We’re thrilled to be opening at 1485 Haight Street, right at the intersection of Haight & Ashbury. Formerly the home of RVCA, the space is large, spacious, and loaded with potential.
To be clear, we are not closing The Beat Museum. The Beat Museum will remain open at 540 Broadway in North Beach, across from City Lights Books.
Check back for updates, and follow our progress as we build the new Counterculture Museum.
Counterculture Museum: From Vision to Reality
A personal message from Estelle Cimino, Executive Director
Many years ago, I shared with my husband, Jerry, an idea that I had been pondering for a while — a museum that would go beyond the Beat Generation to include the many other transformative social movements that have shaped our world—the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Rights, Hippies/Youth Revolution, LGBTQ+, and more.
I feel strongly that these social movements have not only had a profound impact on society, but continue to inspire change today, and I believe this concept has immense potential, not only as a tribute to the past, but as a means to help us understand the challenges we still face. If we understand where we’ve come from, we can better decide where we need to go and how to get there. Jerry agreed wholeheartedly, and when we began sharing the concept selectively with others, the enthusiasm was contagious. We knew then that we had to make this vision a reality.
The next step was finding the perfect (or almost perfect) location for the Counterculture Museum. We scoured San Francisco—from Yerba Buena to North Beach, from the Castro to Haight Ashbury. We even explored locations beyond the city, but nothing aligned with our vision.
Jerry and I have often said, “It’s better to be lucky than good.” Of course, being good is important, but luck is often very significant in bringing big dreams to life. So in June 2024, luck found us.
Jerry was driving on his way from North Beach to an appointment in the Castro, having just taken our dog Kira to the park, when he realized he was very early. With some extra time, he decided to take a detour through Haight Ashbury. We had checked the neighborhood multiple times for a museum location, in late 2023 and again in early 2024, but nothing seemed to be available that matched what we wanted at the time.
As Jerry drove down Haight Street, he suddenly spotted something that made his jaw drop — a big, beautiful building, right at the corner of Haight and Ashbury, with a “For Lease” sign in the window. Incredibly, he found a parking spot right in front of the building, stepped onto the sidewalk, and peered inside through the glass. The space was empty, in good shape, and appeared to be just the right size for our museum. Could it be that luck had finally smiled on us?
Without hesitation, Jerry called the leasing agent, John, whose number was on the sign. To Jerry’s delight, John was available that very day to show the space. After his appointment in the Castro, Jerry returned, met with John, and toured the building. It was almost everything we had envisioned—and in a positively iconic location.
When Jerry came home that day, he was bouncing off the walls with excitement. It felt like the universe was telling us, “This is it! Move forward!” The next day I met John and viewed the space myself, and I had the same feeling—this was it. We decided to take the plunge, knowing the risks but also believing in the enormous potential of our idea. Our team—Jerry, Brandon, Bob, and I had successfully grown and managed The Beat Museum, and we knew we had the experience and skills to bring this new venture to life.
We worked closely with a trusted friend, a business lawyer, to draft an intent-to-lease. After a few rounds of friendly negotiation with John, who represents the landlord, we came to an agreement. In early September we signed the lease, and with that the Counterculture Museum officially had a home.
Now here we are, sharing this exciting news with all of you—our supporters, enthusiasts, and our friends. As we work on renovating the space, designing exhibits, and securing the necessary permits, we are also launching a fundraising effort to ensure our vision can be a reality for the long term. Starting a new museum takes time, effort, and resources, and we cannot do it alone.
I believe we are all connected, and my dream is to build a community organization where everyone can contribute in their own way. Our community is not only our Haight Ashbury neighborhood but also everyone who has lived through or been inspired by the transformative movements we celebrate.
Most of us want a better world for humanity, for nature, and for all living beings, and we share a passion for positive change. I hope you’ll join us in making the Counterculture Museum a reality—to celebrate, educate, inspire, and most importantly, to have fun doing it. Together, we can preserve these important stories and motivate others to make a difference.
Let’s do this together!