Riverside gay club

About The Menagerie

In the early 1980s, Madeline Lee lived at the Mission Inn in Riverside, surrounded by a close-knit group of gay and lesbian neighbors.

Their spirited gatherings often turned into late-night parties filled with laughter, music, and a shared dream: to one day have a local gay bar to call their own.

Determined to bring that dream to life, Madeline opened her first bar, Stage Door, in 1982. We are not affiliated with any of these groups or activities – they are all organized by other community members – but we know it's important to be able to find your tribe and list them here for your information.

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But Madeline was undeterred. Raven would go on to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race (Season 2) and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (Season 1) and is now an Emmy Award–winning makeup artist as RuPaul’s personal MUA.

Since opening its doors in 1983, The Menagerie has proudly served the LGBTQ+ community of Riverside, the Inland Empire, and beyond.

It was exactly what Madeline envisioned: a place where everyone could belong without fear of judgment.

By the late 1980s, The Menagerie had expanded to include a full liquor license and a restaurant. Through the ‘90s, it became one of downtown Riverside’s most beloved nightlife destinations.

The club’s most famous feature—the neon “FABULAUS” sign—was a happy accident.

These updates gave the club a fresh energy and helped it thrive into the new millennium.

The Menagerie became one of the first venues in the region to host ‘80s nights, combining music videos with cheap draft beers that made Wednesdays legendary. Whether you call yourself gal, homosexual, leather, boi, drag queen, guy, girl, bear, male, man, questioning, boy, lesbian, gay, butch, gurl, alternative, transgender, bisexual, fem, female, cross dresser, transsexual, daddy, drag king, curious, woman, or simply human - where to find a fun place to meet or scene to free your life.

Travel from midtown, downtown, city, east, north, uptown, central, country, south, or west - driving directions from your address to the location of the new Riverside, California gay watering hole.

Check their social media for when to meet. The following page lists some of the activities and gatherings we know of that happen on a regular basis. Meets every other at 7pm at Sycamore Highlands Park, Riverside. With little more than mismatched sofas, a pool table, and a small beer-and-wine bar, it quickly became a cornerstone of Riverside’s LGBTQ+ community.

All runners & walkers of any abilities & levels are welcome! Depending on your device, get turn by turn driving directions from Google, Apple, Waze.

Looking to meet other queer folk in the Inland Empire? Karaoke, meanwhile, has held its place as a Monday-night staple for more than twenty years.

In 2003, Philip Bailey launched a Thursday drag show called All That Glitters, originally hosted by Cassi Phillips of Fant-a-Shes fame.

It was a place to grieve, to heal, to celebrate, and to remind each other that love, friendship, and authenticity mattered. Instagram | Website