LGBTQ+ Landmarks in NYC
Published 05/04/2026
While some cities might have one or two gay landmarks, New York holds numerous museums, statues, meeting places and dwellings of important LGBTQ+ figures. You can walk in the footsteps of trailblazers like Edie Windsor, Marsha P. Johnson, James Baldwin and Alice Austen—New Yorkers who helped mold the NYC queer experience. We’ve put together a list of some places in the City to brush up on your LGBTQ+ history, along with other points of interest. Read on for our picks, and then explore more LGBTQ+ content here.
1
The Stonewall Inn
1
51 Christopher St.
This gay bar is a National Historic Landmark located on the site of the famous 1969 Stonewall riots that many consider as the birth of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. It’s also a convivial place to raise a glass any night of the week. Near the entrance, a “This is a raided premises” sign greets visitors as a nod to those who came before us.
2
Christopher Park
2
38-64 Christopher St.
Across the street from the Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park is a public space that's part of the Stonewall National Monument, commemorating the 1969 Stonewall rebellion. It's great for people-watching and congregating in the Village. You can pose for pictures with George Segal’s iconic sculpture Gay Liberation, which features a group of four figures that represent the spirit of the gay liberation movement.
3
Julius’
3
159 W. 10th St.
This adorable Greenwich Village watering hole is the oldest continually operating gay bar in New York City. It offers a tasty grill menu and (typically) events such as a regular Mattachine party (in April 2026, it celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Mattachine Society Sip-In held here).
4
Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center
4
51 Christopher St.
This visitor center—the first of its kind within the National Park System—offers an immersive experience in LGBTQ+ history and culture through programming, tours, talks and exhibitions. It’s all in the name of honoring those who took part in the Stonewall Uprising and the continuing fight for LGBTQ+ rights and equality.
5
The Center
5
208 W. 13th St.
Founded in 1983, the LGBT Community Center is a place to empower, build and nurture the LGBTQ+ community. Housed in a renovated school building, the Center is bustling 365 days a year with a wide range of arts, entertainment and cultural events as well as meetings on health, wellness and parenthood and family services. Be sure to duck into the former lavatory on the second floor for a look at Keith Haring’s infamous Once Upon a Time mural.
6
The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art
6
26 Wooster St.
Created to preserve LGBTQ+ identity while building community, the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art has become a dynamic cultural hub. It displays works from its collection of 30,000 objects spanning three centuries of queer art, including pieces by Andy Warhol, Jean Cocteau, Robert Mapplethorpe and George Platt Lynes.
7
New York City AIDS Memorial
7
200-218 W. 12th St.
The NYC AIDS Memorial is an 18-foot steel canopy that serves as a gateway to St. Vincent’s Triangle, a park in front of a former hospital in the West Village. Situated on a green wedge between Greenwich Avenue, Seventh Avenue and West 12th Street, the memorial honors the more than 100,000 New Yorkers who have died from the AIDS pandemic. Engraved in the stone slabs are sections from Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself.
8
Bethesda Fountain
8
Mid Central Park (at 72nd St.)
It’s no wonder the final scene of Tony Kushner’s brilliant Tony- and Pulitzer Prize–winning play Angels in America takes place at this Central Park landmark. Designed by lesbian sculptor Emma Stebbins, The Angels of the Waters sculpture rises out of the fountain near an area that was frequented by gay men going back to the early 20th century.
9
Alice Austen House Museum
9
2 Hylan Blvd.
The Alice Austen House Museum is the first, and perhaps only, museum in the United States dedicated to the work of a female photographer. Located in the Rosebank section of Staten Island, Clear Comfort—as the residence is known—was Austen’s home from her time as a young girl until late in life; her companion, Gertrude Tate, lived there with her from 1917 through 1945. Austen became one of America’s most accomplished female artists, producing roughly 8,000 photographs.
10
The Langston Hughes House
10
20 E. 127th St.
Langston Hughes, a poet, activist and one of the leading figures of the Harlem Renaissance, lived on the top floor of this Harlem row house, located at 20 E. 127th St., from 1947 to 1967. The landmark was recently awarded a National Trust preservation grant. Check their website or Instagram account to see if any programming, which happens sporadically, is taking place.
11
The Cubbyhole
11
281 W. 12th St.
This joyous corner bar, located in the West Village, features madcap Mardi Gras decor and a friendly vibe that hasn’t changed since it opened in 1994.
12
Ginger’s Bar
12
363 5th Ave.
An unpretentious Park Slope, Brooklyn, nightspot with a fine jukebox to match, Ginger’s has been a popular ladies’ hangout for years. You can enjoy a game of pool, some casual conversation, an outdoor space and rotating event nights, including karaoke. For an in-depth look at the bar, read our article.
13
Marsha P. Johnson State Park
13
90 Kent Ave.
An important figure in the Stonewall uprising of 1969, Marsha P. Johnson was a transgender woman of color and gay-rights activist. A member of the Gay Liberation front and co-founder of the radical activist group Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, Johnson was also part of the art community, even modeling for Andy Warhol. This waterfront green space, formerly known as East River State Park, was renamed for Johnson in 2020, the first New York State Park named in honor of an LGBTQ+ person.
14
Green-Wood Cemetery
14
500 25th St.
A trip to these vast burial grounds near Brooklyn’s Prospect Park lets visitors pay their respects to Leonard Bernstein, Emma Stebbins and other LGBTQ+ notables. Tours of the grounds are available.
15
Jacob Riis Park
15
157 Rockaway Beach Blvd.
Queens’ Riis Park has been a gay destination for decades. People of all colors, backgrounds and ages come here, creating a lively gathering at the eastern end of this expansive public beach.
16
Lesbian Herstory Archives
16
484 14th St.
Established in 1974 and now located in a townhouse in Brooklyn’s Park Slope, the Archives functions as a community center and museum dedicated to preserving lesbian history. Visitors can browse photos, videos, books and more (visits must be booked in advance through the website). Read our profile of the institution’s origins and ongoing legacy for more.
17
Orchard Beach
17
Park Drive
This curving beach, the lone public one in the Bronx, has been a gathering spot for the LGBTQ+ community for decades.
18
West Side Tennis Club
18
1 Tennis Pl.
This tennis club out in Queens served as home to the US Open tennis tournament before the competition moved to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Among those who played—and won titles—on these grounds were LGBTQ+ trailblazers Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova.
19
Woodlawn Cemetery
19
Webster Avenue & East 233rd Street
In the far reaches of the Bronx, Woodlawn Cemetery provides a tranquil setting in which to visit the graves of numerous celebrities and historic figures. LGBTQ+ luminaries interred here include Countee Cullen, Carrie Chapman Catt and Malvina Hoffman.