Gay St. Louis 2026

The honest summary: St. Louis has a small, loyal gay scene with one real nightlife strip, The Grove on Manchester Avenue, plus a handful of older neighbourhood bars spread across the south side. It isn't Chicago. What it has is cheap drinks, bars that have outlived most of their rivals, one 24-hour bathhouse, and a city government that is noticeably friendlier than the state around it.

Where the scene actually is

The Grove (the official neighbourhood name is Forest Park Southeast) is the centre. Out in STL called it "the undisputed capital of St. Louis LGBTQ+ nightlife" in 2025, and Out x Out and Travel Gay both describe Manchester Avenue the same way. Most of the gay bars sit within about a kilometre of each other along Manchester, between Chouteau Avenue in the east and the 4500 block in the west, so you can walk the whole crawl. The street is a general nightlife district too, so expect straight bars and taco spots between the gay ones.

Outside The Grove, the older bars are scattered: two on South Broadway in Carondelet, one in Tower Grove South, one in Soulard, a piano bar on Jefferson Avenue, and a newer queer-leaning bar in Midtown. You'll need a car or rideshare to link them.

A correction to older guides: the Central West End is often described as the gayborhood. Historically it was where PrideFest was held and where many gay people lived, but in 2026 it has no gay bars. Pride moved downtown years ago.

Bars and clubs

The Grove

Just John Club — the biggest gay bar in the city, at 4112 Manchester. Several rooms, a large patio, drag, karaoke and theme nights. It opens at 16:00 on weekdays and 14:00 at weekends and stays open until 01:30, or 03:00 on Friday and Saturday.

Rehab Bar & Grill — at 4054 Chouteau, where Chouteau meets Manchester. A gay bar with a real kitchen (burgers and bar food) and cheap drinks; Riverfront Times readers voted it Best Gay Bar in 2025. Same hours pattern as Just John.

Prism — LGBTQ+ dance club and drag bar at 4510 Manchester, opened in 2022 in the space The Monocle left. Drag and showgirl performances are the draw.

Platypus — directly across from Prism at 4501 Manchester, opened in 2021. Co-owner Meredith Barry calls it "a gay bar and a queer bar," and Out in STL writes about it as lesbian-owned. Look for the rainbow LOVE artwork outside.

South side and Midtown

Bar:PM — 7109 South Broadway in Carondelet. A neighbourhood gay bar with patios, karaoke, drag and charity nights.

Hummel's Pub — next door at 7101 South Broadway; Out x Out lists it as a neighbourhood gay dive. Do it together with Bar:PM.

Grey Fox Pub — 3503 South Spring Avenue in Tower Grove South. Open since 1988, it is the oldest gay bar still running in the city according to Out in STL. Drag shows are the main event.

Keypers Piano Bar — 2280 South Jefferson Avenue. A casual gay piano bar with singalongs and a regular crowd. We couldn't find dated 2025 activity beyond directory listings, so check before going.

Bastille — 1027 Russell Boulevard, the only gay bar in Soulard, with a Monday drag night (It's a Drag) and karaoke.

Hidden Gem — a pink "disco dive bar" at 3118 Locust Street in Midtown, opened December 2023 by the founders of Golden Gems. It doesn't call itself a gay bar outright, but it was set up to raise up the queer and feminine community and runs drag bingo, karaoke and DJ nights. It's the closest thing St. Louis has to a sapphic hangout alongside Platypus.

Bathhouse

The Club St. Louis — 2625 Samuel Shepard Drive near Grand Center, the only gay bathhouse in the metro and part of the US Club chain. Travel Gay and Out x Out list it as open 24 hours, with a dry sauna, steam room, whirlpool, a seasonal outdoor pool, a small gym, private rooms and around 180 lockers. Bring ID and expect a membership fee on top of entry.

Cruising

We don't publish outdoor cruising spots. Forest Park has a well-documented cruising history (Laud Humphreys' 1970 study Tearoom Trade was partly researched in St. Louis), but current sources describe it as history rather than a reliable scene, and it's a busy, patrolled family park. The legal options are the bathhouse and the apps.

