Colourful neon signs outside the Castro Theater at night.

Castro Theatre

Top choice in San Francisco


Every night at the Castro, crowds roar as the mighty organ rises – and no, that's not a euphemism. Showtime at this 1922 art deco movie palace is heralded with Wurlitzer organ show tunes, culminating in sing-alongs to the Judy Garland anthem 'San Francisco.' Architect Timothy Pflueger's OTT Spanish-Moorish-Asian style inspired the Wizard of Oz sets, but earthquake-shy San Franciscans avoid sitting under his pointy metal chandelier.

The Castro Theatre's neon marquee and entry window displays announce upcoming features, including silver-screen classics and film festival premieres. But check the website well ahead to score tickets to the Castro Theatre's wildly popular drag reenactments of cult flicks – from Valley of the Dolls to Mean Girls – and singalong musicals, including Bohemian Rhapsody and Wizard of Oz. At audience-participation events, everyone is given kits containing glow sticks, bubbles, and noisemakers to punctuate the movie's most dramatic moments. This is not your typical movie-going experience, but more like Rocky Horror Picture Show – only without rules or a script. When the Castro bursts with bubbles and wisecracks, it's quintessential San Francisco – and a cinema experience like no other.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San Francisco attractions

1. Harvey Milk & Jane Warner Plazas

0.04 MILES

Somewhere over the rainbow is Harvey Milk Plaza, where a huge rainbow flag flaps. Rainbow-lit escalators lead toward Castro Muni station and a display…

2. Rainbow Honor Walk

0.07 MILES

You're always in excellent company in the Castro, where sidewalk plaques honor LGBT+ heroes. The walk runs along Market St from Noe St to Casto St and…

3. GLBT History Museum

0.09 MILES

America's first gay-history museum showcases a century of San Francisco LGBTQ+ ephemera – Harvey Milk's campaign literature, matchbooks from long-gone…

4. Spark Arts

0.14 MILES

See what the Castro's creative community has been dreaming up lately at this art space showcasing local neighborhood talent. Gallery shows here are the…

5. Human Rights Campaign Action Center

0.14 MILES

Harvey Milk’s former camera storefront was featured in the Academy Award–winning movie Milk, and now it's home to the civil rights advocacy group…

6. Barbie-Doll Window

0.18 MILES

No first-time loop through the Castro would be complete without a peek at this window display featuring trans Barbies and Billy Doll, a gay alternative to…

7. Randall Junior Museum

0.29 MILES

While adults are asleep downhill, eight-year-olds are making scientific discoveries atop Corona Heights Park. After Josephine Randall became a pioneering…

8. Nobby Clarke Mansion

0.3 MILES

Built in 1892 by an attorney who wanted sunnier weather than swanky Nob Hill afforded, this gorgeous Queen Anne mansion went uninhabited after its…