The Grand Finale
490 North Robert Street, St. Paul, MN
Chester Daxe became the second queer person to open a St. Paul queer bar in 1977.(1) Honey Harold holds the distinction as the first—she opened Foxy’s Bar in 1968. Unlike Foxy’s, the Grand finale catered to queer men; the discotec attracted many of the men who once frequented The Noble Roman on Grand Avenue.
The Finale is especially notable in the queer history of St. Paul because it attracted infamous music artists to downtown St. Paul’s nightclubs—historically, the capital city’s nightlife has lacked the same vitality of its “twin” to the west.
The Finale closed in 1982, along The Barefoot Boy Health Club next door. The Finale was first in a long line of queer bars to use the old Shultze Shoe Factory—Rumours and Innuendo, Club Vogue, Rocky’s on 10th, Trixx, and a second iteration of Foxy’s Bar followed the Finale. Presently, Camp Bar continues the longstanding tradition.
(1)Announcement of the Grand finale opening in July of 1977. Twin Cuities Pride Guide, 1977. Back Cover.
(2)
This page is still under construciton. -SVC.
Part of Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN: 100 Queer Places in Minnesota History, (1860-1969), (1969-2010)