Jeffrey Dahmer Met Most of His Victims at 219 Club; See the Bar Today
Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer met most of his victims at the 219 Club in Milwaukee. Ryan Murphy’s DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story prominently features the nightclub. The location also comes up in Netflix‘s docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes, which drops on Oct. 7. Find out what happened to the bar in the aftermath of Dahmer’s crimes and what Club 219 has become in 2022.
Club 219 was once a popular LGBTQ nightclub in Milwaukee
Before becoming Club 219, the site was previously two popular dance bars: Gary’s and Circus Circus (via WisLGBTHistory.com). In August 1980, buzz started going around about a “trash bar” with no address located at 219 S. 2nd Street.
Later, in January 1981, ads appeared with “Trash it up at Club 219.” This morphed into Club 219, where a majority of Milwaukee’s gay community would go to party. The bar became known for bright lights, loud music, and high-energy dance parties. Club 219 also occasionally hosted drag show performances and male strippers.
Jeffrey Dahmer’s patronage didn’t ruin Club 219’s reputation
Dahmer killed 17 men between 1978 and 1991. The serial killer met many of his victims at Club 219, including Tracy Edwards. The nightclub became a nationally recognized bar after Dahmer’s arrest in July 1991. Despite Dahmer’s association with the location, Club 219 remained open for another 14 years.
According to WisLGBTHistory.com, development in the area limited parking for club patrons, which negatively impacted the club’s crowds. In 2005, the bar brought in DJ Tony (Tonya), who brought new music, lighting, and entertainment to the club. However, Club 219 officially closed its doors in October 2005.
Jeffrey Dahmer’s former night club is now the Wall Street Stock Bar
In 2019, the Rec Room Craft Co. at 219 S. 2nd Street was replaced with the Wall Street Stock Bar. “For lovers of The Wolf of Wall Street, a new bar is opening up on 2nd Street that may just catch your eye,” a local outlet reported.
According to another Milwaukee outlet, The Wall Street Stock Bar serves craft cocktails named after Wall Street moguls and light fare including chicken salad, nachos, and flatbread pizza. Co-owner Charese Gardner said the bar brings the “taste of the New York to the Midwest” and is geared toward local business professionals.
“Educationally, you hang around a sports bar long enough, you’re going to know more about sports,” she said. “And if you hang around a stock market bar long enough, you’ll familiarize yourself with stocks. I think that it’s a good avenue for young people and older, seasoned people alike to have a chill spot to go.”
The Wall Street Stock Bar is still open at publication. They are closed Mondays but open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., Fridays and Saturdays 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sundays from 2:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Learn more about Club 219 in the three-part docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes. Episodes are available exclusively on Netflix beginning Oct. 7.
