Emeryville Historical Society Launches New San Pablo Avenue/Emeryville Triangle Walking Tour
Following the continued success of its growing catalog of self-guided walking tours, the Emeryville Historical Society (EHS) is proud to announce the launch of its latest offering: the San Pablo Avenue / Emeryville Triangle Walking Tour.
This new tour explores the rich, layered history of Emeryville’s stretch of San Pablo Avenue—one of the East Bay’s oldest thoroughfares—and the historic Emeryville Triangle neighborhood, shaped by San Pablo Avenue, Adeline Street, and the once free-flowing Temescal Creek.
The self-guided experience features 30 stops along a 2-mile walkable route, highlighting both enduring landmarks and the sites of former institutions that helped define the area’s commercial and cultural identity. Stories span early transportation and industry through more recent waves of transformation that continue to reshape the corridor today.
The tour begins at the East Bay Bridge Shopping Center—formerly the site of the influential Santa Fe Depot—and concludes near the Oaks Card Club parking lot, once the epicenter of Emeryville’s nightlife, anchored by nearby Oaks Ball Park.
Research and writing for the tour were conducted collaboratively by EHS Creative Director Rob Arias and EHS Co-Founder and President Donald Hausler. As with previous tours, Arias also led the visual design, creating a cohesive experience across signage, print materials, and digital platforms.
“San Pablo Avenue has always been a place people pass through—but it’s also a place full of stories,” said Arias. “We wanted to give people a reason to slow down, take a closer look, and discover what’s been here all along.”
“This corridor has seen constant change over the decades,” added Hausler. “Documenting both what’s been lost and what has endured was especially important for this project.”
The tour is best experienced in person through the Stqry Guide app (previously “PocketSights”), available on Apple and Android devices, which uses GPS to guide visitors from stop to stop. It can also be explored à la carte by scanning QR codes posted along the route or experienced virtually from home.
Each stop features a narrated audio segment, along with archival photographs and newspaper clippings that bring the neighborhood’s history to life.
Featured points of interest include The Bank Club—one of the city’s longest-running family-owned businesses—Emeryville’s still-standing “First Church,” and a range of present-day establishments that continue to shape the area’s identity.
“These tours are for the curious,” Arias added. “For people who walk past old buildings and wonder: What used to be here? Why is this here? When was it built?”
“These tours are for the curious. People that regularly walk their neighborhoods or drive past old buildings and wonder ‘what did this used to be? Why is this here? When was it built?’”
Funding for the project was provided by a City of Emeryville Community Promotions Grant, with additional support from the Oaks Card Club.
Printed maps are available at Oaks Corner, The Hidden Spot, The Bank Club, Arizmendi, the Emeryville Senior Center, Emeryville Civic Center, and the Emeryville Center of Community Life (ECCL). Maps can also be downloaded via an embedded PDF online. Printed maps for all three EHS tours are available at select city-owned locations.
Fullscreen ModeLooking ahead, EHS plans to expand its walking tour program citywide, with a fourth tour focused on the Butchertown/North Hollis area slated for next year, followed by a Peninsula/South Bayfront tour.
The EHS has produced self-guided walking tours along the Park Avenue District, The Greenway and San Pablo Avenue with more on the way.
EHS Membership starts at $25 per year and includes access to the organization’s archives, a quarterly print journal, and early access to special events, including guided tours and speaker programs.
Browse all walking tour at EmeryvilleHistorical.org/tours.
