You can’t write about strip clubs in Maryland without starting at The Block: a group of buildings on the 400 block of East Baltimore Street in downtown Baltimore, with strip clubs, adult shops and bars. East Baltimore Street has been the city’s adult entertainment corridor since about the 1940s, and in the mid-century years burlesque performers such as Blaze Starr danced in clubs along the street. The Gayety Theatre, built in 1907 as a burlesque house, is still one of the best-known buildings on the strip.
City and state officials have tried for decades to clean up, shrink or move The Block. In the early 1990s, laws banned neon marquee signs and street barkers. In January 1994, state troopers carried out a large raid on the area. In 1997, the city created a formal adult entertainment district that covers The Block. In 2022, Senate Bill 222 proposed making licensed businesses on the 400 block close by 10 p.m.; the bill was softened, and lawmakers announced a compromise under which participating clubs agreed to use security cameras and share footage, pay for a dedicated police presence, and have security plans approved by the liquor board and the Baltimore Police Department. The Block has shrunk over the years, but it is still open.
Licensing and nudity rules in Maryland
Maryland has no single statewide rulebook for strip clubs. Baltimore City and each county have their own liquor board, and local rules decide much of what is allowed where alcohol is served. In Baltimore City, the Board of Liquor License Commissioners licenses adult entertainment businesses and adopted updated Adult Entertainment Rules and Regulations effective 3 May 2024. Two rules matter most to visitors:
- Dancers may not touch a patron’s chest, genital area or buttocks.
- Venues may not allow caressing, fondling or touching of those areas on the premises — by dancers or patrons.
Courts have also shaped the rules. In litigation brought by clubs in Prince George’s County, a federal court found a state law on nude dancing at licensed venues overbroad, so what is allowed can differ considerably from one county to the next.
Baltimore
- Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club Baltimore — 409 E Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21202, on The Block in the former Gayety Theatre building.
- The Gentlemen’s Gold Club — 5801 Pulaski Hwy, Baltimore
- Fantasies Nightclub — 5520 Pennington Ave, Baltimore
- The Millstream Inn — 5310 Dogwood Rd, Baltimore area, MD 21207
Beltsville
- Showcase Theater — 11223 Old Baltimore Pike, Beltsville, in Prince George’s County near Washington, D.C.
What to check before you go
- Confirm the club is open and when. Opening hours on The Block have been the subject of legislation, and clubs open and close over time. Call ahead.
- Know the local rules. Nudity, alcohol and contact rules depend on the jurisdiction. Baltimore City’s no-touch rules are strict and enforced through the club’s licence.
- Bring ID and plan your trip. Expect an ID check and possibly a wand search at the door, part of the security plans some clubs on The Block agreed to. Plan a safe ride home, especially late at night downtown.