In a city famous for celebration, few places embraced freedom quite like Camp Baths.
Camp Baths was one of New Orleans' best-known gay bathhouses and an important fixture of the city's LGBTQ+ community for decades. Its downtown location, just beyond the French Quarter, placed it at the heart of a neighborhood long associated with New Orleans' vibrant nightlife and queer culture.
Like many bathhouses of the 1970s and 1980s, Camp Baths was much more than a place to unwind. It served as a social hub where locals and visitors could meet, relax, and build community during an era when openly LGBTQ+ spaces were still relatively uncommon. Alongside the city's bars, discos, bookstores, and restaurants, Camp Baths formed part of the rich network of institutions that made New Orleans one of the South's most welcoming destinations for gay travelers.
The address itself became familiar to generations of patrons. During major events such as Southern Decadence, Mardi Gras, and Jazz Fest, Camp Street welcomed visitors from across the country, many making Camp Baths a regular stop during their trips to New Orleans.
Its name carried a perfect New Orleans wink. "Camp" has long been celebrated within LGBTQ+ culture as an appreciation of theatricality, humor, and joyful self-expression, making it an especially fitting identity for a venue in one of America's most colorful cities.
