Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center - New York, New York

Celeste Lau

I have a lot of mixed feelings about the space. On one hand, it had a lot of good information about the Stonewall Riots and the resulting Gay Liberation Movement and further activism throughout the years. The staff were knowledgeable and I heard them giving further information to various visitors as I was there.

However, almost half of the entry space is taken up by corporate sponsorships. It's supposed to be a space celebrating the work that various Queer activists have done to allow for the liberty that many people enjoy today. It's supposed to be a space reminding the LGBTQ+ community and its allies of all the work that goes into fighting for our rights. Why is so much of the space taken up by literal golden shovels glorifying the corporations that donated to the space? Every other memorial/historic space I've been to have left their sponsorship information on plaques or signs so that the rest of the space can be filled with exhibits or information. It's honestly a bit shameful to walk into the space, greeted with a timeline of the Queer activism only to end up right in the middle of a room showcasing all the corporations that are willing to give people money now that supporting Queer people is profitable now.

It's a nice place, I just think that it would be a much better monument if it didn't have a room dedicated to showcasing rainbow capitalism.

Jimmy Franklin

Beautiful use of this historic space. We had a lovely visit to the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center. I was able to put an open invite out to my office in honor of LGBTQ+ History Month. People kept coming up to me excited to share what they learned during their time exploring the space.

Zachary Chaves

A cute little sanctuary in nyc. Signage and an av room powered by qsc. Clean bathrooms and a gift shop. We went during booming pride 2024 and found it exceptionally peaceful.

Greg Jobeless

I'm, quite honestly, *amazed* it took until 2024 for something like this to open, but, now, N.Y.C., *finally*, has such an important venue to represent ?️‍?

(...with incredibly welcoming staff, including two employees from the National Park Service ?, as well ?) ?️‍?

gayatri gopinath

Thoughtful, beautifully curated exhibit that highlights the different strands of LGBTQ activism from the 1950s to the present. Very moving, especially the info/images of STAR and the trans/nonbinary folks of color who were at the forefront of revolutionary change. Highly recommended for anyone interested in queer history, culture, and organizing.

Junee Aranico

It's a beautiful and cozy little museum that informs about such an important event in American history. It also gave me a nice cool rest spot during an especially hot day. Thankfully there was no wait to get in.

You first enter into a museum that outlines the history of the inn first before diving into the leadup to the event. The exhibit isn't interactive, but it more than makes up for it with its clean presentation and detailed information. Once you finish the museum wall, you into a movie room that plays a film about Stonewall on loop. There are multiple seats available for you to rest and absorb the information and atmosphere. The whole process does not take long. I was in and out in less than half an hour - but I also just sat and rested for part of it.

My lone issue with this place is its need for your phone number if you are a walk-in. While I can possibly understand the need for it if you have reserved tickets or have a party - it seems wholly unnecessary if you are just a passing visitor.

Roberto Chavez

I had a tremendously informative and positive time visiting the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center (SNVMC). I brought my LGBTQ employee resource group for a tour since it is October and October is LGBTQ History Month. Thank you to Alexxis for giving us a tour! I heard great feedback from my coworkers and their guests.

Bobbie O'Connor

Took the family to see. It’s very small and can be done in ten or fifteen minutes. I hope over time they are able to grow this site to include more info about the historic and monumental ways Queer civil rights activist have organized and fought (and continue to do so).

But it’s a wonderful moment to share with our kids (8 and 6) as a small starting place about our history as a queer family.