Drago Rentería is a Deaf, Chicano, Yaqui, and transgender activist, photojournalist, and community organizer who has spent decades documenting social movements, community life, and cultural change in and beyond San Francisco.

Drago has lived in the Mission District since 1999 and is a former photojournalist for El Tecolote, the neighborhood’s beloved bilingual community newspaper. Over the years, Drago has documented the Mission’s people, politics, and pulse, from protests and murals to community celebrations, neighborhood struggles, and everyday life.

Drawing on nearly three decades of living and working in the Mission, Drago offers a unique perspective that few visitors ever have the opportunity to experience. Along the way, he’ll share stories, hidden gems, and local insights that have helped make the Mission one of San Francisco’s most vibrant, fascinating, and influential neighborhoods.

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Widely regarded as San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood, the Mission District has been at the center of the city’s story for nearly 250 years. Its murals, public spaces, and streets tell stories of Indigenous presence, immigration, activism, cultural pride, resistance, and change that continue to shape San Francisco today.

Home to more than 600 outdoor murals, the Mission District contains one of the largest, if not the largest, concentrations of public mural art within a single neighborhood anywhere in the world. While it’s impossible to see them all in a single day, this tour highlights some of the neighborhood’s most iconic murals, hidden gems, and powerful stories.

The Mission is also a neighborhood full of surprises. Beyond its murals and history, it has helped shape social movements, political activism, and even the technology industry. Along the way, you’ll discover surprising stories about people, places, and events that helped influence San Francisco and the world far beyond it.

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• Spectacular murals and public art
• Hidden alleys and secret spaces most visitors never find
• The American Indian Cultural District and San Francisco’s Indigenous roots
• Latinx history, culture, and activism
• Latinx LGBTQ history and little-known stories
• Gentrification, resistance, and neighborhood change
• How the technology industry transformed San Francisco
• Fascinating local stories, legends, and little-known facts
• Unique photo opportunities

Whether this is your first visit to San Francisco or your fifteenth, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Mission District, its people, and the forces that continue to shape San Francisco today.

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This tour is conducted entirely in ASL and is open to all fluent signers.

While San Francisco is famous for its hills, the Mission District is one of the city’s flattest and most walkable neighborhoods, making it ideal for exploring on foot and discovering details that are often missed from a car.

This is not a marathon. We’ll move at a comfortable pace with plenty of opportunities to stop, rest, ask questions, and take photographs.

While the event runs from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, the walking tour itself is approximately four hours. We’ll also enjoy a leisurely lunch break and multiple rest stops throughout the day.

Lunch will take place at one of the Mission’s beloved taquerias, where you’ll have the option of trying an authentic Mission-style burrito. Lunch and beverages are on your own.

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• Comfortable walking shoes
• A light jacket or windbreaker
• Fully charged phone
• Camera (optional)
• Water bottle
• External battery pack for your phone (recommended)

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Advance registration and payment are required to reserve your spot.

Payment accepted via Zelle (preferred), Venmo, or PayPal.