Some places really stick with you.
While I love traveling, I’m just as excited to explore my own city—and I’m always encouraging others to discover hidden gems and unique stories in theirs, too.
A few weekends ago, I visited the Gregangelo Museum in San Francisco’s Balboa Terrace neighborhood—one of the most unique immersive art experiences in the city.
It’s a living, ever-changing space filled with color, texture, and stories—and I left feeling completely inspired.
Moved, actually.
During the tour, the stories and art hit me in a way I didn’t expect—I even found myself wiping away tears.
And that feeling stayed with me long after I left.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I knew I had to go back—not just to learn more, but to share it. Because the Gregangelo Museum is a powerful reminder of how meaningful local experiences can be.
This magical spot in San Francisco—now both an SF Historic Landmark and a Legacy Business—deserves attention for how it brings people together and creates real connections.
So I went back.
This time, I sat down with Gregangelo Herrera, the owner and founder, who calls himself a “chronic collaborator.”
He’s an artist and storyteller who has spent his life creating spaces where people don’t just observe—they connect.
And his story is a reminder that sometimes the most powerful experiences aren’t the ones that take you far away…
They’re the ones waiting right in your own backyard.
🎧 Click on the above audio link to listen to our podcast interview on Substack, or find and listen to “The Gomes Guide Travel Podcast” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
🌁 Growing Up in a “Crazy” San Francisco
Gregangelo was born in San Francisco in 1966 and grew up in a version of the city that felt wildly different from today.
He describes it as “crazy”—but in the best possible way.
He was part of that very Gen X experience: taking cable cars to school, roaming neighborhoods freely, learning how to navigate the city at a young age.
“We learned how to navigate the city really well… we got street smart by the time we were five or six.”
This was post–Summer of Love San Francisco. A time of cultural upheaval, artistic expression, and social change unfolding all at once—civil rights, the feminist movement, the queer revolution.
“It was beautiful and spectacular.”
That spirit—raw, creative, a little chaotic, deeply human—is something he’s been channeling ever since.
🧞A House That Evolved Into Something Bigger
Gregangelo didn’t set out to create a museum.
He started working on the house in 1979, when it was a dilapidated rental filled with history—and a few surprises. Before he moved in, the home had been occupied by dancers from the San Francisco Ballet, part of a bohemian, artist-filled chapter of the city that feels almost mythical now.
Back then, the house was barely holding together—floors collapsing, ceilings crumbling.
But surrounded by artists and makers, Gregangelo slowly rebuilt it—piece by piece, with no grand plan in mind.
Over time, it became a creative hub. A gathering place. A living, breathing experiment.
Then came COVID.
When the world shut down, artists showed up—dozens of them. Young creatives, families, performers looking for purpose and connection.
“You can’t stop creativity.”
Together, they built something entirely new. At one point, they were producing 22 immersive shows a day!
What could have been the end… became a reinvention.
Today, the Gregangelo Museum is not only a one-of-a-kind immersive art experience—it’s also one of only two San Francisco landmark houses open to the public, alongside the Haas-Lilienthal House.
And it’s not a one-size-fits-all visit.
The museum now offers 22 immersive experiences each week, running Wednesday through Sunday—ranging from family-friendly adventures to deeper, more introspective journeys.
Each one is guided by artists. And no two feel exactly the same.
🪄This Isn’t a Museum. It’s a Mirror.
One of the things Gregangelo said that really stuck with me:
“We’re not performing anymore. We’re just being ourselves.”
And what unfolds is less about what you’re seeing… and more about what you’re feeling.
“It’s about you… what we can show each other to just be together, learn about each other, be genuine and real.”
No script. No right way to experience it.
Just presence.
🦋 Reconnecting with Our Childlike Sense of Wonder
One idea kept coming up: how much of ourselves we lose along the way.
That childlike curiosity—a sense of play, and the instinct to create without overthinking—used to come so naturally.
Somewhere between growing up and “figuring things out,” much of that curiosity and creativity gets pushed aside.
“We’re all born artists and creatives, but that gets knocked out of you.”
Gregangelo shared that much of what he’s created centers on helping people reconnect with a sense of wonder they once knew.
Not in a nostalgic, childish way. Instead, it’s grounded and human.
It’s a place where you’re not performing, not trying to get it right, not worrying about how it looks.
Just… being.
“Creativity doesn’t come from thinking. Just do it.”
This sounds simple in theory, but it’s not easy in practice.
As adults, we’re wired to overthink, to judge, and to hold back.
And what happens inside the Gregangelo Museum gently pushes against that.
Inside the Gregangelo Museum, you’re invited to play, to be curious, and to let go of needing to have it all figured out.
Perhaps that’s why the experience lingers: it reminds us that creativity is about returning to our lost sense of play and curiosity.
✨ Don’t Miss: Thursday Art Talks
One of the experiences I can’t stop thinking about is their weekly Art Talks, held every Thursday at 1pm.
It’s part salon, part shared meal, part creative spark.
A rotating “luminary” speaker—artists, writers, designers, even unexpected voices—leads a conversation, followed by a communal lunch and open dialogue.
“I don’t care what your topic is, but I want there to be a call to action… to get people to do something.”
