The Ice Palace

Ice Palace, the boardwalk club attached to the Grove Hotel in Cherry Grove, has been a fixture of Fire Island’s gay nightlife since the disco heyday of the 1970s. The space sits on the same stretch of boardwalk where the Grove Hotel’s lobby opens onto sand and surf, a reminder that the party never really left the sand. Decades of drag, glitter and a stubborn sense of camp still echo the era when the club first pulsed to Donna Summer. Tonight the crowd is a mix of gay men, lesbians and anyone who enjoys a loud DJ and a quick costume change. Drag shows pop up between sets, and the lighting is deliberately over‑the‑top, as if the 1970s never ended. Friday and Saturday the doors stay open until 4 a.m.; Sunday the party restarts at 2 p.m. The island runs on a seasonal calendar, roughly Memorial Day through September, so double‑check the schedule before you book. Reach Cherry Grove by ferry from Sayville and you’ll find the Ice Palace waiting on the boardwalk.