GLBT Historical Society Museum

Great little museum. Super welcoming reception from Micky--thanks for the reminder about masking. Good exhibits about the historical presence of LGBT+ individuals and couples in the region. The Harvey Milk exhibit was powerful as well.

Definitely worth visiting at least once, especially if you like history or are a member of the LGBTQ+ community. It is a small museum, but what they have on display is very insightful. Staff is friendly, and there are many good quality goodies you can buy on the way in or out of the museum. You are guaranteed to leave having learned or seen something new. 4/5.

The GLBT Historical Society Museum is a small museum located in the Castro focusing on national GLBT movements with a particular interest in San Francisco gay history. The entry fee was $10, which I was happy to pay to support a very worthwhile cause. The museum is much, much smaller than I was expecting and is just two rooms. The indoor entrance walkway makes up about a fourth of the space but is basically dead, unused space. The first room is informational with a timeline of GLBT history and then an exhibit that opened on June 7, 2024 called “Erotic Resistance: Performance, Art, and Activism in San Francisco Strip Clubs 1960s-1990s”, which is a photo collection. The other room is a standing collection that includes a leather culture display, miscellany, a Harvey Milk collection, and a José Julio Sarria collection. The prize in the collection is part of the original gay pride flag, which was very powerful and meaningful for me to see in person. That made the visit worth it, but outside of that there wasn’t a big draw for me considering the museum and associated collection is so small. If you’re already in the Castro, it could be a fun quick stop, but it’s not something I’d travel far to see.

Ironic to me’ the amount of fighting ‘ struggling for the right to acceptance’ to live ‘ to be’ the horror catastrophic tragedy’ the political social ignorance to that plague’ the indifference to the annihilation of body ‘ physical the loss of attachment to spirit! But I survived? 64 ‘ was told I’d be dead by 27’ seeking clinical help in a time when none was offered shamed for promiscuous life choices! “ Clinical after treatment City clinic information sexual advice’ “ You realize it’s your behaviors that brought you here’ you probably have the Gay Cancer you could be dead in six months! “ I’m nighteen I was gang raped! What behaviors? And now We are a museum ?

Really cool stuff here. Definitely recommend if you’re visiting the Castro District

This little museum brought me so much joy as a queer, trans person. It was a positive yet also emotional experience learning about the history of LGBTQ+ people of San Francisco. I would 100% recommend this place to anyone who is wanting to learn and connect with the history of our community. Plus the staff member present was so lovely and informative.

It’s a very small space, but a great way to learn about Harvey Milk and the history of the community. It's the first full scale, stand alone museum dedicated to the history of this community. The museum has a number of permanent exhibits as well as interesting traveling exhibits. Open every day, admission is $5 per person.

Powerful, inspiring, and deeply needed space to archive and celebrate the great strides our LGBTQ and Two-Spirit brothers and sisters have made in their fight for visibility, acceptance, rights, and equality. I went for the current Angela Davis exhibit, and was thrilled to see that and more. Entrance fee is a steal at $5. I'll be going back to Castro's hidden historical gem from now on.

The GLBT Historical Society Museum is a small but incredibly meaningful stop in the heart of the Castro. While the space is compact--you can comfortably explore everything in about an hour--the exhibits are thoughtfully curated and beautifully presented. The collection is powerful, focusing on national LGBTQ+ movements with a special emphasis on San Francisco's history. Highlights include an emotional audio recording of Harvey Milk and a piece of the original gay pride flag--seeing it in person is unforgettable. The museum also features rotating exhibits, such as the "Erotic Resistance" photo series, alongside a permanent collection on leather culture. Admission is just $10, a small price to support such an important cause. They also offer free admission on Wednesdays, which is a great tip to keep in mind. Given its size, it's best as a meaningful quick stop if you're already in the Castro rather than a standalone destination. Be sure to check their hours before you go.

