West Village in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Stonewall Inn
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, October 3, 2016
1. Stonewall Inn Marker
Site of the Stonewall Riots
June 27-29, 1969
Birth of the modern
lesbian & gay rights liberation
Erected 2003.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Civil Rights. A significant historical date for this entry is June 27, 1969.
Location. 40° 44.027′ N, 74° 0.128′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in West Village. It is on Christopher Street west of 7th Avenue South, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 53 Christopher Street, New York NY 10014, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New York City. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also
this page online
Other markers no longer nearby. General Philip Henry Sheridan (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named General Philip Henry Sheridan (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed).
Also see . . .
1. The Stonewall Inn - 51 and 53 Christopher Street. "Daytonian in Manhattan" entry. (Submitted on June 18, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Civil Rights at Stonewall National Historic Landmark (National Park Service). (Submitted on October 15, 2016.)
3. Announcing the Stonewall National Monument (Youtube.com, The White House, 4 mins.).
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, October 3, 2016
2. Stonewall Inn and Marker - Wide View
The marker is visible here, located high and just to the left of the entrance.
The Stonewall Inn was not a fancy establishment -- even its regular customers described it as a dive. Operated by the Mafia, the bar served watered-down drinks without a liquor license. Its two dark rooms had no running water -- just a tub where the drinking glasses were rinsed for reuse. The Stonewall Inn was, however, one of the only places gay people in New York City could socialize, providing a rare haven where they could drink, dance to the jukebox, and be themselves. -- Introduction: Stonewall Riots, American Experience, PBS
The Stonewall Inn was not a fancy establishment -- even its regular customers described it as a dive. Operated by the Mafia, the bar served watered-down drinks without a liquor license. Its two dark rooms had no running water -- just a tub where the drinking glasses were rinsed for reuse. The Stonewall Inn was, however, one of the only places gay people in New York City could socialize, providing a rare haven where they could drink, dance to the jukebox, and be themselves. -- Introduction: Stonewall Riots, American Experience, PBS
Additional keywords. LGBT LGBTQ
Photographed by Diana Davies, 1969
3. Stonewall Inn (1969)
Photograph courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Collections.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, October 3, 2016
4. Raided Premises Sign
The above sign is found inside the Stonewall Inn. Howard Leary was police commissioner at the time of the Stonewall Riots.
...New York City had the largest gay population in the United States. It was also the city that most aggressively upheld anti-sodomy laws. In the mid-1960s New York created police vice squads to raid gay bars and baths, and began using decoys to solicit and entrap gays. By 1966 over 100 men a week were arrested as a result of this effort. "It was a nightmare for the lesbian or gay man who was arrested and caught up in the juggernaut but it was also a nightmare for the lesbians or gay men who lived in the closet," Yale Law School professor William Eskridge says in the film. "This produced an enormous amount of anger within the lesbian and gay community in New York City. Eventually something was bound to blow." -- Introduction: Stonewall Uprising, American Experience, PBS
...New York City had the largest gay population in the United States. It was also the city that most aggressively upheld anti-sodomy laws. In the mid-1960s New York created police vice squads to raid gay bars and baths, and began using decoys to solicit and entrap gays. By 1966 over 100 men a week were arrested as a result of this effort. "It was a nightmare for the lesbian or gay man who was arrested and caught up in the juggernaut but it was also a nightmare for the lesbians or gay men who lived in the closet," Yale Law School professor William Eskridge says in the film. "This produced an enormous amount of anger within the lesbian and gay community in New York City. Eventually something was bound to blow." -- Introduction: Stonewall Uprising, American Experience, PBS
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, October 3, 2016
5. Stonewall Riots 10th Anniversary - Front Page of Gay Community News (June 23, 1979, Vol. 6, No. 47)
Also found inside the Stonewall Inn. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 20, 2025
7. New York Post article on display in the Stonewall Inn
Credits. This page was last revised on September 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 15, 2016, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 933 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 15, 2016, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 6. submitted on June 19, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 7. submitted on September 22, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
