Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre
Former San Francisco strip club (1969–2020)
About
The Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre was a strip club at 895 O'Farrell Street near San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. Having opened as an X-rated movie theater by Jim and Artie Mitchell on July 4, 1969, the O'Farrell was one of America's most notorious adult-entertainment establishments. By 1980, the nightspot had popularized close-contact lap dancing, which would become the norm in strip clubs nationwide. Journalist Hunter S. Thompson, a longtime friend of the Mitchells and frequent visitor at the club, went there frequently during the summer of 1985 as part of his research for a possible book on pornography. Thompson called the O'Farrell "the Carnegie Hall of public sex in America" and Playboy magazine praised it as "the place to go in San Francisco!"
The club closed permanently in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after a few years of struggling financially.
Nearby
More to see within walking distance
Archdiocese of San Francisco
Latin Church ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Church in California
0.2 mi away
Compton's Cafeteria riot
1966 protest for transgender rights in San Francisco
0.4 mi away
Assassinations of George Moscone and Harvey Milk
1978 murders in San Francisco, California, US
0.4 mi away
Glide Memorial Church
Church in California, United States
0.4 mi away
Mantra-Rock Dance
1967 counterculture music event
0.2 mi away
California Public Utilities Commission
State government agency of California
0.3 mi awayPlaces to eat nearby
Finding places to eat…
Traveler reviews
Tickets & tours
Tickets and tours for Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre
We may earn a commission from some of these links, at no extra cost to you. Learn more
Photos from Unsplash, Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA); facts from Wikipedia; maps © OpenStreetMap contributors, weather from Open-Meteo. Huginn’s tips are AI-written — check prices, hours and entry rules before you go.