Baton Rouge - Guide for Gays, Lesbians and Queers

Baton Rouge has a small but easy-to-navigate LGBTQ+ scene. The main gay travel guides list two bars, and the city also has an active Pride organization.

Splash on Highland Road is the largest queer club in town, with several levels, multiple bars, a dance floor, couches and video screens. Drag shows and themed nights are a regular part of the program. It is open mainly on weekends until late, and the crowd is mixed and on the younger side. Splash sits between downtown and the Louisiana State University campus.

George's Place on St. Louis Street, right in downtown, is a neighborhood bar with cheap drinks, a patio, karaoke, go-go dancers and drag shows. The crowd is mostly men, and women are welcome too. For an easy start to the evening, the bar is a better pick than the club.

Away from the bars, Baton Rouge Pride is the key point of contact. The nonprofit hosts Baton Rouge Pride Fest every June at the Raising Cane's River Center, a large indoor Pride festival with free admission. During the rest of the year it maintains a directory of businesses that support the community, holds networking evenings and works with young people experiencing homelessness. Its website, batonrougepride.org, is also a good place to find LGBTQ+-friendly restaurants and shops.

No gay saunas or dedicated queer cafés are documented in Baton Rouge. For more choice, New Orleans is about 80 miles southeast.