Over the rainbow in the Castro: A tour of San Francisco’s preeminent gayborhood

Since the 1970s, San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood has been one of the foremost gayborhoods in the world. It’s a place where LGBTQ freedom and culture have been forged, fought for and fervently celebrated.

Put on your most fabulous walking shoes, and join San Francisco Chronicle Arts & Culture writer Tony Bravo on this walking tour through the Castro’s rich history, from the battles of the past all the way to its vibrant present.

This hour-long walk starts at Jane Warner Plaza and ends at Harvey Milk Plaza, next to the home of Gilbert Baker’s world famous rainbow pride flag. En route, you’ll hear all about the queer predecessors who paved the way for everything from marriage equality to the popularity of the drag art form. You can also look forward to:

• Seeing Twin Peaks Tavern, the first gay bar in San Francisco, with plateglass windows to show that the community no longer had to meet in secret
• Glimpsing the real Castro Camera, where pioneering gay city Supervisor Harvey Milk ran his political campaigns
• Marveling at the century-old beauty of the Castro Theatre, which actor and filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell described as a gay cathedral
• Learning about the GLBT Historical Society Museum, which houses over 900 collectables of LGBTQ art and history
• Taking in the plaques along the Rainbow Honor Walk — the queer version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame — which pays homage to queer royalty like disco darling Sylvester
• Visiting Hibernia Beach, the memorial wall where Castro residents remember those they’ve lost

Whether you’re visiting San Francisco for the first time or you’re a neighborhood regular, there’s something for everyone to learn about the Castro. Take a stroll down the rainbow road on a tour you won’t forget.