GayBars

Current Halifax Queer Bars

• As of June, 2024, RumoursHFX
• As of July, 2024, StardustBar
• HavenNightclub - pop-up venue

Current Halifax Queer Friendly Bars

Subject to debate.

History Of Queer Bars In Halifax

There is a history as of 1977 in the 1977-09 issue of TheVoice.

Don't hesitate to add your own stories and info!

• TheStockade, early '70s, approx. 2828 Windsor Street near Almon1
• ThePiccadilly, mid '70s.
• PeppermintLounge in the '60s, in the 1800 block of Barrington Street (across from where Scotia Square is now.)
• Cameo or Candlelight Lounge was a hangout possibly starting in the late '60s
• TheHeidelberg was a hangout just off Spring Garden in the 1970s.
• NewServiceRestaurant?2
• LobsterTrap Cabaret3
• Two consecutively in the GreenLantern Building on Barrington St in the early 1970s:
  • Club777, the first real gay bar
  • CondonsBar
• The Turret on Barrington St, from 1975 to 1982. Owned by the queer community, GaeGala, moved and renamed:
• Rumours - 1586 Granville St across from the Texpark from 1982 to 1985, then the to 2112 Gottingen from 1987 to January, 1995.
• [[Fantasias?]] in Scotia Square, registered (owned?) by DanielJoseph from May 14, 1990. (had its own entrance off Duke St) which in 1991 was moved and renamed TheStudio
• Three bars, consecutively, at 1537 Barrington, a half a block north of Maritime Mall:
  • The TheStudio, from 1991 to 1996. Another small bar with lots of mirrors. The Studio opened a larger space behind the main bar for a dance floor and stage after a few months. The Studio also had a rather nice restaurant.
  • The PurplePenguin, from late 1997 to 1998 with a restaurant4
  • BuddiesBar. from 1998 to Summer 1999.
• ReflectionsCabaret 1996?? (name was registered with the RJSC on November 5, 1996)
  • 1997 - 98: connections between ReflectionsCabaret and organized crime is documented in ReflectionsHellsAngels
• Four bars, consecutively, in a space upstairs at 2104 Gottingen:
  • The RainbowRoom: November, 1997, then changed management to become:
  • the EagleHalifax from August, 1998 to early 2001 (it moved to Pizza Corner - see its history.) When the Eagle moved, the space was taken over by the owner of ClubNrg and became
  • ToolBoxEast with more or less the same crowd as the Eagle. Closed early January, 2005
  • MenzBar, opened early February, 2005 and closed January, 2008 to move to 2182 Gottingen Street
  • 2104 Gottingen was torn down in August, 2008 as part of a condo / Joe Palooka's Boxing Gym development.
• ZzhivagosBar in the Brewery from late 1989 to spring 1990.
• MilleniumBar at 2112 Gottingen from March, 1999 to June, 1999.
• StonewallTavern: at 1566 Hollis St near Salter in the mid-1990s.
• 1995, for a couple months, LeCruz was in the old Cabbagetown disco space on Spring Garden Road.
• ClubNrg at 2099B Gottingen St from 1999 until February, 2005 when it moved to 2215 Gottingen St.
• TheCompanyHouse: music and arts venue at 2202 Gottingen Street January, 2009 - September, 2017
• 2215 Gottingen Street
  • 2003 - February, 2005, ClubVortex and MobeysEatery
  • February, 2005 - November, 2005: ClubNrg with the front space as ShowTunes
  • October, 2005: the front ground floor space taken over by ChristopherRobinson? and JohnDickinson? and opened as BlueMoonBistro. The back of building became after-hours club Flux
  • November, 2005: PeterMoll opened EvolutionCabaret on the second floor. Closed July, 2006
  • April, 2006: The back of BlueMoonBistro turns into a bar open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
  • July, 2006: BlueMoonBistro moves (and renames to BlueMoon) to 2099B Gottingen St, swapping spaces with Diamonds, still under ownership of JohnDickinson?. The ownership changed a couple times and the bar closed in February, 2009.
• MenzBar: 2005 - 2020
• ReflectionsCabaret: started as a gay bar; morphed into a dance bar, mostly (see DefinitionOfMost) populated with the under 30 crowd, at 5184 Sackville Street
• IndulgeNightclub opened in October, 2022, took over former MenzBar venue. In August 2023, announced closing temporarily to move to new location. No updates after that point.

HistoryProjectTodoList

• LynnMurphy says: "Don't forget the Highwayman on Barrington near Scotia Square"

Lots more details can be gleaned by searching back copies of gay Halifax PrintMedia

This page is part of the HistoryProject.