GLBT Historical Society

The GLBT Historical Society collects, preserves and interprets the history of GLBT people and the communities that support them.

The GLBT Historical Society Museum, located in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro District, is the first stand-alone museum of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender history and culture in the United States. It celebrates the San Francisco’s vast queer past through dynamic and surprising exhibitions and programming.

Open since January 2011, the museum showcases the sheer depth and breadth of the GLBT Historical Society’s archives, demonstrates the importance of queer history to the public, and mounts wide-ranging exhibitions with an emphasis on diversity and social justice.

ACCESSIBILITY

This audiotour is available free-of-charge for blind visitors and those with low-vision or vision impairments. Please ask for a free access code at the Front Desk. 

HOW TO REACH

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS
The museum is located a half-block west of the intersection of Castro and 18th Streets in San Francisco’s Castro District.

By BART: BART does not go directly to the Castro district, so you will have to transfer to the Muni Metro to complete your journey. Take any San Francisco-bound train and switch to the Muni Metro at one of the downtown San Francisco stations (Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell or Civic Center).

By Muni: Via the Muni Metro underground, take lines K, L, M, S or T to Castro Station (please note that bus shuttles have replaced rail service through mid-2021), then walk one block south to 18th Street. Via other muni lines, streetcar F-Market and buses 33-Ashbury–18th Street, 24-Divisadero and 37-Corbett all stop within a block of the museum.

By car: Metered street parking is available, but may be difficult to find.

ADMISSION

General admission: $10

Discounted admission: $6

Available to youth (ages 13–17), seniors (age 65 and over), students and teachers (with ID), active-duty military service members (with ID) and people with disabilities.

Children (age 12 and under): Free

Members: Free, +1-5 guests

NARM and ROAM cardholders: Free, + 1 guest

The GLBT Historical Society Museum is a participating institution in the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association and the Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM). Cardholders should contact tickets@glbthistory.org to acquire free tickets.

SNAP EBT cardholders: Free, + 3 guests

The GLBT Historical Society Museum is a participating institution in the Museums for All initiative. Cardholders receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits through Museums for All should contact tickets@glbthistory.org to acquire tickets.

MUSEUM FREE DAYS
Admission is free for all visitors on the first Wednesday of every month, thanks to a grant from the Bob Ross Foundation. Free Day tickets are not available online-- free admission to the museum on these days is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

TICKETS

Tickets are available online and onsite. We encourage reserving tickets online in advance.

Docent-led tours, in-person events and private rentals of the museum are currently not available.

Walk-ins are welcome when the museum is below capacity.