A Unique ASL Walking Tour of San Francisco’s Mission District
Offered During the NAD Conference and Open to Everyone
Tour: The Hidden Mission: Murals, Resistance & History
Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Cost: $75 per person
Language: ASL
Open to: All fluent signers
Lunch: On your own
Capacity: Limited to 15 participants
> Love Art? Love History? Curious About San Francisco Beyond the Tourist Attractions?
Join longtime activist, documentary photojournalist, and Mission District resident Drago Renteria for a four-hour exploration of the murals, hidden alleys, neighborhood landmarks, and stories that helped shape the Mission District and San Francisco itself.
Widely regarded as San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood, the Mission 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.
- 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 of the Mission, its people, and the forces that continue to shape it today.
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 local eateries, where you’ll have the option of trying an authentic Mission-style burrito. Lunch and beverages are on your own.
The tour is conducted entirely in ASL and is open to all fluent signers.
Drago Renteria is a Deaf, Chicano, and transgender activist, documentary photojournalist, and community organizer who has spent decades documenting social movements, community life, and cultural change in and beyond San Francisco.
He has lived in the Mission District since 1999 and is a former photojournalist for El Tecolote, the neighborhood’s beloved bilingual community newspaper.
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Camera
- Water bottle
- Fully charged phone
- Recommended: External battery pack for your phone
Advance registration and payment are required to reserve your spot.
Payment accepted via Zelle (preferred), Venmo, or PayPal.
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