West Village Pub Tour Traces Roots of LGBTQ Culture - Walking Tour

Explore LGBTQ history as played out in sometimes notorious speakeasies, bars, and clubs.

For decades bar culture has loomed large in the LGBTQ community. During this three-hour tour, learn why bars have played such an outsized role in gay life. Join us as we tip back our glasses at four special gay/lesbian bars, on an entertaining tour of Manhattan’s most storied neighborhoods.

• Why did Village waterfront bars welcome the rougher side of gay life?
• Who was the woman who opened the first lesbian nightclub? How has she been immortalized?
• Which bar was the site of a major gay protest resulting in a famous court case years prior to Stonewall?
• What are the biggest threats to today’s gay bar culture?

During our walk, we will see the site of former LGBTQ bars, clubs, and speakeasies, and visit some of those that are open today. The tour stops for optional beverages on your own at The Cubby Hole, Henrietta Hudson's, the Stonewall Inn, and Julius.

What's Up?

Our tour begins at 2:00 PM sharp, rain or shine, at the LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues. Subway: 1/2/3, A/C/E or F/M to 14th Street; L to 6th or 8th Avenue. After viewing the Center’s famous Keith Haring bathroom (now a meeting room), we explore the rich history of West Village watering holes. Refreshments on your own.

Our tour ends at approximately 5:00 PM at the historic Julius bar.

Due to the fluid nature of this unique walking tour, we highly encourage you to set aside extra time after the published end of the tour. You will then have the flexibility to enjoy all four of the historic venues where we stop for beverages. You may also want to consider eating at Julius at the end.

About Our Guide:

Phil Desiere (shown above in main image), founder of Walk About New York, is licensed by the city as a Tourist Guide. In addition to tours of such quintessential spots as Central Park and several different art tours of the New York City Subway, Phil has developed and leads the Gay Graves Tour at Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark.