Castro Camera (575 Castro St)

In 1972, Harvey Milk along with his then-Partner, Scott Smith, opened Castro Camera. The couple lived upstairs. They sold cameras, film but it also became the center of the neighborhoods’ growing gay community and headquarters for Milk’s gay rights campaigning. Although politics and activism were not his early passions, he was not open about his sexuality or civically engaged until he was 40 after his experience in the counterculture movement, here in San Francisco.

He became an active member of the community, promoting gay-rights and local business he was quickly named the unofficial Mayor of Castro Street. Becoming the first opening gay elected official in the history of California, elected to the SF Board of Supervisors.

Milk was assassinated in 1978, after his tragic death, the Camera store became a human rights campaign store. In 2011 it was carefully built to reflect its historic past.

His remains were cremated and his ashes were split. His closest friends scattered most of the ashes in San Francisco Bay. Other ashes were encapsulated and buried beneath the sidewalk in front of 575 Castro Street, where Castro Camera had been located

If you step outside the store and look up, you’ll see a painting of Harvey Milk and his motto, "You gotta give ‘em hope!"