Park Avenue District Walking Tour
Emeryville, CAs Park Avenue District is chock full of beautiful warehouses and important historical sites that played vital roles in Industry, recreation and science.
Notable sites on this self-guided walking tour include the Oakland Oaks Ball Park, the birthplace of modern greyhound racing, a steam car factory that almost revolutionized automobile manufacturing and other more notorious sites that helped give “The Rottenest City” its moniker.
Take the tour on your mobile device by downloading the PocketSights App through Apple App Store or Google Play.
- Enable the location awareness feature on your device (or search “Emeryville”) to bring up the tour
- Select “Standard Tour Mode” and begin navigating
- Each point of interest should launch automatically when you are in proximity. If not, tap the “I’m here” button or the green marker (tap re-center to locate your position relative to marker)
Printable tour map below.
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PARK AVENUE DISTRICT HISTORIC WALKING TOUR
01 – Judson Mfg. Co. & Commercial Union Hotel
Here at the foot of Park Avenue was once the nexus of manufacturing, transportation and political power in Emeryville …
02 – Air Reduction Co. of California
This ornate two-story brick building at the foot of Park Avenue was built by the Air Reduction Company in 1917. Air Reduction Co. manufactured oxygen tanks for welding. Prior to its construction, it was the site of Emeryville’s first post office …
03 – Peck & Hills Furniture Co.
The Emeryville Warehouse Lofts was originally constructed by The Peck and Hills Furniture Company in 1905. The original wood construction was replaced with the current concrete building in 1922 and expanded between 1925-1926 …
04 – Blue Star Amusement
It is here in 1919 at the current site of the Peet’s headquarters where Smith tested, built and ultimately opened his first mechanical greyhound racetrack named Blue Star Amusement Park …
05 – Sherwin-Williams Paint Factory
This 3-story brick-facade Warehouse is the last remaining structure from what was once the 10-acre Sherwin-Williams Paint factory. The building once supported the iconic “Cover The Earth” neon sign familiar to commuters and generations of Bay …
06 – The Kirsch Company
This building at 1420 45th street was erected for The Kirsch Company in 1926. Kirsch manufactured drapery hardware and at the time this factory was constructed, they were the world’s largest manufacturer of flat curtain rods.. …
07 – PG&E Central Warehouse Group
PG&E was among the many companies that established operations in the East Bay following the devastation of San Francisco from the 1906 earthquake. Their Emeryville Transformer Repair Facility has been operating since 1925 and is among the utility …
08 – Watkins Terminal Building
This building at 1420 45th street was erected for The Kirsch Company in 1926. Kirsch manufactured drapery hardware and at the time this factory was constructed, they were the world’s largest manufacturer of flat curtain rods …
09 – Morehouse Mustard Co.
Originally founded in Chicago in 1898, Morehouse Salesman Harold F. Latter helped expand Morehouse’s West Coast operation and facilitated the construction of their second plant here at 4221 Hollis Street in 1925 …
10 – Dugan’s Theatre Café
Dugan’s Hotel and Restaurant was a two-story Victorian located at the Northwest corner of Park Avenue and Hollis Street (1352 Park Ave.), kitty-corner from Old Town Hall …
11 – City of Emeryville Town Hall
The CIty of Emeryville’s original Town Hall was built that year at a cost of $8,491 and still stands as the oldest building in the Park Avenue District surviving earthquakes and the ravages of time …
12 – Fisher Body Building
Built in 1929, this brick structure at 1255 Park Avenue was built by Fisher Body Co. in 1929 for $250,000. The plant closed in 1931 due to the Great Depression. The New Park Avenue Auditorium took over the building in 1932 and converted the interior …
13 – Peoples’ Baking Co.
This Brick Warehouse at 1219 Park Avenue was originally constructed around 1917 as Peoples’ Baking Company. Peoples produced a complete line of baked goods which it delivered to homes and stores in a fleet of trucks painted to match its bread wrapper…
14 – California Cracker Co.
