Gay Bars & Nightlife in Loring Park, Minneapolis

Loring Park is Minneapolis's original gayborhood — the leafy neighborhood on the southwest edge of downtown, built around the 35-acre park of the same name, that has been the historic center of Twin Cities queer life for generations. It's where Twin Cities Pride fills the park every June, where Minnesota's oldest gay bar has poured drinks since 1952, and where a short walk gets you to the downtown Hennepin Avenue bar strip.

Minneapolis spreads its gay bars across a few neighborhoods rather than one strip, so Loring Park is best understood as the anchor: the park, the Pride festival, and a couple of beloved bars at its core, with the rest of the city's scene a walk or a short ride away. Here's what Loring Park is, its gay bars, the wider Minneapolis scene worth the trip, and how to eat, get around, and stay.

About Loring Park: Minneapolis's Original Gayborhood

Loring Park takes its name from the park at its heart — a 35-acre green space with a pond, walking paths, and the dandelion-shaped Berger Fountain, tucked between downtown and the Wedge just south. For decades it's been the symbolic and literal center of LGBTQ+ Minneapolis, and it remains the place the community comes together.

The neighborhood around it is one of the densest and most walkable in Minneapolis — a mix of high-rise apartments and older buildings ringing the park, with the Loring Greenway running east as a pedestrian corridor toward Nicollet Mall. On the park's north edge, the twin spires of the Basilica of Saint Mary are a defining part of the skyline. It's a live-in, stroll-around kind of neighborhood, not a nightlife strip — which is part of why the gay scene here is more about the park, the culture, and a couple of anchor bars than wall-to-wall clubs.

That's clearest every June, when Twin Cities Pride takes over the park. It's one of the largest free Pride festivals in the country — three stages, hundreds of vendors, and hundreds of thousands of people across the last weekend of the month, with the parade running down Hennepin Avenue on Sunday. Loring Park has been the festival's home for years, and the neighborhood wears its history proudly the rest of the year too.

Just across the freeway via the arched Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge, the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden — home of the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry — anchor the neighborhood's cultural side. The result is a gayborhood that's as much about the park, the art, and the Pride festival as it is about nightlife: a walkable, green, culture-rich core with the bars of downtown a few blocks north.

Gay Bars in Loring Park

Loring Park's gay bar scene is small but storied — an old-school dive with a history few bars in the country can match, and a full-production drag cabaret a couple of blocks away.

The 19 Bar (19 W 15th St) is the neighborhood's living landmark: Minnesota's oldest gay bar, open since 1952 and LGBTQ-owned that entire time. It's a proper dive — cheap drinks, a pool table, dart boards, a classic jukebox, and a crowd of regulars who treat newcomers like family. A 2024 fire forced a closure, but the community rallied hard and the bar came back. Tuesday karaoke and the seasonal patio are neighborhood institutions.

Roxy's Cabaret (1333 Nicollet Mall), a couple of blocks east on Nicollet, is Minneapolis's dedicated drag cabaret — high-production shows with elaborate costumes and powerhouse performances, plus a full food and drink menu. If you've only seen drag on TV, Roxy's is the live introduction, and the Sunday brunch shows are a Twin Cities tradition. Shows are ticketed, so book ahead for weekends.

Gay Bars in Loring Park

19 Bar, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Roxy’s Cabaret, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Beyond Loring Park: More Minneapolis Gay Bars

Loring Park is the historic anchor, but most of the Minneapolis nightlife lives a short walk or ride away — the downtown Hennepin Avenue strip, the Northeast Arts District, and Uptown. All of the below are in Minneapolis proper.

Downtown / Hennepin Avenue. A few blocks north of the park, three bars sit within a short walk of each other. **The Saloon** (830 Hennepin) is the city's premier gay dance bar, a Hennepin Avenue fixture since 1977 whose Pride block party is one of the biggest outdoor events of the weekend. **Gay 90's** (408 Hennepin) is the sprawling multi-floor complex — drag on the main stage (the long-running LaFemme show), a dance floor, and quieter lounges. **The Brass Rail** (422 Hennepin) rounds out the crawl with strong pours and an unpretentious mixed crowd.

Leather. **Eagle|MPLS** (515 Washington Ave S), in Downtown East, is the Twin Cities' home for the leather, bear, and kink community and part of the international Eagle bar network — an industrial space with themed nights like Underwear Night and Leather Night, but a genuinely welcoming crowd, especially for curious newcomers. Thursday bingo and Sunday show tunes bring a softer side, and the summer patio is a neighborhood favorite.

Northeast Arts District. Across the river, **LUSH Lounge & Theater** (990 Central Ave NE) is where the Minneapolis drag scene lives — a lounge, theater, and restaurant with drag brunches and Drag Race viewing parties. Nearby, **Jetset Underground** (205 E Hennepin) brings a moody, upscale cocktail-lounge-into-dance-floor vibe, and **Silver Fern** (114 E Hennepin) is a queer-owned café and wine bar with drag bingo and Pride trivia.

More Minneapolis Gay Bars Worth the Trip

The Saloon, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Gay 90's Minneapolis, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Brass Rail Lounge, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Eagle|MPLS, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

LUSH Lounge & Theater, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jetset Underground, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Silver Fern, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

For the full rundown with what's on which night, see our guide to the best gay bars in the Twin Cities.

