Stonewall National Museum & Archives

The Stonewall National Museum & Archives is one of the most significant LGBTQ+ cultural institutions in the United States and a resource of international importance for queer history and scholarship. Founded in Fort Lauderdale in 1973 — in the immediate aftermath of the Stonewall era, when the preservation of LGBTQ+ history was still an urgent and underappreciated project — the institution has grown to hold one of the world's largest collections of LGBTQ+ books, periodicals, photographs, posters, films, and archival materials. The collection spans from the late 19th century to the present, documenting the full breadth of queer experience in the United States and beyond: homophile organisations of the 1950s and 1960s, the gay liberation movement, the AIDS crisis, the marriage equality campaign, and contemporary LGBTQ+ life and culture. The museum component presents rotating exhibitions on LGBTQ+ history, art, and culture; the archive is accessible to researchers. For visitors to Fort Lauderdale, the Stonewall National Museum & Archives is the cultural counterpart to the nightlife of Wilton Drive — the institution that explains the history behind the community and the bars and the pride festivals. A visit is strongly recommended, particularly for visitors with an interest in queer history beyond the bar scene.