Events
Doors Open 2025
A rare opportunity to visit the Bay Area’s grandest railroad station, Oakland’s Southern Pacific 16th Street Station built in 1912, designed by Jarvis Hunt.
A destination for transcontinental travelers and transfer point to local electric rail, the Main Hall and Baggage Wing will be open for visitors. View the elevated electric rail platform and the signal tower, where the switches were monitored. This station was the major hub for arrivals to northern California, and a central focus of organizing for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and their leader C. L. Dellums.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in January, 2025; find out about prospects for re-use and restoration. More information on our efforts to save this building at: https://www.oaklandheritage.org/16th-street-station
Important: Timed registration and waivers are required to enter the station, but the outside will be open to all
Learn more about other Doors Open sites at https://californiapreservation.org/doca/
Fox Oakland Tour: Inside and Out: 3:30pm
Description: Why was the largest and most technologically advanced theater west of the Mississippi built in Oakland in 1926? What were theaters like a century ago? And why did Oakland pay millions of dollars to renovate this old building? These mysteries will be discussed in this 75 minute walking tour, inside and out, of the fabulous Oakland Fox Theater.
Length: The tour is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes long. While the tour is ADA accessbile, it does involve a mile of walking and stairs/elevators.
Disclaimer: Because the Fox Oakland is an active theater operation, there may be a scenario where the tour needs to be rescheduled due to a last minute act. We anticipate a week's notice in this case and will offer refunds or the opportunity to attend the rescheduled tour.
Tour Leader: Scooter has a degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, and has worked in architecture, graphic design, and environmental graphics. He’s especially interested in art deco and early modern architecture and the built environment.
Location: Meet at the Fox Theater at 1807 Telegraph Avenue under the marquee.
Note! Advance registration is required to attend this tour.
Fox Oakland Tour: Inside and Out: 1:30pm
Description: Why was the largest and most technologically advanced theater west of the Mississippi built in Oakland in 1926? What were theaters like a century ago? And why did Oakland pay millions of dollars to renovate this old building? These mysteries will be discussed in this 75 minute walking tour, inside and out, of the fabulous Oakland Fox Theater.
Length: The tour is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes long. While the tour is ADA accessbile, it does involve a mile of walking and stairs/elevators.
Disclaimer: Because the Fox Oakland is an active theater operation, there may be a scenario where the tour needs to be rescheduled due to a last minute act. We anticipate a week's notice in this case and will offer refunds or the opportunity to attend the rescheduled tour.
Tour Leader: Scooter has a degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, and has worked in architecture, graphic design, and environmental graphics. He’s especially interested in art deco and early modern architecture and the built environment.
Location: Meet at the Fox Theater at 1807 Telegraph Avenue under the marquee.
Note! Advance registration is required to attend this tour.
Oakland’s Legacy Businesses
The talk will include an overview of legacy business programs, as well as virtual visits to some candidates for legacy status in Oakland. Come and nominate your favorite legacy businesses to become part of a legacy business program for Oakland.
Fox Oakland Tour: Inside and Out
Description: Why was the largest and most technologically advanced theater west of the Mississippi built in Oakland in 1926? What were theaters like a century ago? And why did Oakland pay millions of dollars to renovate this old building? These mysteries will be discussed in this 75 minute walking tour, inside and out, of the fabulous Oakland Fox Theater.
Length: The tour is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes long. While the tour is ADA accessbile, it does involve a mile of walking and stairs/elevators.
Disclaimer: Because the Fox Oakland is an active theater operation, there may be a scenario where the tour needs to be rescheduled due to a last minute act. We anticipate a week's notice in this case and will offer refunds or the opportunity to attend the rescheduled tour.
Tour Leader: Scooter has a degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, and has worked in architecture, graphic design, and environmental graphics. He’s especially interested in art deco and early modern architecture and the built environment.
Location: Meet at the Fox Theater at 1807 Telegraph Avenue under the marquee.
Note! Advance registration is required to attend this tour.
Fox Oakland Tour: Inside and Out
Description: Why was the largest and most technologically advanced theater west of the Mississippi built in Oakland in 1926? What were theaters like a century ago? And why did Oakland pay millions of dollars to renovate this old building? These mysteries will be discussed in this 75 minute walking tour, inside and out, of the fabulous Oakland Fox Theater.
Length: The tour is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes long. While the tour is ADA accessbile, it does involve a mile of walking and stairs/elevators.
Disclaimer: Because the Fox Oakland is an active theater operation, there may be a scenario where the tour needs to be rescheduled due to a last minute act. We anticipate a week's notice in this case and will offer refunds or the opportunity to attend the rescheduled tour.
Tour Leader: Scooter has a degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, and has worked in architecture, graphic design, and environmental graphics. He’s especially interested in art deco and early modern architecture and the built environment.
Location: Meet at the Fox Theater at 1807 Telegraph Avenue under the marquee.
Note! Advance registration is required to attend this tour.
Oakland’s Notes on the History of the Mayan-Mam Language
Oakland historian and educator Javier Armas presents a lecture on the social history of the Mayan-Mam language. Mam is one of the 32 Mayan languages, originating from the western highlands of Guatemala and the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico.
National Register Listing Celebration
Join us at 2pm March 9 at 16th and Wood to Celebrate the 16th Street Station's listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Unveil a plaque, meet other station supporters, give the station some love. Read more about our efforts on our station page.
OHA Annual Meeting and “Picture This: Oakland's Tumultuous Redevelopment History Through Photographs”
Oakland Heritage Alliance presents a Deep Dive into the Photographic History of Oakland’s Redevelopment
Fox Oakland Tour: Inside and Out
Description: Why was the largest and most technologically advanced theater west of the Mississippi built in Oakland in 1926? What were theaters like a century ago? And why did Oakland pay millions of dollars to renovate this old building? These mysteries will be discussed in this 75 minute walking tour, inside and out, of the fabulous Oakland Fox Theater.
