Two free guided hikes are offered at Burleigh H. Murray Ranch State Park in Half Moon Bay as part of the Victorian Days Walking Tour of San Mateo County. Courtesy of the San Mateo County Historical Society.
Walk in the footsteps of history this summer on a Victorian Days walking tour in San Mateo County.
The San Mateo County Historical Society (SMCHA) will continue its Victorian Days walking tour program, offering a glimpse into the San Mateo Peninsula’s past, starting July 20. Organized by local historical societies, the locally led tours are free and open to all ages, but advance reservations are required for all tours except Woodside (July 20 and Aug. 3), Pacifica (Aug. 3), Burlingame (Aug. 4), Redwood City (Aug. 24) and Pescadero (Aug. 25).
Whether on foot, by trolley or by boat, participants can experience history firsthand on tours that take them from Daily City to Pescadero and several cities in between. Comprising a total of 18 tours, the program begins at the Folger Estate Stables Historic District in Wunderlich Park in Woodside and concludes with a Pescadero walking tour on Aug. 25.
Founded in 1935, SMCHA’s mission is to inspire wonder and discovery through education about the cultural and natural history of San Mateo County. Victorian Days Walking Tours have a long history on the peninsula, beginning in 1979 as a supplement to the annual Victorian Days Festival. SMCHA President Mitch Postell explained in an email that the tours were started as a fundraiser.
“We decided to partner with other historical groups in the county to organize walking tours for Victorian Days,” Postell said, “Our first Victorian Days was in 1979, and by the late 1980s walking tours had become an established part of our efforts.”
Victorian Days is an annual event that looks back on life in the 1800s. When SMCHA moved to its current location in Redwood City in 1998, the walking tours no longer had a fundraising component, but continued as an educational program.
This year’s Victorian Days will be held at the San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City on August 18th. Scheduled activities include crafts and treasure hunts for children, and a Victorian tea with historical reenactors (the event is free, but the Victorian tea costs $10 for adults and $6 for students). Both the annual event and the walking tours offer a wide range of historical experiences from the Victorian era.
Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park is the site of one of this summer’s history walking tours. Photo by Devin Roberts.
“For us (SMCHA), the Victorian era was a time when anything that happened during that time was open to interpretation,” Postel noted, “so depending on what the focus of the year was, you’d have European fashion from the 1890s, Civil War reenactors always showing up, American cowboys, Mexican vaqueros, and everything else that was part of (the Victorian era).”
That gives local historical societies free reign to design their walks, giving participants plenty of tours to choose from. This year’s tours include a visit to Pigeon Point Light Station in Pescadero, a trolley tour of Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, a visit to the site of the last duel in California history in Daily City, an architecture-focused tour in San Mateo, a hike at Burleigh H. Murray Ranch State Park in Half Moon Bay and even a boat tour in Foster City.
Victorian attire is encouraged for certain events to enhance the tour experience. San Mateo County is home to about a dozen historical societies, and this year’s participants include the Daily City Historical Guild Museum & Archives, Foster City Historical Society, San Mateo Heritage Alliance and Woodside Historical Commission. Postel will host a walking tour through San Bruno’s business district, with a stop at the privately owned slot machine collection owned by antique collector Joe Welch, who was once one of the largest property owners in San Mateo County.
Burlingame Station is the starting point for a walking tour of the downtown district on Aug. 4. Photo by Devin Roberts.
When asked why people should consider taking a walking tour, Postel emphasized that there is something for everyone.
“Walking tours allow visitors to gain insight into a particular subject of the peninsula’s past while also getting a little exercise,” he says. “All of the tours are sure to be of interest to longtime residents and newcomers alike.”
During the pandemic, this program has pivoted to an online format. In 2020, SMCHA worked with individuals and organizations to create their own online walking tours, which were made public on select dates throughout the summer. In 2021, some tours were held in-person with limited participant numbers and some online, depending on participants’ comfort level. These walks will continue to be available online for those who wish to complete the walks virtually.
Since returning to in-person programming, each walking tour has between 10 and 50 participants. A complete list of this year’s walking tours and RSVP requirements can be found on the SMCHA website. To learn more about history along the peninsula, visit the following locations operated or managed by the SMCHA: San Mateo County History Museum at the Old Courthouse in Redwood City, Sanchez Adobe in Pacifica, and Woodside Store.
