Discover: San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Visitors Guide 2021/2022

Courtesy of History Center of San Luis Obispo County
yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini
Throughout San Luis Obispo, you are surrounded by the legacy
of the yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash tribe, who
have lived on these lands for well over 10,000 years. Plans for a
cultural heritage center are starting to form, but for now you can
honor the tribe’s enduring stewardship of the land as you explore
the area’s many coastal trails, oak woodlands and open spaces.
1772 – Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
The Spanish Missionaries’ standing in California history is being
reevaluated for their treatment of native peoples, but it was
Father Juniper Serro who put San Luis Obispo on the map when
he established his fifth mission here in 1772. Considered one
of the most beautiful, the Mission sits at the heart of the city, its
plaza a gathering place for the community, and remains an active
Catholic Church.
1853 – Dallidet Adobe & Gardens
Pierre Hypolite Dallidet, who established the first commercial
vineyard on the Central Coast, built this home. The adobe
contains many original furnishings and is surrounded by
gardens.
1875 – Jack House & Gardens
Pioneering rancher and banker Robert Edgar Jack built this
elegant Victorian home, which has been preserved as a museum
of Victorian life circa 1880 and popular spot for small weddings
and events.
1884 – Ah Louis Store
Chinese immigrant merchant Ah Louis built this structure
of bricks that he made himself. The store, which anchored
SLO’s Chinatown, served as a bank, post office and general
merchandise store for the more than 2,000 Chinese laborers who
came to San Luis Obispo to build the railroad.
1894 – Historic Railroad District
The Southern Pacific Railroad route connected Los Angeles to San
Francisco and brought the city into the industrial age. The district is now
a busy neighborhood, home to the train station, railroad museum and
numerous restaurants and businesses.
1905 – Presbyterian Church
This church is built entirely of gray granite quarried from Bishop Peak, the
second in the range of volcanic peaks that lead from San Luis Obispo to the
Pacific Ocean.
1906 – The Creamery
SLO County once was home to the largest dairy industry in the United
States, served by this full-service creamery through 1974. Recently reborn
as the Creamery Marketplace, it’s now a hip spot with shops, restaurants
and of course, ice cream.
1940 – Fremont Theatre
SLO’s Art Deco movie palace has evolved into a unique venue for concerts
and special events. Its ceiling is painted with sea nymphs on horseback, and
at night its marquee is a neon showpiece.
1956 – Kundert Medical Building
Designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, this building is a popular stop
on many architectural tours of SLO.
Want more? Check out the History Center of SLO
County—built in 1905 as one of the roughly 3,000
public libraries established worldwide by steel
tycoon Andrew Carnegie—and its free walking tour
guides at historycenterslo.org/walking-tours.
DISCOVER SLO 2021/2022 | slochamber.org | 19