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The honest summary: Reno has a small gay scene that has grown again since late 2025. There are four gay bars, one LGBTQ-owned drag-friendly lounge and a bathhouse that has been open since 1962. Nothing here is big or late-night glamorous. You come to Reno for Lake Tahoe, the casinos or Pride in September, and these bars are a good night out on top of that.
Legal in one line: Same-sex marriage is written into Nevada's constitution (Question 2, passed with 62% in 2020), and state law has banned discrimination by sexual orientation and gender identity in jobs, housing and public places since 2011.
Where the scene is
There is no gay district. The bars are spread along a few miles of road, so plan on rideshares.
- Downtown, near West Street and West 2nd Street, a few blocks from the casinos, is where the old guard is: 5 Star Saloon and Steve's Bathhouse.
- Midtown, along South Virginia Street just south of downtown, is the newer part. The Selden and The Emerson face each other across the street there, among a lot of mainstream bars and restaurants. Local press calls Midtown the centre of the city's queer nightlife, and it is the only part you can comfortably walk.
- South Virginia near the Peppermill has Carl's, and Kietzke Lane east of Midtown has OTC. You'll need a car for both.
- 5 Star Saloon (132 West St) is Nevada's longest-running gay bar. It traces back to the early 1970s. It has a small dance floor and a stage for drag and karaoke, and listings give 7pm to 3am every night. Its website was down in October 2026, so check social media for show nights.
- Carl's - The Saloon (3310 S Virginia St) is a low-key bar with a leather-leaning crowd, according to Travel Gay. Pool is free on Tuesdays and Friday is Underwear Night. Hours are noon to 2am, and until 4am on Friday and Saturday. It has a backyard patio.
- OTC Bar & Lounge ("Out of the Closet", 340 Kietzke Ln) opened around Halloween 2025 and calls itself "a proudly LGBTQ+-centered space". It has DJs, go-go dancers, drag and karaoke, and happy hour runs 2pm to 7pm. Opening days have shifted since launch, so check @otcbarreno first.
- The Selden (960 S Virginia St, Midtown) is a cabaret and dance bar that opened on 6 June 2026. It runs DJs, drag, burlesque and drag brunch, and stays open until 2am. Reno News & Review called it the city's newest LGBTQ bar.
- The Emerson Cocktail Lounge (955 S Virginia St) is The Selden's LGBTQ-owned sister lounge across the street. It is a mixed cocktail bar, not a gay bar, but it runs Drag Brunch on some Sundays and charity Drag Bingo on the second Thursday of the month.
- Our Center (1745 S Wells Ave) is the LGBTQ+ community center for northern Nevada. It runs support groups, trans and non-binary meetups, senior and youth groups, book and craft clubs, and free HIV and STI testing by appointment. Drop-in hours are Monday to Friday 11am to 8pm and weekends 10am to 2pm. Our Center also produces Pride.
- Northern Nevada HOPES (580 W 5th St) is the local nonprofit clinic for HIV care, PrEP, gender-affirming care and STI testing, with sliding-scale fees.
- The University of Nevada, Reno runs a Pride program through its Multicultural Center. It holds a Transgender Day of Remembrance event every November.
- Faces NV (W 2nd St) closed in November 2022 when its lease ended.
- Splash Bar Reno (opened 2018) and the Coyote Saloon that replaced it (closed 2025) both used the Kietzke Lane building that OTC now occupies. Tronix was there before them and closed in 2015.
- The Patio and Bad Dolly's (lesbian bars) are long gone. The 1099 Club building is now Chapel Tavern, a mainstream bar.
- Our Bar and 4th Street Bar are good mainstream bars, but neither is a gay bar, whatever older lists say.
- The airport (RNO) is about 5 km south-east of downtown, around ten minutes by car.
- The drinking age is 21 and you'll be asked for ID everywhere. Nevada has no statewide closing time, so some bars stay open until 3am or 4am.
- Downtown around the casinos is busy but can feel rough late at night. Take a rideshare between bars.
- Lake Tahoe is about 45 minutes away and Virginia City about 40 minutes.
Bars and clubs
Reno has no lesbian bar at present. Women's and non-binary socials run through Our Center instead (see below).
Sauna
Steve's Bathhouse (1030 W 2nd St) has been open since 1962 and is the only gay sauna in Reno and Sparks. It has a steam room, a dry sauna, a video room, private rooms and an outdoor patio. It is men-only except from Sunday noon to Monday 6am, when it goes co-ed. Published hours disagree and we couldn't find a current price, so call +1 775-323-8770 first.
Cruising
Older gay listings, ours included, called Idlewild Park a cruising spot. In October 2026 we couldn't find a single current source that backs this up. Sex in public is a crime in Nevada (open or gross lewdness), and police in the Reno area have made lewdness arrests in parks. Use the apps or Steve's.
Community and health
Pride and events
Northern Nevada Pride takes place on a Saturday in September. A downtown parade is followed by a festival at Wingfield Park on the Truckee River. The 2026 edition was on 12 September, with the parade at 10am and the festival from noon to 8pm, according to Our Center's schedule. Published estimates put the 2025 crowd at around 15,000. The 2027 date had not been announced at the time of writing.
In June the bars and Our Center run Pride Month events. Our Center's calendar lists weekly groups all year. RuPaul's Drag Race Werq the World is booked for the Grand Sierra Resort on 13 March 2027.
A bit of history: Reno hosted the first gay rodeo in 1976, and it ran until 1988, when it was pushed out. The IGRA World Gay Rodeo Finals came back to Reno in October 2025. The Nevada Gay Rodeo Association's 2026 rodeo was in Las Vegas, not Reno.
Closed or changed (gone but still Googled)
Where to stay
Reno has no gay hotels, and we found no IGLTA-member properties. The practical choice is between the downtown casino resorts by the Arch, which are walkable to 5 Star Saloon and the Pride festival, and the bigger resorts on South Virginia, such as the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino and Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, which are close to Carl's and a short ride to Midtown. If you don't want a casino floor or smoke, Whitney Peak Hotel Reno, Tapestry Collection by Hilton next to the Arch is non-gaming.
Practical tips
At a glance
| Population | 281,714 (city, Census estimate 2024); about 575,000 metro |
|---|---|
| Gay bars | 4 (5 Star Saloon, Carl's, OTC, The Selden), plus The Emerson (LGBTQ-owned, drag) |
| Sauna | 1 (Steve's Bathhouse, since 1962) |
| Pride | Northern Nevada Pride, September, Wingfield Park |
| Community center | Our Center, 1745 S Wells Ave |
| Airport | RNO, about 5 km from downtown |
FAQ
Is Reno gay-friendly?
Yes, in the way most mid-sized western US cities are. Marriage and anti-discrimination protections are in state law, and Pride draws thousands of people. The scene is small and local rather than touristy.
Where is the gay area in Reno?
There isn't one. Midtown on South Virginia Street (The Selden, The Emerson) is the closest thing. 5 Star Saloon is downtown, and Carl's and OTC are a drive away.
Is there a gay sauna in Reno?
Yes, one: Steve's Bathhouse on West 2nd Street, open since 1962. Call ahead for hours.
When is Reno Pride?
Northern Nevada Pride is held on a Saturday in September at Wingfield Park. In 2026 it was on 12 September. The 2027 date hasn't been announced yet.
Is there a lesbian bar in Reno?
Not at the moment. Our Center runs women's socials, and The Selden and OTC draw a mixed queer crowd.
Last verified: October 2026.
