Last week the GLBT Historical Society signed a five-year lease to open a second exhibit in the Castro district of San Francisco. This action, taken at the urging of the both city government and local organizations, is a major step toward creating the first true GLBT history museum in the United States.

The new exhibit space is a few doors up from the corner of 18th and Castro Streets (4127 18th Street). It is over 1,600 square feet, twice as large as our previous Castro exhibit. Our Silver Anniversary exhibit will open in the new exhibit space September 1 and the preview exhibit will open in June or July.

The exhibit space was made possible in part by a generous lease from the Walgreens Corporation which not only discounted the rent, but is also building out the space. We also received a grant from the City of San Francisco for $100,000, about half the expected cost of the exhibit.

Because most of our costs will occur in the next few months the Society is launching a special fundraising effort to support the exhibit. We have already received pledges from core supporters to match all donations to the Castro exhibit dollar for dollar up to $11,000.

You will soon receive a more formal request, but please don't wait. If you are able to make a special donation to create a Castro exhibit please visit: www.castroexhibit.kintera.org/donate

Note: The lease was signed twenty-five years to the month after the birth of the Historical Society, founded March 18, 1985.

Read this week's BAR article about the new space here.