The Menagerie

History

Madeline Lee opened The Menagerie on Valentine’s Day 1983 in a small University Avenue retail space, after an earlier bar, Stage Door, was shut down over permits. It began with mismatched sofas, a pool table, and beer and wine, and became a refuge for Riverside’s LGBTQ community during the AIDS crisis. A restaurant gave way to a dance club with karaoke, prom nights, and drag. In June 1999 she sold it to longtime patron David St. Pierre, who added a circular bar and a modernized dance floor.