Part of the Gay Chicago Guide — bars, events & things to do.
Chicago, Illinois
Boystown's tiny dive bar since 1978, with late-night karaoke.
The Closet opened in 1978 and is one of Chicago's first LGBTQ+ bars — Lakeview's original lesbian bar, founded by Rose Pohl and Judi Petrovsky in a former straight tavern a block off the main Halsted strip in Northalsted. It's about as small as the name suggests: a narrow, cash-only video bar with stools, string lights and decades of patron photos on the walls. The crowd is still mixed lesbian and gay and heavy on regulars, with a low-key feel compared to the bigger clubs down the street. Karaoke runs Thursdays, with rotating drag and the occasional bingo or open-mic night, and the bar keeps some of the latest hours around — open into the early morning daily and until 5am on Saturdays. After 45 years the founders sold in 2024 to new owner Jay Bell, who kept the staff and the character intact.
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