Operated by Harvey Milk from 1972 to 1978, the store became the center of the neighborhood's growing gay community. It was more than a camera shop in that it offered support to those who moved to and lived in San Francisco in search of freedom to openly express their sexual identity, and was also headquarters for Milk's various campaigns for elected office. Later turned into a much-missed toiletry store, it is now the HRC's San Francisco's office.

A photo posted by Tim Oliver (@somebuddysomewhere) on Dec 3, 2015 at 8:47pm PST

Nurse and early AIDS activist Bobbi Campbell used the front window of this pharmacy to post a flyer in 1981 warning the community of "Gay Cancer”—because neither the local nor national government would sound the alarm—showing photos of lesions caused by Kaposi sarcoma (the rare cancer was found to be a result of HIV's toll on the immune system). Star Pharmacy closed in 1985, but the Walgreens across the street has erected a commemorative plaque in honor of Campbell and those who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.

A photo posted by RentSFNow (@rentsfnow) on Apr 7, 2016 at 3:43pm PDT

As open and tolerant as the neighborhood is, the LGBTQ community has always had issues with race. This famous bar was a regular for gay men of color who didn't feel welcome at other predominately white clubs. It closed in 2005.

Since opening in 1983, the club has served as a clean and sober gathering place for the community. In addition to holding AA, OA, and CMA meetings, they have drag nights, a gorgeous patio, and friendly faces galore.

One of the originals in the neighborhood, the Elephant opened in November 27, 1974. The bar was a favorite of Harvey Milk, who praised it as “a place where the gay community could meet and feel safe and secure.” The bar closed in 1988 after a fire, but was reopened and renamed as Harvey’s. At the corner of 18th and Castro, it is smack-dab in the heart of the neighborhood and impossible to miss.

The plaza in front of the Bank of America is the most spacious piece of sidewalk on Castro and, being on the east side of the street, it gets lots of sun in the afternoon. You’ll see people taking in the sun and dancing in front of the bank at all hours of the day, a tradition that started in the early '80s. The corner is also the spot of protests and a beacon for activism.

Milk lived above his camera store from 1975 until his death in 1978. The residence is now a historic landmark for the city of San Francisco.

Milk was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office, and fought tirelessly for the rights of minorities in San Francisco and beyond. The plaza in his honor boasts a giant rainbow flag, visible all the way down Market Street.Photo by Lauren Conklin

This powerful memorial honors the thousands of persecuted homosexuals in Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. What's more, it is the only freestanding monument in the U.S. to do so.

The Buddhist Hospice for those battling HIV/AIDS was opened in 1981 by former drag queen Reverend Isaan Dorsey (who died from the disease in 1990), but the Center still remains as an open and supportive community for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations to practice Buddhism or attend the occasional (free!) meditation class. Photo by Lauren Conklin

Originally known as a lesbian bar, the Mint is now open to all types of crowds and is one of the most famous Karaoke spots in the city. Starting in 1972, the Mint was the last stop of a charity bar to bar tricycle crawl for those dressed in drag, a tradition that has been revived by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, with the addition of the Hunky Jesus contest at the end of the race. Photo by Lauren Conklin

In 1986, San Francisco-based activist Cleve Jones created the first panel of what was to become the AIDS Memorial Quilt in honor of his friend Marvin Feldman. The Quilt numbered 40 panels when it first appeared at the 1987 San Francisco Pride Parade. It now goes up to a half a million panels. The former Names Project building is now a seafood restaurant called Catch, but is registered as one of three of the historic landmarks in San Francisco that honor the LGBT community. (The other two are Twin Peaks bar and the Castro Camera/Milk residence.)Photo via John Matney

Though the city shut down all bathhouses in 1984, under pressure from then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein, Eros remained and still operates today. While it no longer has private rooms, it does feature a sauna, showers, and steam room in the open and sunny first floor. Have fun. Photo by Lauren Conklin

It was the first gay bar in the neighborhood to allow same-sex dancing—at least up until the police noticed they didn’t have the required dance permit. The Toad Hall bar on 18th is not the original location. Opening in 1971, it closed in 1979, becoming DJs and later the Phoenix, before being turned into an expansion for Walgreens.Via Max Kirkeberg Collection

Referred to by some as San Francisco’s “queer Smithsonian,” the society maintains an extensive archival collection of materials relating to the history of queerdom in the United States, with a focus on the LGBT communities of San Francisco and Northern California. The museum in the Castro showcases this extensive history of LGBT life in the city from 1940 until today.Photo by Lauren Conklin

Mr. Matlovich, a Vietnam veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, challenged the ban on gays in the military when he came out on the cover of the 1975 TIME Magazine under the headline “I am a homosexual”. The plaque and large flag outside his residence pays homage to his bravery, well ahead of its time. Photo by Lauren Conklin