of Baywood.
Baywood Historic District Listening Sessions & Q&A
An informational community meeting where participants were about to voice their thoughts and concerns about the proposed Baywood Historic District in a Q&A session.