El Camino Real in 1947 (January 14, 2025 – April 13, 2025) is a photographic exhibit in the Lower Rotunda. El Camino Real has been a lifeline through the Peninsula since the 18th century. In 1947, the San Mateo County Planning Department documented the road in a series of photographs. Restaurants, markets, service stations, pharmacies, and even palm readers populated the road from Colma to Redwood City. Travel back to 1947 to explore El Camino from north to south with these eight photographs from the San Mateo County Historical Association’s permanent collection.

Below: View from Hillcrest Boulevard looking south on El Camino Real in Millbrae, 1947.