San Francisco Neighborhoods

The Castro

The Castro San Francisco

The Castro District, one of the original gay neighborhoods in the nation, is located right in the center of the city of San Francisco near The Mission, Lower Haight, Cole Valley and Noe Valley. A vibrant neighborhood filled with great restaurants, bars, clubs, museums and more, The Castro is one of the most popular tourist areas in the city.

The history of the neighborhood dates back to the late 1800s, about 40 years after the peak of the Gold Rush and 20 years before the 1906 earthquake and fires that devastated the city. It was built in 1887 after a new railway line was created that would link the area to downtown. The neighborhood went through many changes as the city grew. Several years after the 1906 earthquake, the neighborhood became known as Little Scandinavia, due to the large population of Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish people who settled there. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that the gay population began to grow and The Castro wasn’t the first gay neighborhood in the city. In fact, the Polk Gulch area of San Francisco was the initial gay center of the city starting from the 1940s and then slowly declining through the 1960s and 1970s as The Castro started to grow. 

As a lot of people started moving out of “Little Scandinavia” through the 1950s, a lot of great real estate opened up, which attracted a lot of gay purchasers from Polk Gulch and from outside of the city. The population began to grow, prompting the opening of the Missouri Mule, the first gay bar in the Castro. The 1967 Summer of Love, which brought 100,000 people to Haight-Ashbury, escalated the exodus to the area, which eventually took over as the Gay center of San Francisco. 

As the area became known throughout the nation, it also attracted Harvey Milk to the area, who opened a small camera store in the neighborhood. Milk became an icon for the area and for the city of San Francisco as a powerful activist and the first openly gay elected official in the city. He was responsible for passing a pivotal law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, but sadly his life was cut short when he was assassinated by a city supervisor. Despite the tragic end, Harvey Milk’s influence and accomplishments are celebrated to this day. 

The residents of The Castro and the gay community of San Francisco had to overcome a lot as the neighborhood grew, including discrimination, the assassination of Harvey Milk and the A.I.D.S. crisis in the mid 80s. However, the community held strong and through adversity built an iconic and safe area for the gay community. 

Today, The Castro is an amazing neighborhood in San Francisco with a great culinary scene, busy nightlife and a variety of great attractions. In fact, The Castro is one of the most lively and fun neighborhoods in the city. The easily walkable area is home to some amazing bars including Moby Dick, Twin Peaks Tavern, Hi-Tops and Toad Hall. The neighborhood is busy most nights of the week, so you can usually find at least a small crowd at the Castro bars every night of the week. 

As for the culinary scene, The Castro holds its own against any other neighborhood in the city. Anchored by Michelin Star restaurant, Frances, the area has a little something for everyone from sushi to Italian. Popular spots include Anchor Oyster Bar, Kitchen Story, Starbelly and Canela. Other great spots to check out include cafes like Reveille Coffee and Le Marais Bakery, boutique stores like Unionmade, Best in Show, The Apothecarium and Sui Generis as well as iconic fixtures like Castro Tattoo, The Castro Theater, The GLBT History Museum and The Rainbow Honor Walk. It is also the place to be during Gay Pride Weekend if you are not at the Gay Pride Parade or the festival at Civic Center Plaza. 

Whether you are visiting for business or pleasure or live in the area, the Castro is a wonderful San Francisco neighborhood to visit for delicious eats, great shopping and a fun nightlife.  

EXPLORE EVENTS

Upcoming San Francisco Events

17

October

2025

DURRY with Gully Boys at The Independent

The Independent

09:00 PM
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18

October

2025

Jason Brock’s Fourth Annual Halloween Show

Martuni's

07:00 PM – 08:30 PM
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18

October

2025

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at The Fillmore

The Fillmore

08:00 PM
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18

October

2025

Oliver Hazard x The Last Revel: Head West at The Independent

The Independent

09:00 PM
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18

October

2025

Warped presents: Halloween Dance Party and Drag Show

El Rio

09:00 PM
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18

October

2025

Pre-Halloween Party at Toy Soldier

Toy Soldier

10:00 PM
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19

October

2025

Halloween Acrylic Paint & Sip Class

10:00 AM – 01:00 PM
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19

October

2025

Niners vs. Falcons Shuttle Bus to Levi’s Stadium

Westwood (Pickup Location)