Like others said, this is a VERY SMALL museum. You can expect to allot 1.5 hours to generously take in all they have. The items are lovingly curated and well displayed. There is a small gift shop that takes up a tiny portion of the entrance hall. I left feeling emotional after hearing one of Harvey Milk's audio recordings. For such a poignant figure in SF history, I was surprised to see facts about him only at the tail end of the museum. It's got tricky hours, so please plan accordingly!

The GLBT Historical Society Museum is a small museum located in the Castro focusing on national GLBT movements with a particular interest in San Francisco gay history. The entry fee was $10, which I was happy to pay to support a very worthwhile cause. The museum is much, much smaller than I was expecting and is just two rooms. The indoor entrance walkway makes up about a fourth of the space but is basically dead, unused space. The first room is informational with a timeline of GLBT history and then an exhibit that opened on June 7, 2024 called "Erotic Resistance: Performance, Art, and Activism in San Francisco Strip Clubs 1960s-1990s", which is a photo collection. The other room is a standing collection that includes a leather culture display, miscellany, a Harvey Milk collection, and a José Julio Sarria collection. The prize in the collection is part of the original gay pride flag, which was very powerful and meaningful for me to see in person. That made the visit worth it, but outside of that there wasn't a big draw for me considering the museum and associated collection is so small. If you're already in the Castro, it could be a fun quick stop, but it's not something I'd travel far to see.

If you're in the Castro, make sure to stop in. I happened to be there on a Wednesday, when it's free admission, but I happily paid to get in. The Museum is small, but make sure to dedicate at least half an hour or so to take in all of the information. Many beautiful artifacts.

It's a small space, but despite that, you'll spend at least a decent hour here if you read through the material & listen to the audio/videos. Pretty good for just $10 admission. I learned a lot about historical LGBTQ+ figures who fought for some of the rights that us new generation of LGBTQ+ have today. I definitely recommend visiting if you're ever in the Castro district.

Awesome museum in the Castro! It's on the smaller side, but there's a ton of history and interesting exhibits here like some of Harvey Milk's belongings and the original rainbow flag. As of a couple months ago, they are still requiring face masks to enter, but they will provide you one if you don't have one.

Small collection, to be sure, but very well laid out, with some fine artifacts and explanations. Harvey Milk's belongings, original rainbow flag - but also matchbooks and pamphlets from old clubs, videos of organizers, costumes, and stories of battles waged and days gone by. Charming and moving.

The LGBT historical society has transformed differently with great signs of improvements and the values of diversity.

i had a great experience at this museum. it's a bit small but it's full of the rich queer history of san francisco. heartwearming and heartbreaking stories of trans women, drag queens, leather culture, police raids, & harvey milk. they allow photography without flash. the staff is super kind & informative, and they have a small gift shop. this museum is a must if you're queer & find yourself in the castro.

It's a closet-sized single room that isn't even full. As a "museum" it's a 1/10; there's nothing inside. The walls of nearby bars have more historical items on display than this "museum." They are painfully outdated. Even the name is stuck in a past our community moved on from ("GLBT" was replaced an eternity ago by LGBT and then LGBTQ+ to highlight something other than gay men at the start of the acronym) and their entry requirement of using a mask makes zero sense in 2023. Worthless space that's ironically stuck in multiple pasts *without enough stuff from any pasts to even validate this as a "museum"!*

Got lucky and was able to reserve tickets on a "free day". Although this is a small venue, there is much on display. Lots of descriptions of the Bay Area LGBTQ+ community and the rise of the scene. Harvey Milk's suit is also available for viewing, which was very poignant and respectfully done. If in the Castro District, please visit. History is important especially knowing there have been many to come before you to pave the way.

A fantastic spot to see the history of the queer* community with the lens from one of the most friendly zip codes in the nation towards the community. It's small, one can rip through the displays pretty quickly but it's still a really honorable presentation and something every queer person should put on their list at least once while visiting.