It’s refreshingly unpolished in the best way.
No stage. No pretense.
Just people sitting together, talking, listening, connecting.
💫The Moment That Landed
At one point in our conversation, I brought up a quote from the show Ted Lasso that I’ve always loved:
“Be curious, not judgmental.”
It felt like the perfect distillation of what happens inside this house.
Because what Gregangelo has created is, at its core, an invitation:
- To be curious.
- To listen more deeply.
- To drop the assumptions we carry into every room.
As he put it:
“We all have everything in common… but we’re letting division define us.”
🌉 From Landmark to Living History
What’s especially exciting right now is how Gregangelo is expanding this work beyond his own walls.
Through a new collaboration with the Haas-Lilienthal House—one of the city’s most iconic historic homes and a fellow SF Landmark Home—he’s bringing his immersive storytelling approach into a completely different setting.
On Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, 2026, he’s debuting:
“Earthquake: Shaken, But Standing Strong!”
Timed to the 120th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake, this is more than a historical retelling—it’s an opportunity to genuinely experience the emotional reality of a pivotal moment in the city’s past.
It’s an immersive, multi-sensory experience designed to take you inside those first moments—through the lens of the family who lived in the home.
Using music, storytelling, and elements of neuroscience, Gregangelo recreates what that 45-second earthquake felt like—not just physically, but emotionally.
It’s meant to be disorienting at times. Even unsettling.
Because the goal is for you to walk away with a personal sense of history’s impact—not just learning about it, but truly connecting with it.
From there, the experience guides you through the aftermath—the chaos, the humanity, the resilience—so you leave with a deeper sense of how history shapes our present and the enduring power of community.
What struck me most was how he connected that moment in time to today.
In 1906, a natural disaster brought people together.
Today, he sees us living through something different—what he describes as more of a “manmade disaster”—where division often replaces connection.
This experience quietly asks:
What would it look like if we responded to today’s challenges with the same sense of solidarity?
Part immersive theater, part historical reflection, part communal experience—it’s exactly the kind of boundary-pushing work you’d expect from Gregangelo.
And like everything he creates, it’s not meant to be explained.
It’s meant to be felt.
If this speaks to you, you can learn more and purchase tickets here.
Note: I’ll be there the evening of Friday, April 17th, so if you live in the SF Bay Area - come join me!
⚡️Rapid Fire with Gregangelo about SF
Before we wrapped, I asked Gregangelo a few quick questions about San Francisco—his answers felt like a love letter to the city.
Favorite San Francisco neighborhood?
“Telegraph Hill. I’m always climbing the stairways, going down the alleyways. It’s magical.”
Favorite hidden food spot?
“I’ve given myself a rule—I don’t spend more than five bucks to eat. But there are taquerias in North Beach, the Mission, the Castro where you can still get a great meal.”
Where do you go for inspiration?
“The beach. I go to the ocean. I’ll sit there, listen to the foghorn, the waves… that’s where ideas come.”
A classic San Francisco experience everyone should have?
“Riding the cable cars. I grew up on them—I still love them.”
One word to describe San Francisco?
“Accepting.”
If you could wave a magic wand over San Francisco right now, what would you want it to rediscover?
“Its weirdness.”
🔮 Final Thoughts
After hearing him talk about San Francisco that way—and about reconnecting with that sense of curiosity and play—it made even more sense why my first visit stayed with me.
And going back—this time to understand the story behind it—only deepened that feeling.
Because what you experience inside the Gregangelo Museum isn’t just art.
It’s a reminder.
Of what it feels like to be present. To be open. To be curious again.
To tap back into that part of yourself that isn’t overthinking everything… that isn’t worried about getting it right.
In a world that can feel increasingly disconnected—and, at times, a little heavy—what Gregangelo has built is something rare:
A space where people come together, not just to observe… but to actually see each other.
And maybe, in the process, remember a little more of who they are.
And honestly, that feels like something worth seeking out right now.
To view all of the Gregangelo experiences and purchase tickets, visit: https://www.gregangelomuseum.com/, and be sure to tell Gregangelo that Shannon from The Gomes Guide sent you. ✨
Meet Gregangelo Herrera
Gregangelo Herrera is a visual and performing artist, a Whirling Dervish, and the visionary founder behind three of San Francisco’s most imaginative ventures. As the Artistic Director of the Gregangelo Museum, he has transformed his private residence into a portal of self-realization that was recently honored as a San Francisco Historic Landmark and a Legacy Business.
Through his companies, Velocity Arts & Entertainment and the legendary Velocity Circus, Gregangelo leads a multicultural ensemble that blends circus artistry and immersive storytelling to spark joy and human connection. Whether at his landmark museum or on stages, Gregangelo’s mission is simple: to unlock the full potential of the human imagination.
The Instagram Reel I created from my tour of the Gregangelo Museum:
Here’s to always keeping our childlike sense of wonder, connecting with others, supporting artists, and always being curious not judgmental,
Did you enjoy this interview? Have you been to the Gregangelo Museum—or experienced something like this? Please leave a comment below, or give this post a quick ♥️, and please share The Gomes Guide with your friends. Your support means the world to me and helps grow this community!
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