The Castro is an exceptionally fine example of 1920's theater design and represents a major work of one of San Francisco's most important architects, Timothy L. Pflueger. It was the first and finest major theater built by San Francisco's oldest movie-business family, the Nassers.

While never the largest neighborhood theater in San Francsico, the castro was unquestionably the most ornate and exciting, a distinction it never lost. Save for a shift in the screen position to accomodate CinemaScope, the Castro has remained essentially unaltered inside and out, a vary rare phenomenon in the movie business, which likes to spend its money conspicuously.