A limited budget is a strain on any non-profit organization, and that restriction clearly shows in this small museum located in the epicenter of the Castro. This is where such a museum belongs, but the rich tapestry of the GLBT movement feels sorely truncated by the closet-like space and rotating exhibits found here. It's been almost four years since it opened on the same block as Badlands and Harvey's on 18th Street, and I am wondering how long it will be able to keep the space given all the small business closures in the city. At the end of the day, it's a worthwhile stop for anyone who wants to understand the courage and stamina it took to establish and maintain the human rights campaign at the heart of the movement. There are only two rooms constituting the museum, the back one housing the more permanent exhibits including a lightboard highlighting three now-extinct "gayborhoods" in the city (Valencia Street, the Tenderloin and North Beach), queer communities that couldn't sustain themselves (photo: http://bit.ly/1LrygPj). There's a section that chronicles the painful details of Harvey Milk's assassination as well as some intriguing insight into the hidden same-sex situations that occurred in places like the Japanese-American internment camps. The front room is devoted to rotating art and photo exhibits for the most part. I just wish there was more they could offer for the $5 admission. Otherwise I worry it may slip into oblivion.

Wonderful historical museum in the heart of the Castro. We learned a lot about the early history of the gay community in SF. Lots of interesting photos, documents and ephemera.

We decided to finally visit this place! Even though it's a small single room museum it took a little over a half hour to go through it since it was full of GLBT history. I did enjoy it and thought it was full of information. The exhibit has videos, audio, and pictures of the GLBT movement in San Francisco. It is made for all ages! Many people can argue that this museum is a waste of time and not worth the money. I saw it as a ($5) donation and was excited that they had a lot of Harvey Milk's items on display. The audio/visual exhibit on Harvey Milk's assassination is particularly powerful. We should all be reminded of this every day and his recording was what hit home. He was a pioneer in the GLBT rights and they even had the suit that he was shot in on display. Admission is free for all visitors on the first Wednesday of every month, thanks to a grant from the Bob Ross Foundation.

It's a nice, small museum if you are in or around the Castro. I have to say that my eyes were opened by the fact that the community is so large and so diverse. There is marginalization within the community and the historical society museum attempts to bridge the gap by putting the concept of FAMILY into a context with pictures, videos, and audio. I try to visit San Francisco at least once a year and this was the first time that I had seen the Harvey Milk terminal at the airport. Milk was also a key player at the historical society museum. The $5 contribution to enter seems rather small compared to what the rent must be. I strongly recommend that this be a must see when next you visit San Francisco. I wish it were bigger and hope that one day it shall be.

I'm not a lesbo, but I support gays all the way. :P Decided to do something else besides EAT in the Castro while we were in the city for our Food Crawl last weekend. I wouldn't really consider this a museum just because it's like walking into someone's small studio apartment with random displays of gay presentations hung up. I didn't really read too many of the displays there but I did check out some of the graphic pictures they had. Yeah, I'm more a visual learner. ;) Not really worth the $10 we spent each, but whatevs. The money went to a good cause.

Great location but a teeny tiny space. Recently saw Lenore Chinn's wonderful art here but do disappointed they only chose to display six of her paintings. They do have other historical material displayed so I'm glad they have a presence in the Castro - pretty much the only super queer area in SF since the gentrification in the Mission changed the mostly dyke/queer vibe there.

We decided to swing by the museum after finding some merchandise at the HRC store. I realize admission to the museum is already cheap but you get a little extra discount when you purchase anything at the HRC store. It prints on your receipt. This was our first visit and I understand that new exhibits need to be built and implemented, but considering this is a small space, maybe hold off when there are guests in the exhibit. We were extremely frustrated because we had to listen to the audio multiple times because the workers were talking very loudly during our entire visit. After the 3rd attempt to listen to Harvey Milk's recording, we just gave up on trying. There was no respect and no apologies for the noise. As much as there are great artifacts and information, it was all overshadowed by our negative experience. I am glad that this museum is available though.

