Look Up
This self-guided walking tour begins opposite the Old Chinese Telephone Exchange at 754 Washington Street in San Francisco. Use the map, tour stops and accessibility information below. When you are ready to begin, tap [Start Tour] below.
Tour Stops
- 754 Washington Street / The Story Begins
- Grant and Washington / Earthquake
- Spofford Alley / Chinatown Ruined
- Waverley Street / The Idea of Chinese Beautiful
- First Baptist Church / Cinder Bricks
- Old Shanghai, Grant Avenue / Look Tin Eli’s Plan
- Steps St. Mary’s Square / The Spaces in Between
Tips & Accessibility
This tour is free.
For the best experience, fully charge your phone or tablet and bring headphones. The tour requires access to cellular phone data or an internet connection. WiFi may not be available. Alternatively, you can download a version of the tour before heading out.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality scenes appear throughout the tour. When prompted by the narrator, activate the scene by tapping [View in 360].
Timing & Access
- This tour runs approximately 45 minutes. The distance traveled is approximately 0.3 miles, and is mostly flat (total elevation change 10ft). There are no steps up or down to enter landmarks.
- Consider allowing an additional 30 minutes to an hour to explore suggested stops, shops and landmarks along the way.
- Audio transcripts for this tour are available as a PDF download.
- An interactive 360 video of this tour with closed captions is available on the experiences page.
- This tour was created in February 2023. While we make an effort to keep things current, you are walking through a living neighborhood and sometimes things change. Be curious, and embrace the unexpected.
Restrooms
Restrooms are available at Portsmouth Square near the beginning of the tour and St. Mary’s Square at the end of the tour.
Credits
NARRATORS
Alex Wong
Katy Long
ACTOR
Newspaper Man Jefferson Russell
AUDIO PRODUCTION
Producer Elissa Mardiney
Writer Michael Epstein & Alex Wong
Reseach Katy Long & Gabby Santas
Installation Design Aynne Valencia
AR Visual Designer Diana Maio
MUSIC
Alex Wong
Explore More
Returning to the Harlem of the West
It’s 1945. Japanese Americans like Daisy Uyeda have just endured 3 years of incarceration in the desert and are returning to San Francisco. In their absence, newly arrived Black families transform the old Japantown into the “Harlem of the West.” Can this neighborhood feel like home again?
Look Up
When the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire leaves Chinatown in ruins, the City seizes its chance to erase the neighborhood altogether. Can the Chinese American community reimagine the neighborhood and ensure its survival? Musician Alex Wong explores this history and Asian American identity today.
