Historical Walking Tours of Downtown Lodi

Free, docent-led walking tours that bring Downtown Lodi’s history to life.

Explore Lodi offers guided walking tours led by “Lodi’s Docent” that spotlight Downtown Lodi’s stories, characters, and landmarks. Tours are free to attend, with optional donations welcomed, and typically take place on public streets and in public buildings (a waiver is required).

Current guided tour options include:

• Guided Walking Tour #1: Lodi History (1869–Prohibition–WWII) – a 2-hour, under-1-mile walk on mostly level pavement.
• Guided Walking Tour #2: Lodi Women’s History Trail – a 1.5-hour, under-1-mile walk focused on the roles and contributions of Lodi women.
• Additional tours appear seasonally on the Events calendar (example: Japan Town and Heritage District).

Booking is handled online through Explore Lodi’s “Book Now” / Events calendar, and guests are asked to reconfirm attendance 24–48 hours before the tour start time.

Meeting place: Historic Train Depot, 24 S. Sacramento Street, Lodi, CA (typical meeting location; some specialty tours may vary)

Parking: Free garage parking with Level 2 EV charging at 2 N. Sacramento St, Lodi, CA 95240 (plus nearby Downtown parking).

Price: Free (donations welcomed).

Duration / distance: 1.5–2 hours; less than 1 mile; mostly level pavement with curbs.

What to bring (helpful “good to know”): Wear weather-appropriate clothing, bring water, consider sunscreen. Tours may cancel for weather; guests can email to confirm.

Accessibility: If accommodations are needed, guests should email at the time of booking.

Depending on the free Explore Lodi guided tour that you choose, you'll discover:

• How Lodi "stole" the railroad from Woodbridge
• Where the bars, brothels, gambling houses, and opium dens were.
• Lodi's most famous citizen was a suffragist.
• Why Prohibition was the best thing that ever happened to Lodi.
• Where the Big Fire of 1887 started.
• Lodi's oldest commercial building.
• What are the bricks trying to tell you?
• Lodi's pacifist Germans.
• Tunnels lurking under Lodi's streets.
• The mysterious facade of Masonic Lodge No. 256.
• One of the best Japantowns in California.
• Why we hung an effigy from the Lodi Arch in 1918.
• Beautiful Bertha, "Queen Zinfandel," at the 1907 Tokay Carnival.
• Lodi's Walldog murals.
• Lodi's 1905 Opera House -- it's hiding in plain sight.
• ...and more!