GLBT History Museum is fairly new so I had to check it out. It's FREE on the First Wed of the Month so I saved $5, you can donate money if you want too. It's a small museum, lots of stuff to read & some items to look at. Textile, drag clothes, jewelry, sex toys, bar life matchbooks. Some old TV news to watch & audio recordings to listen to. It might be interesting to some, it wasn't my interest. It's in the Castro & not far from Kasa Indian Eatery where we had lunch. Hrs: Wed-Sat 11-7 Sun 12-5 Admission $5; FREE First Wed of the Month Website: http://www.glbthistory.org/museum/

I recently went to this museum while on vacation in San Francisco. Although the museum is very small (just one medium-sized room), it was very informative and interesting. I loved going to this museum and there was a cute little gift shop area where I got a Harvey Milk Supervisor shirt. It's a great museum to go to while in the Castro district, among many other queer-oriented businesses/areas within the district. I strongly urge lgbtqi+ & allies to support this museum!

Very informative and well worth the visit First Wednesday if every month is free Well worth the admission of $5

A must see if your visiting the area! Small yet very informative! For the miniscule fee if $5 (they do have free days) you will learn about local gay history. Lost gayborhoods, Harvey Milk and much much more! Remember that it is in the heart of Castro and the space is small!

Nice little museum if you're visiting SF. Give you a lot of the history of the neighborhood you are visiting.

It is fantastic that San Francisco is home to the country's first GLBT museum. It is a proud accomplishment for a group whose issues are often underrepresented in contemporary museums around the world. It is such a shame, however, that the content of this museum is rather embarrassingly awful and barely illuminating of any issue, let alone GLBT history. The museum visibly bears the scars of design by committee. Rather than focus on the arch of GLBT history in this country or even this city, the museum is divided into small display cases that house themed vignettes and papers from the museum's collection. In politest language, these themes are esoteric: a display on a gay Japanese-American man who was interned sits next to a window about sexuality among lesbians of color. It is clear that the GLBT History Museum wanted to include every group possible, but in so doing, sacrificed any sense of narrative or continuity. The few items in their collection that stand out are barely referenced, an embarrassing oversight. A pamphlet published from what looks like the mid-1970s with information about the legality of sodomy in different states is presented without commentary. What a fantastic opportunity to discuss the criminalization of gay sex that was only finally struck down in 2003. Instead, the museum puts this amazing relic next to any number of other detritus of fifty years of gay life in America. This shows that the editorial and curatorial control is so weak that very little actual history is presented. The museum's collection is mostly papers from decades gone by. Please do not infer from this that the museum's curators have sought out unique and rare artefacts full of history and importance. Instead. some of the various displays include a whole wall of gay bar advertising from the 1970s; letters received by a gay lobbyist from the same epoch; two, sad looking lockers from what we are to presume is a former gay bathhouse (surely a proud moment in gay history if there ever was one!); a sad looking drag queen dress; and a festive shelf of dildos of all colors. There are also multiple photographs of a black woman in a suit who the viewer is left to assume played some role, somewhere, at sometime in GLBT History. If you can see a through line to any of these things beyond the fact that they are all gay, please do let me know, because I sure cannot. In what is perhaps the museum's worst failing, the two pantsuits worn by the first gay couple to be legally wed in California are featured prominently in the museum's vestibule. There is a placard that explains the garments' provenance, which is presented without commentary. There is nary a word about the battle that those two women had to endure to be the first couple married in California; nor the ongoing fight for equality here in this state. In fact, the whole museum avoids discussing history for the sake of keepsakes, trinkets, and leftovers. The entire museum feels like the leftover bin at a garage sale. The collection is so random as to confuse the issue of gay history. Someday there will be a great museum on GLBT History, hopefully in a place of pride on the Mall in Washington. Contrarily, this museum of history avoids history as though it were a dirty word. Shame.

