A Monument to Pride and Progress: Inside the Stonewall Visitor Center
On June 28, 1969, a police raid at the Stonewall Inn ignited an uprising that became the catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Now, more than five decades later, the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center (SNMVC) stands just steps from where that rebellion began.
Located in New York City’s Greenwich Village, the SNMVC is the first LGBTQ+ visitor center within the National Park Service. It offers a powerful, immersive experience grounded in queer history and designed to inspire continued action.
The center, operated by Pride Live, is the result of a transformative vision by the nonprofit organization committed to LGBTQ+ advocacy, and was brought to life by Local Projects in partnership with EDG Architects. Opened on the uprising’s anniversary—June 28, 2024—the 2,100-square-foot space reclaims part of the original Stonewall Inn and redefines it as a national platform for education, remembrance, and resistance.
A Living Monument
SNMVC doesn’t just chronicle the past—it invites every visitor to become part of a living movement. With contributions from students, artists, technologists, activists, and community leaders, the center weaves together personal narratives, cultural memory, and participatory exhibits that challenge visitors to reflect and engage.
At the entrance, a light installation emblazoned with co-founder Diana Rodriguez’s galvanizing words sets the tone:
In the name of those who came before me, I pledge to be brave, to be true to myself, and to fight like hell for equality.
Designing for Belonging
The design team at Local Projects—renowned for creating emotionally resonant, narrative-rich environments—approached the SNMVC with a guiding question: How can we leverage the authenticity of a place to tell the story of Stonewall and its enduring legacy?
The result is a layered, emotionally rich experience that honors the rebellion’s complexity and impact. From a carefully preserved historic archway connecting the original bar spaces to an evocative timeline of queer resilience, the center offers both context and connection.
Exhibitions That Speak—and Listen
Wall of Solidarity
Developed with Google, this interactive installation welcomes visitors with global narratives of love, perseverance, and queer joy. It reflects the humanity of LGBTQ+ individuals and reminds us that the fight for equality continues.
Stories of Stonewall
Curated by Stonewall pioneer Mark Segal, this exhibit shares firsthand accounts of the events surrounding the uprising. Visitors explore a series of panels that connect personal histories to the evolving role of the National Park Service in LGBTQ+ advocacy.
The “Stories of Stonewall” wall traces the uprising and Greenwich Village’s role in LGBTQ+ history. Credit: Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson
The Jukebox
With support from Amazon and curation by DJ Honey Dijon, a 1967 Rowe AMI jukebox—just like the one that played at the original Stonewall—now fills the space with a playlist of rebellion, love, and queer joy. “It wasn’t all just fighting back,” says Honey Dijon. “It was also joy, celebration, community, and sisterhood.”
Visitors can activate the Stonewall-era jukebox exhibit—curated by DJ Honey Dijon and featuring tracks from the 1960s and beyond—connecting music with memory in a tactile, participatory moment. Photo courtesy of Pride Live
Mothers of Star
An augmented reality experience by B. Hawk Snipes, Tourmaline, and the Kinfolk Foundation honors monumental yet often-overlooked Black and Brown queer figures including Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Stormé DeLarverie, and Zazu Nova.
Parsons School of Design Student Exhibits
In an ongoing partnership with The New School’s Parsons School of Design, students curate an annual rotating exhibition. The 2024 show, “Weave Made History,” invited guests to share their stories; the 2025 exhibition, “Setting the Table,” reimagines the dinner table as a site of chosen family and queer belonging.
The Booking.com Theater
This flexible cultural venue hosts film screenings, performances, and discussions that highlight inclusive travel and LGBTQ+ storytelling from around the world.
Stonewall Generations
Supported by AARP, this intergenerational video series amplifies the voices of LGBTQ+ leaders and allies—including Chelsea Clinton, Adam Lambert, and Silvia Vasquez-Lavado—bridging past and present in the ongoing movement for equality.
A Place to Remember, and a Call to Action
More than 60,000 visitors from across the U.S. and around the world have already walked through the doors of the SNMVC—not just to remember, but to be moved. Whether reading the stories on the West Wall, dancing to the jukebox, or seeing themselves reflected in the Wall of Solidarity, visitors are offered an invitation:
To stand in solidarity. To act with courage. To fight like hell.
As co-founders Diana Rodriguez and Ann Marie Gothard—two queer women of color—envisioned, the SNMVC is not just a tribute to the past. It is a beacon for the future.
Project Credits
- Client: Pride Live
- Design Firm: Local Projects
- Architect: EDG Architects
- Services: Concept Design, Exhibition Design, Design Development, Documentation
- Key Partners: Google, Amazon Music, AARP, Parsons School of Design, Booking.com
Support the Mission: Donate, become a member, or share the story to help preserve and amplify LGBTQ+ history
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