Best Gay Bars & Bathhouses In Riverside
Riverside sits in the Inland Empire, roughly 60 miles east of Los Angeles and about 60 miles west of Palm Springs. The city itself has a small but active LGBTQ+ presence, with a couple of local spots and regular queer nights — but for a proper gay bar crawl or bathhouse visit, most Riverside residents make the drive to Palm Springs, which is the closest major concentration of dedicated LGBTQ+ venues in the region.
The Riverside LGBTQ+ Scene
Riverside's queer community is real and organized, but spread out across a sprawling metro area without a defined gayborhood. Local options — a mixed LGBTQ+ bar, occasional queer nights at mainstream clubs — handle the midweek and casual crowd. Downtown Riverside hosts a weekly queer night at The W, next to the Menagerie, running Thursdays from 9 PM to 2 AM with no cover. For dedicated gay bars, cruisy spaces, and a bathhouse, Palm Springs is the practical destination. Greater Palm Springs is known for its wide range of LGBTQ+-friendly venues that offer a welcoming atmosphere for people of every sexuality, with something for everyone. The roughly 60-minute drive from Riverside is routine for locals, and Palm Springs functions as the region's gay hub in the same way West Hollywood serves central LA.
Top Gay Bars & Bathhouses for Riverside Locals
VIP Nightclub & Restaurant
Type: Mixed LGBTQ+ bar and restaurant
Location: 3673 Merrill Ave, Riverside, CA 92506
Features: A beloved local hotspot that creates an inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+ community, with a spacious layout and a back patio. Brunch menu includes bottomless mimosas.
Website: https://vip-nightclub-restaurant.wheree.com
Toucans Tiki Lounge
Type: Gay bar / Drag venue
Location: 2100 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262 — approx. 60 min from Riverside
Features: Home to the longest-running drag show in Greater Palm Springs, with weekly events including Latin Fever Monday. Voted "The Desert's Number One Gay Bar," a favorite hangout for cocktail-loving locals and tourists looking for world-class drag.
Website: https://toucanstikilounge.com
Hunters Palm Springs
Type: Gay bar / Dance club
Location: 302 E Arenas Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262 — approx. 60 min from Riverside
Features: Founded in 1998 on East Arenas Road, Hunters has hosted drag bingo, trivia, catwalk shows, underwear contests, and tea dances. The multi-room bar and dance club offers a nine-hour happy hour along with various themed nights.
Website: https://hunterspalmsprings.com
Chill Bar
Type: Gay bar / Dance club
Location: 217 E Arenas Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262 — approx. 60 min from Riverside
Features: Two distinct spaces — a front bar with mountain views perfect for a casual drink, and a back bar where DJs and performers keep the party going on the largest dance floor in the city, with state-of-the-art sound and lighting.
Tool Shed
Type: Gay bar / Leather-Levi cruising bar
Location: 600 E Sunny Dunes Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92264 — approx. 60 min from Riverside
Features: Serving up its unpretentious Levi/Boots/Leather vibe since 1993, now more popular than ever with an expansive 4,000-square-foot outdoor patio and an onsite food truck. Also now hosts the largest Sunday Beer Bust in the desert. Cash only.
Website: https://toolshedpalmsprings.com
Dick's on Arenas
Type: Gay bar / Cruising bar
Location: 301 E Arenas Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262 — approx. 60 min from Riverside
Features: A small men's watering hole with a light Levi/Leather vibe, ideal for grabbing a cold drink with locals and tourists, with an outdoor patio that is prime real estate for people-watching on Arenas.
Club 541
Type: Gay men's sex club / Bathhouse
Location: 541 E Industrial Pl, Palm Springs, CA 92264 — approx. 60 min from Riverside
Features: The first real sex club in the greater Palm Springs area and the only one dedicated exclusively to men in the Co