Boot Camp Saloon
Milwaukee
Summary
Boot Camp Saloon was a Milwaukee levi/leather bar at 209 E. National Avenue, opened in 1984 and operated by Si Smits. Competing at first with the older Wreck Room, it grew into a leading leather bar as it sat within the city's second major concentration of LGBTQ bars. The bar featured several rooms and a large covered patio. Smits hosted frequent fundraisers and events such as an annual pumpkin-carving party.
Business declined in the 2000s amid competition from the Harbor Room and Kruz, and the bar's run ended when a fire destroyed the building in May 2011. The lot remained vacant afterward.