The Minneapolis City Council will consider legalizing and regulating venues where consenting adults engage in sexual activity, including adult bathhouses—a practice banned in the city for nearly four decades.

City officials confirmed that Minneapolis enacted an ordinance banning such establishments in 1988. At that time, three bathhouses operated: Hennepin Baths, Locker Room Baths (then known as the 315 Health Club), and Big Daddy’s Bath House. All closed prior to the ban.

The council referred four proposed ordinances to city staff this week. These would establish a licensing framework, update zoning regulations, revise health standards, and add exceptions to existing indecency laws. The package also aligns with separate discussions about decriminalizing drug paraphernalia.

Historians note that adult bathhouses were part of Minneapolis’s nightlife before the 1980s AIDS crisis spurred widespread bans across U.S. cities. The last legal bathhouse in Minneapolis shuttered in 1988, according to city records. Council member Jason Chavez stated in a public statement that LGBTQIA+ gathering spaces—including bathhouses—have historically faced criminalization and policing efforts that harmed communities.

While Duluth and St. Paul allow regulated adult bathhouses, Minneapolis remains an outlier without such venues. Cities nationwide including Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Cleveland, Berkeley, and Dallas operate similar establishments. The council plans to forward final directives on Thursday, with a public hearing scheduled before a June vote.

Advocates noted that city codes should reflect current public health needs rather than outdated restrictions, emphasizing the importance of aligning regulations with modern realities.