Gregangelo MuseumGregangelo Herrera
Extant
225 San Leandro Way, San Francisco, California, 94127, United States
1989-present
Thursday-Saturday 11AM-4PM, private tours only. Visit the website below to book a tour.
SPACES Archives Holdings
Located in a historic 1920s Mediterranean style revival home, tucked into the neighborhood of Balboa Terrace, sits the unassuming home of Gregangelo Herrera. Born of half Lebanese/half Mexican descent, Gregangelo was a solo performer who was known for his rendition of the whirling dervish and other traditional Middle Eastern dances. Gregangelo is a San Francisco native and in the 1980s, he began renting this house while it was in a dilapidated state and decided to rehabilitate it as his own. Growing up in San Francisco in the 60s and 70s, Gregangelo witnessed a transformation of the city. The Summer of Love, queer and women's liberation, and the beginning of the AIDS epidemic would all come together to shape Gregangelo’s philosophies and his home. The creative activation of his home first began as an exercise to work through the grief of losing his partner to AIDS in the 1980s. Modeled after ideas of acceptance, Gregangelo continued to transform his home into a space to foster connection.
The Museum (dubbed the ‘Connectorium’ by Gregangelo) has been open since 1989, yet the space is ever changing. There are about 33 installations inside the home, all with different intentions and themes for the visitor. Since the house is not open to the public to wander, guides are integral to the visiting experience. Rather than a museum in the traditional sense, Gregangelo hopes his home acts as a “museum of connection,” and tour guides help lead the visitors through emotional experiences, memories, and dreams as they progress through the rooms. The Museum offers several tour experiences – “Into the Rabbit Hole,” “Untold Secrets,” “Riddle of the Sphinx” (to name a few) – and through these tours, guides and visitors activate the space and share stories.
While Gregangelo began this experience on his own, he now has growing support from his community, local government, and fellow artists. In 1993, Gregangelo created Velocity Arts And Entertainment, a company that would help care for his home and his troupe’s artistic work. Today he continues to have about 16 to 20 other artists/makers/scientists who are involved in the creation of installations. And in 2024, the Gregangelo Museum was designated San Francisco’s 318th Landmark – providing some economic reliefs, but also showcasing local pride and honoring San Francisco’s legacy of acceptance.
– Narrative by Leah Zuberer (SPACES intern), 2025
Sources:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aozlQgkj53U
- https://www.gregangelomuseum.com/
- Gregangelo Museum Landmark Designation Report, San Francisco, California, 2024
- Interview with Gregangelo Herrera conducted by Annalise Flynn and Leah Zuberer of SPACES, July 2025
Map & Site Information
225 San Leandro Way
San Francisco, California, 94127
us
Latitude/Longitude: 37.7326939 / -122.4684687
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