MAC’s at 2801 Hyperion Avenue in Silver Lake was one of the most talked-about gay bathhouses in Los Angeles County—a sprawling, warehouse-scale private club for gay men that offered much more than steam and showers. Behind its unassuming exterior lay a labyrinth of lounges, locker rooms, private and communal spaces, a TV room, jacuzzi, specialty rooms, and even an indoor/outdoor dance and party area where special events brought people together.
At a time when gay men still faced daily hostility and violence, MAC’s tried to do more than provide cruising spaces: it also offered self-defense classes to help men build confidence and skill in the face of rising anti-gay crime.
Known to fill up early on Saturday nights with well-dressed patrons exchanging towels for steam, club conversation, and connection, the bathhouse became legendary in L.A. queer nightlife. Its doors closed in 1988 when new enforcement of regulations restricted sexual activity in such venues, but memories of its social breadth and communal rhythm lived on.