Length: The tour is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes long. While the tour is ADA accessbile, it does involve a mile of walking and stairs/elevators.
Disclaimer: Because the Fox Oakland is an active theater operation, there may be a scenario where the tour needs to be rescheduled due to a last minute act. We anticipate a week's notice in this case and will offer refunds or the opportunity to attend the rescheduled tour.
Tour Leader: Scooter has a degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, and has worked in architecture, graphic design, and environmental graphics. He’s especially interested in art deco and early modern architecture and the built environment.
Location: Meet at the Fox Theater at 1807 Telegraph Avenue under the marquee.
Note! Advance registration is required to attend this tour.
Fox Oakland Tour: Inside and Out
Description: Why was the largest and most technologically advanced theater west of the Mississippi built in Oakland in 1926? What were theaters like a century ago? And why did Oakland pay millions of dollars to renovate this old building? These mysteries will be discussed in this 75 minute walking tour, inside and out, of the fabulous Oakland Fox Theater.
Length: The tour is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes long. While the tour is ADA accessbile, it does involve a mile of walking and stairs/elevators.
Disclaimer: Because the Fox Oakland is an active theater operation, there may be a scenario where the tour needs to be rescheduled due to a last minute act. We anticipate a week's notice in this case and will offer refunds or the opportunity to attend the rescheduled tour.
Tour Leader: Scooter has a degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, and has worked in architecture, graphic design, and environmental graphics. He’s especially interested in art deco and early modern architecture and the built environment.
Location: Meet at the Fox Theater at 1807 Telegraph Avenue under the marquee.
Note! Advance registration is required to attend this tour.
Watering Holes of Olde Oaklande
Lounge Lizards Unite! Join a pub crawl through some of Oakland’s historic and not-so-historic drinking spots. Non-strenuous! Non-alcoholic! Gluten free!
Two Bars: A history of Black Attorneys in Oakland and the Bay Area
Judge Charles Smiley presents his research on the history of California laws, the struggle for African-American pioneers in the state to access justice, and the local heroes who laid a foundation for future generations to create change within legal systems.
Posey Tube Oakland Portal Tour
Oakland Heritage Alliance is offering a tour of the Posey Tube Oakland Portal with CalTrans. The tour is limited to 10 people and will be on a first-come first-served basis, because space in the Portal is very limited, and because we must adhere to CalTrans regulations. The tour is not ADA compliant.
It is likely that more tours will be offered this year and possibly next year. The California Preservation Foundation held a webinar which covers much of the same material
Webinar and tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiY0HnDnOdI (106 minutes)
Tour only: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRMllGYtdBY (26 minutes)
To sign up for the tour, please visit the tickets page.
This tour is offered as part of a mitigation program due to planned changes to the area around the Portal, which is a historic resource covered by the California Environmental Quality Act.
Learn more about this tour via Oaklandside.
Read the Historic American Engineering Record, prepared by JRP Historical Consulting.
Posey Tube Oakland Portal Tour
Oakland Heritage Alliance is offering a tour of the Posey Tube Oakland Portal with CalTrans. The tour is limited to 10 people and will be on a first-come first-served basis, because space in the Portal is very limited, and because we must adhere to CalTrans regulations. The tour is not ADA compliant.
It is likely that more tours will be offered this year and possibly next year. The California Preservation Foundation held a webinar which covers much of the same material
Webinar and tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiY0HnDnOdI (106 minutes)
Tour only: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRMllGYtdBY (26 minutes)
To sign up for the tour, please visit the tickets page.
This tour is offered as part of a mitigation program due to planned changes to the area around the Portal, which is a historic resource covered by the California Environmental Quality Act.
Learn more about this tour via Oaklandside.
Read the Historic American Engineering Record, prepared by JRP Historical Consulting.
Posey Tube Oakland Portal Tour
Oakland Heritage Alliance is offering a tour of the Posey Tube Oakland Portal with CalTrans. The tour is limited to 10 people and will be on a first-come first-served basis, because space in the Portal is very limited, and because we must adhere to CalTrans regulations. The tour is not ADA compliant.
It is likely that more tours will be offered this year and possibly next year. The California Preservation Foundation held a webinar which covers much of the same material
Webinar and tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiY0HnDnOdI (106 minutes)
Tour only: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRMllGYtdBY (26 minutes)
To sign up for the tour, please visit the tickets page.
This tour is offered as part of a mitigation program due to planned changes to the area around the Portal, which is a historic resource covered by the California Environmental Quality Act.
Learn more about this tour via Oaklandside.
Read the Historic American Engineering Record, prepared by JRP Historical Consulting.
Posey Tube Oakland Portal Tour
Oakland Heritage Alliance is offering a tour of the Posey Tube Oakland Portal with CalTrans. The tour is limited to 10 people and will be on a first-come first-served basis, because space in the Portal is very limited, and because we must adhere to CalTrans regulations. The tour is not ADA compliant.
It is likely that more tours will be offered this year and possibly next year. The California Preservation Foundation held a webinar which covers much of the same material
Webinar and tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiY0HnDnOdI (106 minutes)
Tour only: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRMllGYtdBY (26 minutes)
To sign up for the tour, please visit the tickets page.
This tour is offered as part of a mitigation program due to planned changes to the area around the Portal, which is a historic resource covered by the California Environmental Quality Act.
Learn more about this tour via Oaklandside.
Read the Historic American Engineering Record, prepared by JRP Historical Consulting.
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