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Hunters — Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Opened in October 1982 at 1932 East Higgins Road in suburban Elk Grove Village, Hunters became one of the Chicago area’s most important gay nightclubs outside Boystown. Its location near O’Hare made it accessible to people from across the suburbs—and especially significant for those who wanted a gay gathering place without traveling into the city.
Hunters was a full-scale destination: a large dance floor, video screens, a substantial patio, strong sound and lighting, and room for hundreds of patrons. It became known for packed weekends, holiday parties, dancing, cruising, and the kind of familiar staff and regulars who could turn a nightclub into a community institution.
For many people, Hunters was their first gay bar. That mattered enormously in the suburbs, where LGBTQ+ nightlife was far less visible and welcoming spaces were comparatively scarce. The club offered not only entertainment, but a first glimpse of a larger community—one that existed beyond isolation, secrecy, or the feeling that queer life happened somewhere else.
Its annual pre-Thanksgiving “Super Wednesday” became especially legendary, regularly drawing more than 1,000 patrons. By the time Hunters closed in September 2013, it had spent 31 years serving generations of Chicago-area LGBTQ+ people. The space was sold and reopened as Phoenix Bar, preserving its role as a suburban gay venue under a new name.
