Long before apps and algorithms made cruising invisible and private, Hitch Hiker was one of Rochester’s well-remembered gay bathhouses — a place where queer men could gather, relax, and connect in an era when there were few alternatives. In cities across the country, from big metropolises to smaller upstate hubs like Rochester, bathhouses weren’t just about steam and showers — they were community spaces, social hubs, and rare venues where gay men could find camaraderie, conversation, and connection outside the closet and away from mainstream scrutiny.
Hitch Hiker existed in a time when LGBTQ nightlife lived in many forms — bars, clubs, saunas, back rooms, and yes, bathhouses that offered both escape and community. These were places built for queer adults on their own terms: spaces to unwind, to meet friends, to be open in ways the rest of the world didn’t always allow.
