Part of the Gay Baltimore Guide — bars, events & things to do.
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore's oldest gay bar since 1957 in Mount Vernon
Leon's is Baltimore's oldest continuously operating gay bar, holding down a corner of Park Avenue in Mount Vernon since it went gay in 1957. The building's roots run deeper — it poured drinks as Georgia's Tap Room in the 1890s and took its current name from 1930s owner Leon Lampe — but its place in queer history starts mid-century, when a man at the door would ask newcomers whether they were "a friend of Dorothy." Inside, the oval main bar, red-and-black tile floor, and vinyl stools have changed little. The connected Backroom on Chase Street carries the entertainment load with karaoke several nights a week and the monthly "Karmella and the Shady Ladies" drag show. The front bar stays what it's always been: an unhurried neighborhood room where regulars and newcomers mix. Recognized for its history, Leon's has been put forward for the National Register of Historic Places — a rare distinction for a working gay bar, and reason enough for a traveler to start a Mount Vernon night here.
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