In this guide · 9 sections
Gay Bars & Clubs in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia has a small but warm-hearted gay bar scene. There is no single strip or gayborhood — instead a handful of distinctive venues are scattered across downtown, Carytown and the Southside, each with its own crowd and character. What Richmond lacks in megaclubs it makes up for in neighborhood-bar friendliness and one genuinely historic lesbian bar.
Where the Scene Is
Most of the nightlife sits downtown and in Shockoe Bottom, where Barcode and Godfrey's are a short walk apart near Grace Street and the alternative club Fallout anchors North 18th Street. Carytown, the eclectic shopping district to the west, is home to Babe's, the city's longtime lesbian bar. Across the river on the Southside, the queer-owned Thirsty's Queer Bar draws a devoted neighborhood crowd. Because the venues are spread out, many locals rideshare between them over the course of a night.
The Venues
Barcode
Barcode (6 E Grace St) is Richmond's flagship gay bar — open seven nights a week and affectionately described as a "90s living museum of gay life," with mismatched decor, a generous bar and a well-loved smoking patio. Different nights bring bear, leather and lesbian crowds, and it remains the reliable heart of downtown's gay nightlife.
Godfrey's
Godfrey's (308 E Grace St) is a Richmond institution, best known for one of the city's longest-running drag brunches — a weekend rite of passage that regularly sells out. After dark it becomes a gay dance club with drag shows, DJs and themed parties. Campy, high-energy and welcoming, it has anchored the local scene for over two decades.
Babe's of Carytown
Open since 1979, Babe's (3166 W Cary St) is one of the oldest lesbian bars in the United States and a Carytown landmark. Expect a big patio, pool tables, drag shows, dance nights and a come-as-you-are crowd that spans generations of Richmond's LGBTQ+ community.
Thirsty's Queer Bar
Queer-owned Thirsty's Queer Bar (3516 Forest Hill Ave) is the Southside's community hub — an easygoing bar and grill with elevated pub food and a packed calendar of karaoke, drag, Trans Joy nights, bear nights, board-game evenings and book clubs. It's less a nightclub than a genuine everyday safe space.
Fallout
For the alternative, goth and kink-friendly side of nightlife, Fallout (117 N 18th St) is the go-to. This bar and club leans into everything dark, weird and creative, and hosts some of Richmond's best queer dance parties, Rocky Horror screenings and pre-Pride blowouts.
Beyond the Bars
Richmond has no gay bathhouse or sauna. For culture, Richmond Triangle Players in Scott's Addition is one of the South's leading LGBTQ+ theatre companies, and Diversity Richmond (1407 Sherwood Ave) serves as the community's center, gallery and event space. The city's big annual celebration, Virginia PrideFest, takes place each September at Midtown Green.