Most of Austin’s gay bars are downtown, on or near West 4th Street between Lavaca and Colorado. Oilcan Harry’s, Rain on 4th, Highland Lounge, and Coconut Club are a short walk apart, and The Iron Bear is two blocks north on 6th. Cheer Up Charlies and Barbarella are on Red River, and the Austin Eagle is up in North Austin.
We checked every bar below on October 13, 2026, against its own website or Instagram and recent local press. One bar from the old version of this page is gone from the list, and the reason is at the bottom. Our How We Choose page explains the method.
The Short List
| Bar | Where | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| Oilcan Harry’s | 211 W 4th St | Austin’s oldest LGBT bar, open daily |
| Rain on 4th | 217 W 4th St | Light-up dance floor and a patio |
| Highland Lounge | 404 Colorado St | Three floors, drag, open to 3:30 AM |
| Coconut Club and Neon Grotto | 310B Colorado St | Rooftop dance floors and DJs |
| The Iron Bear | 301 W 6th St | Bear bar, open from 11 AM |
| The Austin Eagle | 8201 Cross Park Dr, North Austin | Leather and gear nights |
| Cheer Up Charlies | 900 Red River St | Vegan, queer, sapphic events |
| Barbarella | 611 Red River St | Theme nights and after-parties |
The 4th Street Bars
Oilcan Harry’s
Oilcan Harry’s calls itself “Austin’s Oldest LGBT Entertainment Venue” and says it has served Austin “for over 30 years.” It’s open every day from 2 PM to 2 AM. Monday through Saturday from 8 PM are 18+ nights with a $20 cover, according to its site.
- Where: 211 W 4th St, Austin 78701. (512) 351-8423
- More: Oilcan Harry’s
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Rain on 4th
Rain is a few doors down from Oilcan Harry’s. The Austin American-Statesman put it on its June 2026 list of Austin’s best gay nightclubs and described a long line out front, a light-up dance floor, and an outdoor patio. The same paper photographed a Tuesday drag show there in June 2025.
Rain’s website is being rebuilt and points to its social accounts for events. It lists hours of 4 PM to 2 AM Monday through Thursday and 3 PM to 2 AM Friday through Sunday.
- Where: 217 W 4th St, Austin 78701. 512-494-1150
- More: Rain on 4th
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Highland Lounge
Highland says it opened in October 2014 and is “the largest gay club in Austin, Texas.” The site lists “3 stories. 6 bars. Drag shows. Gogo boys.” It’s a late club. It opens Friday and Saturday at 9:30 PM and closes at 3:30 AM, and on Sunday it runs from 4 PM to midnight. It’s closed Monday through Thursday.
- Where: 404 Colorado St, Austin 78701. 512-649-1212
- More: Highland Lounge
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Coconut Club and Neon Grotto
The Statesman calls Coconut Club “Coco,” and says it includes the pink Neon Grotto, two rooftop dance floors, and several smaller rooms, with house, hyperpop, throwbacks, and Latin music. Visit Austin says Neon Grotto has regular drag shows. Older guides, this one included, listed the two as separate bars. They’re one complex.
Its Google listing posts hours of 9 PM to 2 AM Wednesday through Friday, 1 PM to 2 AM Saturday, and 5 PM to 2 AM Sunday. KUT reported in 2023 that the club planned to close ahead of a downtown redevelopment. It was still open when we checked, so look at its Instagram before you go.
- Where: 310B Colorado St, Austin 78701
- More: Coconut Club on Instagram
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A Block or More Off 4th
The Iron Bear
The Iron Bear’s site says it’s “Proudly Bear owned and Operated” and open 11 AM to 2 AM. It moved to 301 W 6th St in 2020, Eater Austin reported. Visit Austin calls it the only bear bar in town and says cubs, otters, wolves, and everyone else are welcome.
- Where: 301 W 6th St, Austin 78701
- More: The Iron Bear
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The Austin Eagle
The Eagle is in North Austin, a long way from the downtown bars, so plan on a car or a rideshare. Its site says it is “proud to be part of the LGBTQIA+ business community” and calls itself “a judgment-free zone built for our community.” It’s the home bar of Austin Gears, which it calls the longest-running gear and fetish group in town, plus Austin Bears and The Foundry ATX.
Friday nights are leather, gear, and denim with a DJ, according to the site. It also hosts the Red Dress Party with the Weird City Sisters, a drag and dance fundraiser for Project Transitions.
- Where: 8201 Cross Park Dr, Suite B2, Austin 78754. (737) 274-0112
- More: The Austin Eagle
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On Red River
Cheer Up Charlies
Cheer Up Charlies describes itself in two words on its About page: “Vegan+Queer.” It’s a bar with an outdoor stage, kombucha on tap, and juice cocktails, open Thursday through Sunday from 4 PM to 2 AM. The Statesman says it hosts all-female and gender-expansive electronic music festivals and dating events for women who date women.
- Where: 900 Red River St, Austin 78701. 512-431-2133
- More: Cheer Up Charlies
Is this your bar? Update this listing
Barbarella
Barbarella is a dance club with several floors, including one outside. It has no website, so its Instagram is the place to check what’s on. It runs weekly theme nights. In June 2026 the Statesman named “Tuez-gayz” for new pop on Tuesdays and an 80s night on Fridays, and called Barbarella a go-to for concert after-parties.
- Where: 611 Red River St, Austin 78701
- More: Barbarella on Instagram
Is this your bar? Update this listing
Trans Bars and Lesbian Bars in Austin
We couldn’t find a bar in Austin that calls itself a trans bar or a lesbian bar. The closest thing is Cheer Up Charlies, which says it’s queer and runs sapphic and gender-expansive events. Highland, Rain, and Coconut Club all book drag (our guide to drag shows in Austin lists show times), and the Eagle raises money for Project Transitions. For sapphic nights and where queer women go out, see our guide to lesbian bars and nights in Austin.
If you know a trans or lesbian night that runs regularly, tell us through the contact page and we’ll check it and add it.
Before You Go
- Hours change. The hours above are what each bar posted on October 13, 2026. Check the bar’s own site or Instagram the day you go, especially for Coconut Club and Rain
- Age: Oilcan Harry’s lists 18+ nights Monday through Saturday from 8 PM, with a cover. Check the others before you bring a friend under 21
- Late nights: Highland is the only one here that lists a closing time after 2 AM
- Getting home: the 4th Street bars are within a few blocks of each other. The Eagle is in North Austin, so sort out your ride before you go
Into two-stepping instead? Read where gay cowboys drink in Austin.
What Changed and What We Couldn’t Check
Elysium, the goth club on Red River, is off the list. It’s open, but nothing it publishes says anything about LGBTQ+ guests, and we don’t list a bar on reputation. Neon Grotto is now part of the Coconut Club entry.
We didn’t visit any of these bars for this update, so nothing here is a first-hand review. We couldn’t confirm a phone number for The Iron Bear or Coconut Club from their own pages, so none is listed. Crowd, accessibility, and how staff treat trans guests aren’t things we can check from a website. Ask the bar, or ask friends who go.
Last checked: October 2026. Hours and addresses read from each bar’s own website, Instagram or Google listing on October 13, 2026, with the Austin American-Statesman (June 17, 2026), Visit Austin, and Eater Austin. See a mistake or a bar we missed? Use our contact page.
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