Opening in the early 1980s, The Mine became one of New Mexico’s most enduring LGBTQ+ bars — a full-scale dance club, drag stage, and community hub all under one roof. Big room. Big lights. Big personalities.
It wasn’t subtle.
From themed dance nights and Latin pop Saturdays to pageants, Pride events, and touring drag talent, the Albuquerque Mining Company offered something rare in the Southwest: scale. A space where rural New Mexico, college kids, longtime locals, and out-of-state travelers could all land on the same floor.
For decades, The Mine has served as a launchpad for performers, a gathering place for chosen family, and a landmark for anyone navigating queer life in the high desert. When other venues closed or shifted, it remained — adapting with new music, new generations, new eras of nightlife.