OK, five stars because it's the first GLBT history museum in the country, if I'm not wrong. Well, this place is small (kinda like your average American living room), but, for all the size queens out there reading this: it's the "motion of the ocean" that counts, not the size of the ship ;) It is certainly true for this establishment too! Me and my 'hags' were visiting Castro on our SF trip and the girls, being more into the GLBT stuff than I am, wanted to go to this place like crazy. But, I actually also was quite interested to accompany them and check it out myself. Now, I'm not a museum person at all (unless it's something unique like aviation, science, Jewish history etc. Can't stand art museums!), but despite its size, this place actually covers A LOT! From early rejection letters of gay people to schools and private clubs to information about riots to feminist GLBT movements etc. Plus, it's $5! And, these days, you're lucky if you get a glass of tap water for that price! I'm really happy we had the opportunity to check this out! p.s. BUY A T-SHIRT from the museum people! It's soo cool! I get compliments on mine all the time and it's a good conversation starter since most people don't know about this GLBT Museum at all. Plus you'd support the cause and this cute establishment.

Nice but small museum in the center of San Francisco's Castro District. Interesting history and information on gays and lesbians. It's $5 admission (free on the first Wednesday of each month). Certainly a unique type of gallery or museum; the type that you probably won't find anywhere else. Parking on the street is often difficult to find, so you might be better off taking mass transit or walking to the GLBT Museum.

Interesting collection on an important subject. Nice array of artifacts that relate to a broad demographic of GLBT peeps. It was touching to see older historical material, from a time before there was as much acceptance as there is now, because it reminds one that things have changed for the better and offers hope that acceptance can continue to grow. Very nice volunteers. Reasonable price. Group rate if your party has 6 or more people! Caveat re: the "Sex Toys: Implementing Erotic Expression" display: there is nothing shocking about the display, but if you are easily flustered or if you care about who you are standing next to while gazing at phalluses, just know that it is in the back corner of the museum.

If you take the time to read and watch everything, this museum is worth your time. If you just want to zoom through and quickly look at things, you're going to be done in 5-10 minutes and probably feel unfulfilled. The mini-doc I watched about the Bulldog Baths was excellent, especially since some of the signs and murals they showed in the doc were hanging on the wall right behind the monitor. Harvey Milk's suit, accompanied by a recording of him speaking, is the highlight of the museum for sure.

Five stars during Womxn's Herstory month! There was a Feminists to Feministas exhibit showcasing posters of Womxn of Color in Solidarity in the late 80's and 90's. There is also an API oral histories exhibit that was multi-generational and had interviews with elders and young adults. The youth movement display was also relevant and of course the regular Harvey Milk collection is a must see. I also appreciated seeing pictures of those who were former military in the early 1900's and the first Latino to ever run for public office in this nation. A small museum and 1.5 hours is more than enough time to see the full collection. Support local art, history and a comprehensive LGBTQIA history. Loved it.

This is the first LGBTQ history museum that has opened in the United States. It is small, and still obviously in the works to make it a better space, but I think the $5 that it costs for you to see it is pretty cheap and it is amazing to see real pieces of Harvey Milk's campaign, some of the first dildoes and vibrators invented, and some of the first gay sexual health pamphlets. If you like historical things or LGBTQ thing, this may be the first stop on your world tour of history for the queer community. The people are nice and the space is well arranged for the first exhibition/space they have. PLUS Phillis Lyon went to the grand opening (one of the first lesbian activists who was married to her parter Del Martin here in California when it was legalized briefly) and Brittney Spears stopped by the museum a few weekends ago. Why wouldn't you go where Brittney went?! Lol. Open Wed.- Sat. 11am-7pm and Sun. 12pm-5pm.

Wonderful museum. The curator (I'm assuming that's his job) sat at the front desk as I walked in and told me about the history of the GLBT Museum and how apparently there are only two in the world, San Francisco and Berlin (weird, right?). Anyway, it was really good! I got to learn a lot about the history of civil rights for Pacific Americans and their struggle to be accepted in the gay community from their family members. It was enlightening and heartbreaking to see the exhibit on Harvey Milk because it was just so real, it felt like it was happening all over again, almost as if I was there. It was nice to see the appropriate history of the start of drag queens as well as the interesting history behind bath houses in not only San Francisco, but America as well. I definitely would recommend this place to anyone who is stopping by in the area. The employees are very friendly!

I had a great experience at this museum, I was not familiar with the depth of the GLBT history and this venue did a great job of putting it together in about 900 sq ft of space. If you have a smart phone you can follow along for free.