Where to Eat & Drink Near Loring Park

The neighborhood's dining leans on two nearby corridors. Eat Street — the stretch of Nicollet Avenue just south — is one of Minneapolis's most diverse restaurant rows, packed with Vietnamese, Mexican, Greek, and more within a few blocks of the park. And for the classic after-bar move, The Nicollet Diner (1333 Nicollet Mall) is the 24-hour spot in the same building as Roxy's, a longtime late-night refuge for the Loring Park and downtown crowd.

Between the park and the Hennepin Avenue strip you're also steps from downtown's restaurants and coffee shops, so a night here rarely means going far for food.

Eat & Drink Near Loring Park

The Nicollet Diner, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Things to Do in Loring Park

The park itself is the main event — 35 acres of walking paths, a pond, and open lawn that fills up on any warm day and hosts everything from the Pride festival to summer concert nights. Cross the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge and you're at the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, where Spoonbridge and Cherry is the city's most photographed landmark — one of the best free art stops in Minneapolis.

For queer-owned shopping, Rainbow Road (109 W Grant St) is the neighborhood's Pride and gift shop right off the park. And in nearby Uptown, QUEERmunity (3036 Hennepin Ave) is a community space and event hub worth checking for whatever's on the calendar — from markets to workshops to social nights.

Because Loring Park sits right against downtown, the neighborhood also puts you steps from the Hennepin Avenue theatre district — the Orpheum, State, and Pantages theatres — so a night here can pair a show with the bars just as easily as the park with a gallery.

Around Loring Park

Rainbow Road, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Queermunity, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Getting to & Around Loring Park

Loring Park is one of the most central, walkable spots in Minneapolis. From MSP Airport, the METRO Blue Line light rail runs downtown in about 25 minutes; from the downtown stations it's a short walk or quick rideshare to the park.

Once you're here, the neighborhood connects on foot: the Hennepin Avenue gay bars are about a ten-minute walk north, and downtown is right at the park's edge. For the Northeast Arts District bars (LUSH, Jetset, Silver Fern) and Eagle|MPLS in Downtown East, a short rideshare is the move. Lyft and Uber run reliably until bar close.

Where to Stay Near Loring Park

Loring Park is a great, central base — walkable to the park, downtown, and the Hennepin Avenue bars. The Hyatt Regency Minneapolis (1300 Nicollet Mall) sits right on the park's edge, with more Gay Friendly options nearby downtown.

Where to Stay Near Loring Park

Hotel

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Hotel

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Minneapolis, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Hotel

The Chambers Hotel, Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

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For the full list, see our guide to LGBTQ+ friendly hotels in the Twin Cities.

What is Loring Park known for in Minneapolis?

Loring Park is Minneapolis's historic gayborhood, the neighborhood built around the 35-acre park on the southwest edge of downtown. It's the longtime home of Twin Cities Pride, one of the largest free Pride festivals in the country, and home to The 19 Bar — Minnesota's oldest gay bar, open since 1952. The Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden sit just across the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge.

What are the best gay bars in Loring Park?

Loring Park's gay bars are The 19 Bar (Minnesota's oldest gay bar and a classic dive, open since 1952) and Roxy's Cabaret (a dedicated drag cabaret with full-production shows on Nicollet Mall). A ten-minute walk north brings you to the downtown Hennepin Avenue strip — The Saloon, Gay 90's, and The Brass Rail.

Is Loring Park a gay neighborhood?

Yes. Loring Park has been the historic center of LGBTQ+ Minneapolis for generations and is the home of Twin Cities Pride, held in the park each June. While the city's gay bars are now spread across downtown, the Northeast Arts District, and Uptown, Loring Park remains the symbolic heart of the scene.

Where is Loring Park and how do I get there?

Loring Park sits at the southwest corner of downtown Minneapolis, around the park bounded by Hennepin Avenue and Lyndale. From MSP Airport, take the METRO Blue Line light rail downtown (about 25 minutes), then walk or grab a short rideshare. Once there, the park, downtown, and the Hennepin Avenue gay bars are all walkable.

When is Twin Cities Pride in Loring Park?

Twin Cities Pride takes place at Loring Park on the last weekend of June — the festival fills the park on Saturday and Sunday, with the parade running down Hennepin Avenue on Sunday morning. It's one of the largest free Pride festivals in the country, and every bar in the city goes all-out during Pride weekend, so book accommodation early.

Can you do a gay bar crawl from Loring Park?

Yes. Start in the neighborhood at The 19 Bar or a show at Roxy's, then walk about ten minutes north to the Hennepin Avenue strip — The Brass Rail, Gay 90's, and The Saloon are all within a few blocks of each other. For a bigger night, rideshare to the Northeast Arts District (LUSH, Jetset, Silver Fern) or Eagle|MPLS in Downtown East.

Are there Gay Friendly hotels near Loring Park?

Yes — Loring Park and the adjacent downtown have plenty of Gay Friendly hotels within walking distance of the park and the Hennepin Avenue bars. The Hyatt Regency Minneapolis on the park's edge is a central pick, with the DoubleTree Suites and The Chambers Hotel nearby — see our LGBTQ+ friendly hotels in the Twin Cities guide for the full list.