01:30 PM
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19

October

2025

The Deplorables Of Comedy Scary Funny Halloween Spectacular

Fame Venue

06:00 PM
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19

October

2025

Matt Rife Stay Golden Tour

Shoreline Amphitheatre

07:00 PM
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19

October

2025

Isabella Lovestory with Cece Natalie, Ali RQ – The Independent

The Independent

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20

October

2025

Aidan Bissett with Zach Hood, Lulu Simon at The Independent

The Independent

08:00 PM
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21

October

2025

Superchunk with Case Oats at The Independent SF

The Independent

08:00 PM
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21

October

2025

grandson: INERTIA Tour at The Fillmore

The Fillmore

08:00 PM
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22

October

2025

Hazlett at The Fillmore San Francisco

The Fillmore

08:00 PM
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23

October

2025

Frightwalk “Vogue of the Undead” at Music City SF

Music City SF

07:00 PM
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23

October

2025

Halloween Event at Xchange Fashion Sip + Swap

Chi Lounge

07:30 PM – 11:00 PM
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23

October

2025

The Army, The Navy at The Independent

The Independent

08:00 PM
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23

October

2025

John Maus at The Fillmore SF

The Fillmore

08:00 PM
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23

October

2025

Viagra Boys The Infinite Anxiety Tour of 2025

Fox Theater Oakland

08:00 PM
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24

October

2025

Crawloween San Francisco Halloween Bar Crawl

Maye's (Starting Location)

06:00 PM – 11:00 PM
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24

October

2025

Ship of Spirits 2025: Spaghetti & Spirits Paranormal Dinner & Tour

USS Hornet Museum

06:30 PM – 11:30 PM
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24

October

2025

Psyched! Fest: Disco Halloween Pregame

08:00 PM
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24

October

2025

The New Mastersounds at The Fillmore

The Fillmore

08:00 PM
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24

October

2025

Frost Children with DJ Thank You at The Independent SF

The Independent

09:00 PM
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24

October

2025

Princess Halloween: Boo! Ball

SF Oasis

09:30 PM
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25

October

2025

11th Annual Chinatown Halloween Festival

11:00 AM – 03:00 PM
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25

October

2025

Spooky Square Halloween 2025

Ghirardelli Square

01:00 PM – 04:00 PM
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25

October

2025

San Francisco Halloween Pub Crawl: Crawloween

Maye's (Starting Location)

02:00 PM – 10:00 PM
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25

October

2025

Haunted Houseboat: Halloween Party Cruise on the Bay

Jack London Square

06:00 PM – 09:00 PM
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San Francisco Events

CrawlSF Experience Background

You Drink, We Drive

The Best Pub Crawls in San Francisco

Bay Area Indie Rock

DURRY with Gully Boys at The Independent

The Independent

See Details
Halloween Party SF

Jason Brock’s Fourth Annual Halloween Show

Martuni’s

See Details
Concert Stage

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at The Fillmore

The Fillmore

See Details
San Francisco Alternative Rock Concert

Oliver Hazard x The Last Revel: Head West at The Independent

The Independent

See Details
San Francisco Halloween 2025

Warped presents: Halloween Dance Party and Drag Show

El Rio

See Details
Halloween Party San Francisco 2025

Pre-Halloween Party at Toy Soldier

Toy Soldier

See Details
Halloween Background

Halloween Acrylic Paint & Sip Class

See Details
49ers vs. Falcons Shuttle

19

December

Sunday

Niners vs. Falcons Shuttle Bus to Levi’s Stadium

Westwood (Pickup Location)

See Details
SF Comedy Club

The Deplorables Of Comedy Scary Funny Halloween Spectacular

Fame Venue

See Details
San Francisco Comedy Club

Matt Rife Stay Golden Tour

Shoreline Amphitheatre

See Details