I was instantly in tears listening to a recording Harvey Milk made before his death because he was afraid for his safety.... which you can listen to while looking at his actual blood stained suit he was wearing when gunned down at his office, donated by his now-deceased lover. How more real can history get? That alone was well worth the price of admission. I also enjoyed the bath house art that was saved before a famous bathhouse was closed mid-'80s, the "leather David" sculpture, and other memorabilia from San Francisco's pioneering gay and lesbian brothers and sisters throughout the last century. It's modest (a hallway and a single exhibition space). It's affordable ($5 admission). It's for adults (there's some graphic porn imagery here and there). If you slow down and actually read stuff, it packs a wallop. I spent a very satisfying 1/2 hour there. It really felt like a good start for a museum for my people.

So this museum is far from perfect, but it's a great step in the right direction and, if for no other reason, visit to give them $5 and help them continue an important mission: educating people on our queer past. As has been said, it's too small and nothing goes very in-depth. About those two things: that it's too small is understandable; it's a new museum! But at the same time, the space is used inefficiently: put more stuff in there until a bigger place can be afforded! Make it more worth $5. Regarding in-depth-ness, on a few important topics there is no excuse for not having more information. Regarding that 20,000 San Franciscans have died of AIDS, there's a tiny little case with hardly any information: what an inexcusable travesty! I rest assured they're working on something greater. All of what I've mentioned is to be understood regarding a brand new museum. The only real complaint I have is regarding the person manning the desk. He brought his dog to work: what the heck is a dog doing in a museum? The dog was allowed to bark at annoyed patrons and the caretaker just allowed this to happen without constraining the pooch. What on Earth?! Civility and seriousness please. It's a museum.

To be quite frank it was small and boring, only 1 room with a few exhibits. The only reason I didn't give it 1 star is because there was a cute dog

My partner and I were so pleased to have the opportunity to attend the SF GLBT history museum. We had been to the museum at it's temporary space a couple years ago, so we were pleased that the exhibit had changed entirely. As you enter the space you are greeted by Harvey Milk's dining room table and personal bullhorn! Further in were fascinated by the life of a Japanese American gay man that had been interred during World War 2. Point being there was material I had never thought of instead of the usual rehash of gay events that have become so famous, that they don't quite require the illumination of fogrotten transgendered performers and the lives of people of color. According to the docent they will change the exhibit every six to eight months so we look forward to seeing something new on our annual trek to mecca!

This was a cool little treasure to find (rather be told to go find). It is decently priced and a little hole in he wall. They have such great information and artifacts. Today was the Castro street fair so it was rather busy and made it hard to fully enjoy. Going in here made me want to watch Milk again. I will recommend people go here if they want some history of the Castro or just like learning new information...

A small museum but with impactful information and stories. Great place to see a multitude of GLBT perspectives from years past.

Learned a lot. It was a little too quiet. The guy at the front desk was super nice though!

Went to the Castro neighborhood while in San Francisco and felt like we should really stop at the GLBT Museum and learn a little bit of history. A little bit of history is probably a pretty good way to sum it up. The fee to get in is just $5 which is perfectly good and inexpensive. No complaints there. The complaint I'd have is that the museum is really small and really lacking much info. It is informative and a good place to go and learn a little bit about the struggle of we gays. I am perfectly cool with the fact that the museum focuses primarily on San Francisco and the goings on there. My issue is, this is a gay museum in San Francisco and it has enough stuff in it to barely fill one not too big room. Really? I would think that with so much history in the city there should be a far more extensive collection. It seemed to barely even cover much of anything. it hints at things but is in depth on nothing. Here is some Harvey Milk swag and that's about it on that. Here is a mention of AIDS and it's initial impact and that's it... Maybe it is just that this is a newish place and hasn't had a chance to make money and expand itself, but it just seems like there should be SO much more. I think we learned as much about gay history in SF at the Beat Museum... For $5, if you are in the Castro, stop buy. If for no other reason than to give them money and help them build their collection up. But it's not something I'd consider a must see or something to go out of your way to stop at.

