GLBT Historical Society Museum

What you need to know

The GLBT Historical Society Museum is a small storefront museum at 4127 18th Street in the Castro. It opened in January 2011 and was the first stand-alone museum of LGBTQ history and culture in the United States. The current space is about 1,600 square feet, with a planned expansion to a larger Market Street building approved by the SF Board of Supervisors in late 2024.

What’s on Display

Rotating exhibitions draw from the GLBT Historical Society’s archive of over 1,000 collections. Past exhibitions have covered the AIDS crisis, transgender history, queer nightlife, Harvey Milk’s camera shop, and the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria riot, an event in the Tenderloin three years before Stonewall.

The permanent collection includes Harvey Milk’s campaign materials, archival photographs, periodicals, and personal belongings donated by community members. Wall panels provide context for each exhibit.

A typical visit takes 30 to 60 minutes.

Visiting

Address: 4127 18th Street, Castro

Hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 1pm and 1:30pm to 5pm. Closed Mondays.

Cost: $10 general admission. Children 12 and under free. Discounted tickets for youth 13-17, seniors 65+, students, teachers, active-duty military, and people with disabilities. SNAP EBT and Medi-Cal cardholders get in free with up to three guests. Free for everyone the first Wednesday of each month.

Best time: Weekday afternoons are usually quietest. Pride month (June) brings extra programming.

Getting There

Castro Street Muni Metro station (K, L, M, and T lines) is two blocks east at Castro and Market. The F Market & Wharves historic streetcar terminates at the same intersection. The 33 Ashbury/18th bus stops at 18th and Castro, a block from the museum. Street parking on 18th Street is metered and limited.