Closed or changed: gone but still Googled

• Attitudes (The Grove) — the city's oldest gay nightclub closed for good on August 15, 2020, because of COVID (Riverfront Times). Some directories still list it.
• The Monocle (4510 Manchester) — closed; Prism now occupies the space.
• Clementine's (Soulard) — closed September 28, 2014.
• Hamburger Mary's (downtown) — closed again in 2020, with no reopening found.
• Novak's (Grove, the old lesbian bar) — no current listings anywhere.
• Club Escapades (Belleville, Illinois) — final drag show November 24, 2024.
• Oz Nightclub in Sauget, Illinois, is an EDM club, not a gay club, despite turning up in "gay St. Louis" searches.

Pride and annual events

• PrideFest St. Louis — run by Pride St. Louis. The 2026 edition was June 27–28 downtown, around Soldiers Memorial and City Hall, with the Grand Pride Parade on the Sunday. 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing; late June is the usual slot.
• Tower Grove Pride — a neighbourhood Pride in Tower Grove South; 2026 ran September 26–27, with the parade on the Sunday.
• Black Pride STL — held each August.
• QFest St. Louis — LGBTQ+ film festival run by Cinema St. Louis; the 19th edition ran June 12–21, 2026, at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.
• Trans visibility events — a four-day programme around March 31, including a Trans March from Kiener Plaza to City Hall in 2026.

In June 2026 Grove bar owners fought the city over early closing orders on Pride weekend (St. Louis Public Radio), so check bar hours on Pride Saturday.



Community and support

• PROMO Missouri — the statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy group, 2200 Gravois Avenue.
• Metro Trans Umbrella Group — trans-led community centre at 3133 Oregon Avenue with support groups and social nights.
• Vivent Health — HIV care and prevention; the former St. Louis Effort for AIDS has been part of Vivent Health since 2020.
• The SPOT (Washington University) — free drop-in health centre for young people at 4169 Laclede Avenue, including HIV/STI testing.
• PFLAG St. Louis — its regional calendar is the best single list of support groups, reading groups and social meet-ups; we pull it into our events page.

Practical tips

• Getting in: St. Louis Lambert International (STL) is about 22 km (14 miles) north-west of downtown. The MetroLink Red Line runs to downtown in roughly half an hour.
• Getting around: The Grove is walkable once you're there, but linking it with South Broadway, Soulard or Tower Grove South means a car or rideshare. Downtown to The Grove is about 10 minutes by car.
• Where to stay: Downtown hotels are best for PrideFest. For bar nights, Grand Center (the Angad Arts Hotel is on the same street as The Club) and the Central West End are closer to The Grove. We list the options on our hotels page.
• Late nights: Bars generally close at 01:30, with 03:00 licences on Friday and Saturday at the bigger Grove bars.
• Safety: As in any US city, use rideshare late at night rather than walking long distances between neighbourhoods.

At a glance

FAQ

What's the gay neighbourhood in St. Louis?

The Grove, along Manchester Avenue in Forest Park Southeast. Four of the city's gay and queer bars are there, within walking distance of each other. The Central West End is the old answer and has no gay bars today.

Is there a lesbian bar in St. Louis?

There's no bar that calls itself a lesbian bar, but Platypus in The Grove is lesbian-owned and describes itself as gay and queer, and Hidden Gem in Midtown was set up for the queer and feminine community.

When is Pride in St. Louis?

PrideFest is held over the last weekend of June in downtown St. Louis. The 2026 dates were June 27–28; 2027 dates hadn't been announced when we checked in October 2026. Tower Grove Pride follows in late September.

Is there a gay sauna in St. Louis?

Yes, one: The Club St. Louis at 2625 Samuel Shepard Drive, listed as open 24 hours. There's no second bathhouse in the metro.

Is St. Louis safe for LGBTQ+ travellers?

The city itself is welcoming and has its own non-discrimination ordinances. The state is more conservative, especially on trans healthcare, but that rarely affects a visit. Normal big-city caution applies at night.

Last verified: October 2026. Sources include Out in STL, Out x Out, Travel Gay, Riverfront Times, St. Louis Public Radio, pridestl.org and the venues' own websites.