I was a little disappointed and felt a little deceived. I realize they're working with limited space, but The GLBT History Museum should have shown much more of our history and not just San Francisco history. I was really shocked that nothing was even mentioned about Stonewall or the defeat of Prop. 8.

Stopping in here was one of better choices I made while in San Francisco. It's $5 and there is a donation box if want to chip in a few more box which I did. I got to see a table owned and other items owned by Harvey Milk which was pretty cool. Like any good museum it has things that you'd never believe existed unless you were staring at it, the oldest pieces are really incredible to see. I especially found the bathhouse stuff interesting and fun, two bucks went a long way apparently. I think the Castro is the perfect spot to jam pack queer history into one large room.

My girlfriend and I bought a 2-for-1 Groupon to this museum. I will admit that it's a bit small but for a $5 entry fee, I can't complain. There's a vast amount of information about San Francisco and the gay community that I walked out feeling a bit more educated on its history. We spent maybe 30 minutes there.

This is a little tiny museum with high impact! For five dollars you can experience rotating exhibits about queer history, with a focus on San Francisco. This exhibit is a gem, and an essential experience for anybody with an interest in queer history or resistance movements. I'm proud to be a volunteer here. Come visit.

This is the first LGBT museum that has opened in the United States. It's really small, but very succinct in the way they deliver their information. I was fascinated with the various exhibits. The volunteers are super friendly, and I left feeling like a more appreciated member of the LGBT community. All of their merchandise goes towards various LGBT causes and supporting the museum. I can't wait to come back when they expand.

Well, how do I put this nicely? I'm thrilled there's an LGBT Museum in the Castro and I'm thrilled there was such a nice man at the door to greet us and I'm even more thrilled there was not a charge on the day we went or I may have been a little peeved, but I really was not impressed on my first visit and I pray the exhibits get better and more attention grabbing. The exhibits change monthly I heard, but the exhibits weren't really exhibits like other museums. It was kind of like individual history projects with newspaper clippings, old photos and some artifacts from our gay history. I would have been much happier if I'd been by myself, could have stopped to read all of the news articles, listen to all of the audio presentations and take more notice of some of the other items, but it wasn't like a storyboard trip through a changing exhibit gallery at any other museum where you start out with a moment in history and the storyboards, articles and artifacts carry you on a journey through gay history. The exhibit jumped around a little bit from the Gay Men's Choir to Harvey Milk, to the first drag queens and rebellion, some info on the first marches in SF, then back to pre-WWII times and then back up to some more modern times. The most dramatic exhibit was a photo of the Gay Men's Choir after the AIDS epidemic wiped out all but 4-5 people. The dead were symbolized by men wearing all black while the few remaining Choir members were wearing white or their regular tuxedos. It was heart wrenching, but a great memorial to those who were out loud and proud, but were no match for the early days of AIDS/HIV. I'm so happy we have this space to chronicle our history, so don't get me wrong...go see the Museum. I know some of the items may have been on loaner and/or the newspaper exhibit style was what they had to work with in such a limited space, but I really had to fight to stay there with a friend for more than 30 minutes. I donated to the Museum anyway because we all know the best way to support our community is through community outreach programs, educational programs and money. This is a good start, but I'm hoping this is just that...a start and it's all better from here. Good luck my Brothers and Sisters. We're creative and artistic. Make it happen!! Cheers!

Very interesting museum with great artefacts and stories from the LGBTI community. Small space but has interesting artefacts such as Harvey Milks assassination suit and political memorabilia. Has interestingness video stories from influential people in the community and their stories. An important and vital museum that tells a side of history that is severely undocumented and under represented.

It was an OK experience -- perhaps the Asian Art Museum set the bar incredibly high? I agree with others in that the museum does feel like it was designed and executed by committee. I was a bit disappointed that there was an exhibit on sex toys. With the entire history of the LGBT community to display... dildos? I have to believe there are more important topics to discuss.