This is the defining feature of the Castro, with its flashing blood red and summer
blue hues casting shifting shadows on the street below. The exterior pays homage to the
Mission Dolores church, a few blocks away; the remarkably intricate molding on the
exterior is only a hint of the grandeur that waits inside.

Walk through the heavy wooden door and you are taken back to 1922, when the
Nasser brothers originally built the theatre. Two staircases flank the inner hallway,
leading up to the balcony and backstage. Glide past the concession stand and into the
main theatre, and you are instantly taken by the plush blood red velvet stage curtain in
between the subtle shapes of the theatre’s walls covered in classic motif murals.
Looking up, an ornate and dramatic Art Deco starburst chandelier greets you
dramatically. As you sit, your ears absorb the buttery sounds of the Mighty Wurlitzer
pipe organ. The lights dim and you are bombarded by a thoroughly modern sound system
and moving pictures experience.
There are also plenty of live shows, film festivals and other performances at the
Castro, and it’s quite simply a must-do when you are in SF. Go see a show at the Castro!