Best Gay Bars & Bathhouses In Minneapolis
Minneapolis has a genuine, well-established gay bar scene concentrated largely within the city itself, with most venues clustered in and around downtown and the Loring Park neighborhood — no long drive required. St. Paul sits just 10–15 minutes east via the Green Line light rail, adding a handful of strong options across the river. One notable gap: Minneapolis has banned commercial bathhouses since 1988, and as of mid-2026 that ban is still in effect, though the City Council is actively exploring repeal.
The Minneapolis LGBTQ+ Scene
Minneapolis consistently ranks among the most LGBTQ+-friendly cities in the Midwest, with a long history of queer activism, vibrant community organizations, and a nightlife scene that has been thriving since the 1950s. The Twin Cities have one of the strongest gay bar scenes in the Midwest, with dedicated LGBTQ+ venues spread across Minneapolis and St. Paul. Within Minneapolis, the downtown Hennepin Avenue bars — The Saloon, Gay 90's, and the Brass Rail — are all within a few blocks of each other. Loring Park, just south of downtown, functions as an informal gayborhood anchor, home to the 19 Bar and the site of Twin Cities Pride each summer. St. Paul's Midway neighborhood adds its own queer anchor in Black Hart, and the Metro Green Line makes the cross-city trip easy. The Safer Sex Spaces Coalition has spent years pressing Minneapolis to overturn the 1988 ordinance that outlawed commercial spaces facilitating consensual sexual activity, and the City Council voted unanimously in April 2026 to direct staff to explore repealing the ban — meaning a licensed bathhouse could open in the city for the first time in nearly four decades. Until then, there is no legal gay bathhouse in Minneapolis proper.
Top Gay Bars & Bathhouses for Minneapolis Locals
The Saloon
Type: Gay dance club and bar
Location: 830 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN
Features: Gay-owned and operated, The Saloon has one of the longest-standing reputations in the Twin Cities, with a strong history of guest DJs from around the country and a wet-and-wild shower platform with male dancer entertainment. It is built for high-energy nights with multiple rooms, a packed dance floor, and a vibe that shifts depending on the party theme.
Website: https://www.saloonmpls.com
Gay 90's
Type: Gay nightclub
Location: 408 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN
Features: The cabaret is the star, with a packed weekly calendar including Bottomless Drag Brunch on Sundays, the FLAMBOYANCE drag show on Saturdays, Drag Queen Charity Bingo on Thursdays, and rotating one-offs like movie nights and themed parties. One of the largest gay clubs in the region with multiple floors and room themes.
Website: https://www.gay90s.com
Eagle|MPLS
Type: Gay bar / leather and bear bar
Location: 515 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN
Features: Located in the East Town and US Bank Stadium area, Eagle|MPLS positions itself as a neighborhood gay bar for all LGBTQIA+ people, with friendly, welcoming crowds, pub food, and a full bar. For leather and kink, it is the primary answer in the Twin Cities. It offers strong happy hour deals including a 3-for-1 Friday happy hour and Sunday beer bust, and hosts gear and underwear nights.
Website: https://www.eaglempls.com
19 Bar
Type: Gay dive bar
Location: 19 W 15th St, Minneapolis, MN (Loring Park)
Features: Located in the Loring Park neighborhood, the 19 Bar was founded in 1952, making it the oldest gay bar in Minneapolis and among the oldest in the United States — a cash-only dive bar with a classic jukebox, pool tables, and dart boards. It is open again after a fire in 2024, with new bathrooms and a slightly adjusted entry, but otherwise nearly identical to the original.
The Brass Rail
Type: Gay bar / adult entertainment
Location: 422 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN
Features: Operating on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, the Brass Rail Lounge is one of the Midwest's longest-running gay bars, functioning as a no-frills dive bar with a stage and a diverse weekly calendar of drag shows and exotic male dancers. Right next door to Gay 90's, it is a solid warm-up spot when you are already in the downtown bar-hop zone.
Black Hart of Saint Paul
Type: LGBTQ+ bar / queer sports bar
Location: 1415 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN — approx. 15 min from Minneapolis
Features: