Playland Café (1937) | Boston MA | Vintage Gay Bar | Pride T-Shirt

Playland Café (1937) | Boston MA | Vintage Gay Bar | Pride T-Shirt | Be Fierce!

Celebrate a piece of LGBTQ history with this vintage-inspired 'Playland Café' T-shirt. Featuring classic bar signage from Boston's oldest gay bar, The Playland Café (1937–1998), this shirt pays homage to a significant chapter in the city's queer history. Located at 21 Essex Street, Playland began attracting a gay clientele during World War II and became a safe haven for the LGBTQ community for over 60 years. Though it was often misunderstood, Playland was a place of connection, community, and pride. Wear this T-shirt to honor the legacy of a bar that stood as a cornerstone for generations of LGBTQ individuals. Made from soft, high-quality fabric, it’s perfect for anyone who wants to celebrate queer history and show their pride.

Product Features

• Material: 100% cotton (fiber content may vary for different colors)
• Fabric Weight: Medium fabric (5.3 oz/yd² / 180 g/m²)
• Fit: Classic unisex fit for both style and comfort
• Label: Tear-away label for a clean look and feel
• Sizing: Runs true to size, making it an ideal staple for any wardrobe

Playland Café (The Playland Café (1937–1998), located at 21 Essex Street in Boston, Massachusetts, was Boston's oldest gay bar. According to Paul Staffier, when his father Rocco Staffier opened Playland in 1937 it was not a gay bar, but by the start of World War II it had begun attracting a gay clientele. When the bar closed in 1998, Staffier, who had run Playland for 40 years, said that it was not the "den of iniquity" it was reputed to be, and that arrests had been rare. Over the years it was mentioned only a few times in the Boston Globe.