For more than four decades, the Watergarden was one of the most important LGBTQ+ institutions in Northern California.
Founded in 1977 at 1010 The Alameda, the Watergarden was far more than a bathhouse. With its outdoor pool, landscaped grounds, hot tubs, gym, lounges, and gathering spaces, it functioned as a community hub for generations of gay and bisexual men throughout Silicon Valley and the South Bay. Many patrons described it as a place where friendships formed, community was built, and people could simply relax in an environment where they felt accepted.
The Watergarden opened during the golden age of gay bathhouses but managed to survive challenges that closed many others. Through the backlash of the late 1970s, the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, changing social attitudes, and the rise of online dating and hookup apps, it remained a fixture of San Jose's LGBTQ+ landscape. Unlike many cities that shut down bathhouses entirely, the Watergarden worked closely with public health officials, becoming a center for education, outreach, and safer-sex initiatives during the AIDS epidemic.
Located in San Jose's St. Leo's neighborhood—often considered the city's historic gay district—the Watergarden became a landmark alongside other community institutions such as the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center. For countless visitors, it represented a rare place where they could be fully themselves without explanation or apology.
After 43 years in operation, the Watergarden permanently closed in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing an end to one of the Bay Area's last remaining gay bathhouses. Its closure marked the end of a significant chapter in California LGBTQ+ history.
