Sixth City Sauna Baths, a men’s Turkish bathhouse, opened at 1293 West 9th Street in 1966. Sixth City Sauna Baths as a single-level bathhouse operated “by men for men.” The relatively simple bathhouse featured a sauna and dormitory-style private rooms, both of which were frequented by men cruising for partners throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. By 1970, the popular Sixth City Baths expanded its operating hours and began operating 24 hours per day. Sixth City Sauna Baths closed around 1973. A new bathhouse, the West 9th Street Club Baths, opened at the same address shortly thereafter (ca.1973/1974).
Additional information coming soon.
Resources
- “A Bathhouse is More Than Sex.” Gay People’s Chronicle. September 10, 1999. Page 6.
- Listed in Damron’s Guide 1966-1973. Mapping the Gay Guides.
- “Sixth City Sauna and Steam Bath.” Plain Dealer. February 18, 1966.
- “Steam Baths.” Plain Dealer. August 5, 1966.