The Stonewall Inn in New York City’s Greenwich Village is considered the birthplace of the gay rights movement; a police raid on the bar  on June 28, 1969 touched off a series of spontaneous riots and demonstrations that launched the movement. Now more than 50 years later, the Stonewall Inn is a lively center of activism, fun…and history. 

In 2016 President Barack Obama designated the site of the 1969 riots a national monument. Already a National Historic Landmark and a New York City Landmark, local residents successfully lobbied for the area to become the Stonewall National Monument; last year marked the opening of the new Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center.

About the Monument

The Stonewall National Monument, (7.7 acres run by the National Park Service), includes the Stonewall Inn, the nearby streets, and Christopher Park, which is surrounded by rainbow flags and a fence with historic photos. The pictures include early pride marches, young people camping it up outside the Stonewall in 1969 and photos of queer pioneers like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Storme De Larverie. The National Parks Department has a detailed history here.

Tourists from around the world and around the country make a pilgrimage to this gay mecca to pay homage to LGBTQ community members who resisted the police raid in 1969. Visitors can toast these ancestors with a drink at the bar inside the Stonewall Inn, or socialize in the outdoor café during the warm months when the street is closed to traffic. Or they can sit on a park bench next to the George Segal sculpture “Gay Liberation”.

With its rich LGBTQ history, this area is a natural place for celebration and mourning. When the Supreme Court declared same sex marriage legal in all 50 states, people gathered on Christopher Street and cheered as Edie Windsor (the pioneer in the same-sex marriage movement) spoke to the ecstatic crowds. After the mass murders at the Pulse nightclub, the community came here to mourn, placing flowers in front of the Stonewall Inn.

About the Visitor Center

The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, at 51 Christopher Street, (right across the street from the Stonewall National Monument), is a 2,100 square foot museum. It’s an immersive experience that tells the history of those nights of rioting that launched the LGBTQ movement in the United States. (Visitors note, the center is independently owned and open from Tuesday to Sunday 10 am- 4 pm.)   https://stonewallvisitorcenter.org.

Guests can write their own stories into journal books, or play a song on a replica of the original jukebox that was present inside the Stonewall bar in 1969.  In a series of panels called The Stories of Stonewall, visitors can read a first- hand account of the events that led up to the Stonewall Rebellion.  The panels provide visitors with a comprehensive telling of the Stonewall legacy, including historical moments that shaped LGBTQ activism across the country.

Co-founded by a married lesbian couple, Diana Rodriguez and Ann Marie Gothard, (celebrating 40 years this summer), they secured the property and raised the money to open it.  Their nonprofit, Pride Live, funds the visitor center through corporate support, grants, and individual donors. (AARP is a founding partner.)

The Visitor Center’s Story

Back in 2016, during a casual conversation at the designation of the Stonewall National Monument, someone commented to Rodriguez, “Now we need a visitor center.” This comment planted the seed.  Soon after, Rodriguez and Gothard started discussions about turning 51 Christopher Street into the first LGBTQ visitor center in the National Park Service.

“We’re huge supporters of the national parks,” says Gothard, President of Pride Live. “As an African American and with my wife being Hispanic, we often notice the lack of representation for people like us in different settings, so we merged those interests. Our goal is to engage with a new audience that represents all generations.”

Prior to the storefront becoming the visitor center, the space had been empty for years after various businesses closed. “It’s the perfect location,” says Gothard, noting that it once housed 50% of the original Stonewall bar and represents the very site where history was made.

“We aim to make the visitor center welcoming for everyone,” says Gothard, who described the visitors as a diverse group, ranging from former neighborhood residents to those who are less familiar with Stonewall.  Since the center opened, over 50,000 people have visited it, from all 50 states and DC and Puerto Rico, and from 74 different countries.

“We’ve welcomed people from as far away as Chile and Thailand and even unexpected places like Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, and the Cook Islands. From Lisbon to Shanghai, and Ottowa to Santiago, people are coming to the West Village to experience the legacy of Stonewall,” adds Gothard.

“Public reaction has been extremely positive with a consistent theme of ‘it’s about time,’” continues Gothard. “Our goal was to create space that provides a historical context in a digestible format that helps explain the importance and significance of the Stonewall legacy. What’s encouraging is when a visitor says they feel so welcomed, where they can be their authentic self.”

Gothard tells Senior Planet that they are always thinking about the future, which might include film screenings and book readings….but The Stories of Stonewall will remain part of the permanent exhibit.

Photo: Kate Walter

Kate Walter is the author of two memoirs: Behind the Mask: Living Alone in the Epicenter; and Looking for a Kiss: A Chronicle of Downtown Heartbreak and Healing. Her essays and opinion pieces have appeared in The New York Times, Newsday, New York Daily News, AM-NY, Next Avenue, The Advocate, The Village Sun and other outlets. She taught writing at CUNY and NYU for three decades and now works as a writing coach.

Photo of Kate Walter by Su Zen