San Bruno in spotlight during Victorian Days walking tours  

San Bruno is perhaps best known for sights on its outskirts, like Golden Gate National Cemetery to the west or San Francisco International Airport to the east. But its downtown center on San Mateo Avenue is notable for buildings that are more than 100 years old. 

The street and its surroundings were the subject of a recent Saturday morning tour led by Mitch Postel, president of the San Mateo County Historical Association. The nonprofit, with a mission to “inspire wonder and discovery … about the cultural and natural history of San Mateo County,” operates the San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City as well as offers numerous programs, including Victorian Days Walking Tours 2025, which are free with reservations.  

Heading up a group of about 15 people including San Bruno Mayor Rico Medina, Postel traced the area’s early history, beginning with the indigenous Ohlone tribe. San Bruno grew after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and the city was incorporated in 1914. 

San Mateo Avenue, boasting one- and two-story buildings with clean sidewalks and old-time streetlights, is home to Artichoke Joe’s Casino, the Filipino restaurant Isla, and bars such Newell’s Cocktail Lounge, which Yelp calls “divey.” Other small businesses include an F45 fitness studio and a Therapy retail store.  

Pointing to a two-story building at 598 San Mateo Ave., now home to Skinlicious Laser & Aesthetics, Postel said, “It all started right there. That’s the original headquarters for Eimac.” 

Eimac, a Bay Area technology start up in the 1930s (not to be confused with Apple’s iMac), made vacuum tubes for radios and other products. It grew rapidly during World War II, employing thousands.  

“At one point there were more vacuum tubes made by Eimac than any other firm in the world,” Postel explained. Women held many of the jobs at a nearby factory as the company expanded during the era.  

“They ran their operations around the clock, and they were the first in the Bay Area to work with women as employees,” he said.  “And they pioneered things like nursery schools for working women.” 

Eimac eventually became a division of Varian Medical Systems, a Palo Alto manufacturer of radiation oncology treatments and software; it later was acquired by private equity firms. 

Passing the Caltrain station, the tour moved to San Bruno Avenue. Postel pointed out Yeo Lai Sah Buddhist Temple at 200 San Bruno Ave. West, formerly Skylawn San Bruno Funeral Home.  

A private museum at 383 San Bruno Ave. W. operated by San Mateo Investment Realty showcased a collection of several hundred antique slot machines. Previously open to the public, the museum inside the Welch family building can only be seen on special tours today.  

“This is a hidden secret of San Bruno,” said Medina, a third generation native. 

Postel pointed out another hidden secret of San Bruno at the intersection of San Mateo Avenue and El Camino Real, the former main thoroughfare between San Francisco and San Jose. In 1849, a roadhouse was built on the corner. In 1875, Thomas Rolles, a former slave from Virginia, became its proprietor, Postel said, and the name was changed to Uncle Tom’s Cabin. 

Rolles died in 1879, but the new owner kept the name. It was a bar and restaurant well into the 20th century before being torn down. Today it’s the site of a Walgreens store. 

San Mateo County Historical Association’s Victorian Days Walking Tours 2025 continue through August in Pescadero, Redwood City, Half Moon Bay, Foster City and Pacifica; RSVP at historysmc.org.