Ghost Sign Walking Tour: Brick and Neon

Tickets July 11 | 2:30 pm
Tickets August 1 | 2:30 pm

The beauty of ghost signs on brick and the patina of a forgotten neon sign has to be seen in the broad daylight. Walk with us to discover ghost signs and vintage neon signs along the corridors of Polk, Larkin, Hyde, and Leavenworth Streets in San Francisco. There are a few hills on this 1.5 hours afternoon tour. Design insights are included plus history of sign painting and some of San Francisco’s legacy small businesses. We only give this tour a few times a year in the summer.

This tour is inspired by our friend Kasey Smith and her amazing SF Ghost Signs. Mapping Project

Chinatown Neon Walking Tour

Tickets August 15 | 7:15 pm
Tickets August 29 | 7:00 pm

Walk with us to celebrate the restoration of the Golden Star Radio neon sign and find forgotten vintage neon signs in the streets of Chinatown, back alleys and backstories are included. It is a treasure hunt to discover these beautiful signs hidden in plain sight. We save the best for last: the glowing signs are at the end of the tour at twilight. Take a twilight tour with San Francisco Neon authors and photographers Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan that includes neighborhood history with architectural/design insights. Be prepared to walk for approximately 1.5 hours, with rest stops. (Photo by Steve Kushman who led the campaign to restore the Golden Star Radio sign.)

Alameda Neon Walking Tour

Check back September 2026

The East Bay city of Alameda boasts a fine collection of vintage neon. This tour route winds through a quiet bungalow neighborhood and the commercial corridors, ending under the glowing grandeur of the Alameda Theater.. This 1.25-hour tour is hosted by Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan with local historian Devi L. Dahl. Historic photos and backstories included. Photography and a lively Q&A are encouraged, be prepared to walk 1.5 miles with rest stops.

North Beach Neon Walking Tour

Check back September 2026

Roxie-Mission SF Neon Walking Tour

Check back October 2026

The Mission District of San Francisco has an impressive array of classic watering holes, eateries, and cinemas with some of the best vintage neon signs in the city. It is a treasure hunt to discover these beautiful signs in the heart of this neighborhood. Take a twilight tour with SF Neon historians Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan. We start at the Roxie Theater and end at the New Mission Theater. This tour features eclectic local history with architectural and graphic design insights to San Francisco’s unique legacy of surviving neon signs. Be prepared to walk for 1 mile for 1.5 hours with rest stops. Photography and a lively Q&A are encouraged.

Matchbook-Neon Tour

Check back October 2026

From vintage type to old glowing signs, follow the historic corridors of mid-century nightlife in San Francisco via neon and matchbooks. It is a treasure hunt to discover these beautiful signs hidden in plain sight above local watering holes, small hotels, corner stores, beautiful garages, and old-school eateries. Tour ends at Union Square. Spend an evening with Stephen Coles of Letterform Archive and San Francisco Neon‘s co-founders Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan. Tours include local history with typography insights into San Francisco’s vintage matchbooks and neon signs. Photography and a lively Q&A are encouraged. Be prepared to walk 1.5 hours .

Cow Hollow Neon Walking Tour

Check back November of 2026

San Francisco nightlife is thriving in this neighborhood of watering holes and eateries, punctuated by vintage neon signs. This tour wanders between Lombard and Chestnut Streets and connecting the dots with vintage neon signs for motels, movie theaters, diners, and a diving lady. Spend an evening under the neon glow with San Francisco Neon authors and photographers Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan. Tours feature local history with architectural and graphic design insights to San Francisco’s unique legacy of surviving neon signs. Photography and a lively Q&A are encouraged. Be prepared to walk for 1.5 hours with rest stops.

Downtown Neon Walking Tour

Check back December 2026

Downtown neon gems still light up the night, reminding us when San Francisco’s nightlife was ablaze with beautiful neon. The Downtown tour route includes several neighborhoods starting on Front Street, SOMA, and Union Square. Spend an evening under the neon glow with San Francisco Neon authors and photographers Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan. Tours feature local history with architectural and graphic design insights to San Francisco’s unique legacy of surviving neon signs. Photography and a lively Q&A are encouraged. Be prepared to walk for 1.5 hours, with rest stops.

Lower Nob Hill Neon Walking Tour

Check back December 2026

From gritty to glittery, zig zag through the historic corridors of Post, Sutter, and Bush Streets; vintage neon glows all along the way. This tour wanders through the residential neighborhood sometimes called the Tender Nob because it is situated below Nob Hill mansions and above the Tenderloin District. Discover these beautiful signs perched above local watering holes, small hotels, corner stores, and beautiful garages. Take a twilight tour under the neon glow with San Francisco Neon authors Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan. Tours include local history with architectural and graphic design insights to San Francisco’s unique legacy of surviving neon signs. Be prepared to walk for 1.5 hours with rest stops, 2 blocks uphill.