Castro Station was the dependable (and occasionally notorious) gay bar at 456 Castro Street, serving the community from 1977 to 1998 . Known originally as Twilight in 1971, it soon transformed into Dirty Dick’s and Le Bistro before settling into its identity as Castro Station in ’77—a name it kept for over two decades.With a signature stained-glass train logo etched onto a window, the bar became a cornerstone of the Castro nightlife, beloved for its ever-open doors, casual dance nights, and a spirit that embraced queer social life in all its raw honesty.
After closing in 1998, much of Castro Station’s character lived on—its etched glass was rescued and displayed at Fife’s Lodge in Guerneville, a small token of a space that had once facilitated countless connections, protests, late-night confessions, and moments of community defiance.
