NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center is set to have its grand opening on June 28, marking the National Park Service's first visitor center dedicated to LGBTQIA+ history and culture.
Located at 51 Christopher St. in Greenwich Village, the center spans 2,100 square feet and sits between Waverly Place and Seventh Avenue South. This location is historically significant as it was the site of the iconic Stonewall Inn, where the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion occurred.
“The National Park Service eagerly anticipates the official opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in partnership with Pride Live on June 28,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “NPS staff are dedicated to sharing the history of the Stonewall Uprising and the ongoing struggle for LGBTQIA+ equality.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, which sparked the global LGBTQIA+ rights movement.
The project to create the visitor center began six years ago. It was led by Pride Live co-founders Diana Rodriguez and Ann Marie Gothard, two queer women of color, who aimed to celebrate and preserve the legacy of Stonewall.
The center will serve as an educational hub, offering a variety of programs where visitors can join in-person and virtual tours, lectures, exhibitions, a theater space, and visual arts displays, all celebrating and educating about LGBTQIA+ history.
“The journey to create the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center has been a truly remarkable and landmark moment,” Chair of the Board of Directors of Pride Live Ann Marie Gothard said. “We hope it stands as an enduring and resilient symbol and serves as a beacon for generations to come, providing the unique opportunity to step foot on the site where history unfolded and where the fight for LGBTQIA+ equality was ignited.”