Part of the Gay Chicago Guide — bars, events & things to do.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago's museum and archive of leather, kink, and fetish history.
The Leather Archives & Museum is the world's foremost collection devoted to leather, kink, BDSM, and fetish history, in Chicago's Rogers Park. It was founded in 1991 by Chuck Renslow — the Chicago figure behind International Mr. Leather — and artist-publisher Tony DeBlase, in part to keep the community's history from being lost during the AIDS crisis; it moved into its current Greenview Avenue home in 1999. Inside you'll find galleries of artwork, vintage gear, club and titleholder memorabilia, reconstructed play spaces, and a research library and archive used by scholars and community members alike. Exhibits treat their subject seriously, as social history rather than spectacle. It's a genuinely one-of-a-kind stop — equal parts museum, archive, and act of preservation — and welcoming to the merely curious as much as to the deeply involved.
Have feedback on this description? Let us knowFree admission Thursdays; 18+ only.
Get the full experience — check in, follow this venue, and connect with the community.
No upcoming events
Try checking a later date or browse events in the app
Catch your city's vibe or the global LGBTQ+ scene.
No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Your complete guide to LGBTQ+ Chicago — the best gay bars, annual events, neighborhoods, hotels, and things to do in the Windy City.
Robbie S.
New leather royalty crowned, WEPA's Pink Party hits Fantasy, and Dorothy spins 40 years of pop — plus our complete San Diego Pride guide.
Robbie S.
A citywide guide to the best gay bars and clubs in Chicago — Northalsted's neon-lit video bars, Andersonville's laid-back locals, historic South Side spots and everything between.
Robbie S.Laid-back patios, karaoke, and the least pretentious crowd in the city — here's where Chicago's bears, cubs, and otters actually hang out, night by night.
Robbie S.
$89
Experiences powered by Viator