This two-story brick building at 1201 Park Avenue was built in 1913 for the California Cracker Company. In addition to crackers and biscuits, the factory produced a variety of treats including graham crackers, kremonas, barrel snaps and “fancy cakes” …
15 – American Rubber Mfg. Co
The American Rubber Co. plant opened in 1907 at the southeast corner of Watts Street and Park Ave. The company manufactured rubber conveyor belts, fire hoses, and other rubber products, employing a workforce of 150 at its peak …
16 – Western Canning Company
In 1919, Chinese investors built Western Canning Co. at 1250 Park Avenue. It was a network of brick buildings that stretched several blocks from Emery Street all the way to Hollis …
17 – Oakland Oaks Ballpark
The Pacific Coast League was established in 1903 to satiate a growing obsession with Baseball during the era. The Oakland team, dubbed the Oaks or “The Acorns” by some, originally played in Freeman’s Park which was located at 59th Street & San Pablo Avenue in North Oakland…
18 – Joseph Emery Estate
The stunning Brick Warehouse at 1219 Park Avenue was originally constructed around 1917 as Peoples Baking Company. Peoples produced a complete line of baked goods which it delivered to homes and stores in a fleet of trucks painted to match its bread wrapper—red and white gingham checks …
19 – The Oaks Card Club
The Oaks building dates back to the 1890s and has always been a drinking and gambling establishment. It is considered the oldest card lounge in Northern California…
20 – Mt. Diablo Wine Assoc.
The unassuming Black & White liquor store actually has some significant history and is likely the oldest building in the Park Avenue District outside of Emeryville’s Old Town Hall dating back to 1913 …
21 – California Pickle & Sauce Company
4053 Emery is a single-story, 5,000 square foot plant built for The California Pickle & Sauce Company circa 1914. California Pickle & Sauce was founded by A. Kreye and L.F. Helmond in Oakland in 1906 …
22 – Watts at 40th Street
This rare 1919 photo shows Watts at 40th street when it was home to the Inlaid Floor Company and the Linde Air Products Company…
23 – Doble Steam Motors
The Besler Building at 4053 Harlan Street was once home to the pinnacle of steam car technology that might have changed the world had it not been for the great depression and some poor financial decisions …
24 – Albert Wright Screw Machine Products Co.
In c.1942 Albert Wright, a machinist, established the Albert Wright Screw Machine Products Co. in Emeryville. This one-story brick factory stood on a lot just south of Emeryville’s City Hall at 4062 Hollis Street …
25 – Holly-Park Service Station
The beloved comfort food cafe was originally built c. 1920 as the Holly-Park Service station before becoming a Rio Grande Oil service Station. It was later converted to a restaurant named the Ranch House. In 1964 it was acquired by Chinese immigrant Eugene Yee …
26 – 1396 Park Avenue
The “Colonial Revival” style building on the corner of Park & Holden was built around 1905 and has lived a storied past as a hotel, gambling establishment, bar and bordello …
27 – Industrial Hard Chrome Plating Corp.
Built in the 1920s, this two-story brick building originally operated as The Industrial Hard Chrome Plating Corporation. The original two-story building had a smooth brick surface and a Gothic parapet. At the rear of the building was a mass of convoluted ducts …
28 – Park Ave Live-Work Studios
The corrugated metal-sided, sawtooth-roof studios at 1425 Park were designed by local architect Joseph Costarella and built by Levine Construction of Berkeley. Costarella is also one of the designers of the nearby Horton Street Lofts …
29 – Foxx Manufacturing Company
This current brick warehouse at 4056 Hubbard on the corner of 40th Street was built in 1925 according to city records. While the structure completely resides on the Emeryville side of the border, the small lot and loading dock facing 40th street is …
30 – Westinghouse Pacific Coast Brake Company
This brick warehouse was constructed by Westinghouse Pacific Coast Brake Co. in 1912. The factory manufactured air brakes for railroad trains, compressors, and pneumatic appliances …
Katrina Chan
This 30 stop self guided walking tour was amazing! Thoughtfully curated, great audio, loved the past/prese t photos, easy to follow map and great street signs. Great balance of information to keep you engaged. We spent about 2 hours on this tour and loved learning about the history about the places i pass by frequently. Thank you for creating this awesome tour!