The murals, figurines, and coats of arms are right there above the storefronts on B Street and Third Avenue. Most people walk past them every day without noticing.
Tour guide Lisa Vande Voorde wants to change that. On July 12, she led the San Mateo Heritage Alliance's Downtown Historic District Walking Tour, a two-hour, one-mile loop that started at 10 a.m. The free tour is limited to 25 people and typically fills up, with a waitlist available, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.
"It's invisible to most people who visit downtown, but once they go on the tour it creates an awareness," Vande Voorde told the Daily Journal.
Vande Voorde has guided the walks since 2023, according to the Daily Journal, pointing out architectural styles that span decades of development. The district's buildings include Art Deco, Colonial, Greek Revival, Spanish Colonial, Mission, and Tudor Revival designs, according to the Heritage Alliance's website. That variety exists because downtown grew rapidly after San Mateo's first train station was built in 1863, connecting the area to the San Francisco-to-San Jose railroad line.
The downtown area earned official recognition as a historic district in 1993.
One stop that draws attention is the original City Hall building at 215-227 S. B Street. Built in 1914 in Art Deco style, it has served as a police station, fire station, and office building over the decades. B Street Boxing leases the basement level and uses an old jail cell as a storage closet.
A tour built on Keith Weber's legacy
The walking tour carries the imprint of the late Keith Weber, a charter member and vice president of the Heritage Alliance whose preservation advocacy helped create the historic district in 1993. Weber designed the original tour route using research from "San Mateo: A Centennial History," written by Mitch Postel, who has served as president of the San Mateo County Historical Association since 1984. Weber died on January 21, 2025, at age 76, according to his obituary.
"Every tour I do is really in Keith's honor. It has his thumbprint all over it," Vande Voorde told the Daily Journal.
The San Mateo Heritage Alliance, a nonprofit established in 2022, hosts the tours monthly through the summer and plans to continue them year-round.
How to join future tours
Registration is required. Email [email protected] to reserve a spot. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. The meeting point will be confirmed upon registration.
Upcoming community events
- Downtown Historic District Walking Tour, next date TBD — free, 25 spots, two hours starting at 10 a.m. Email [email protected].
- Victorian Days tour, August (date TBD). Email [email protected] for the full schedule.
