diff --git a/packages/graphql/src/registry.ts b/packages/graphql/src/registry.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..271630231e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/graphql/src/registry.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import { navigateProgram, type Program, type SemanticNodeListener } from "@typespec/compiler";
+import type { GraphQLObjectType } from "graphql";
+
+type Mutable<T> = {
+  -readonly [k in keyof T]: T[k];
+};
+
+// This class contains the registry of all the GraphQL types that are being used in the program
+export class GraphQLTypeRegistry {
+  program: Program;
+  readonly programNavigated: boolean = false;
+
+  constructor(program: Program) {
+    this.program = program;
+    return new Proxy(this, {
+      get(target: GraphQLTypeRegistry, prop: string, receiver) {
+        if (GraphQLTypeRegistry.#publicGetters.includes(prop)) {
+          if (!target.programNavigated) {
+            const mutableThis = target as Mutable<GraphQLTypeRegistry>;
+            navigateProgram(target.program, target.#semanticNodeListener);
+            mutableThis.programNavigated = true;
+          }
+        }
+        return Reflect.get(target, prop, receiver);
+      },
+    });
+  }
+
+  static get #publicGetters() {
+    return Object.entries(Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptors(GraphQLTypeRegistry.prototype))
+      .filter(([key, descriptor]) => {
+        return typeof descriptor.get === "function" && key !== "constructor";
+      })
+      .map(([key]) => key);
+  }
+
+  get rootQueryType(): GraphQLObjectType | undefined {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // This is the listener based on navigateProgram that will walk the TSP AST and register the types,
+  // deferred in some cases, and then materialize them in exitXXX functions
+  get #semanticNodeListener(): SemanticNodeListener {
+    return {};
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/graphql/src/schema-emitter.ts b/packages/graphql/src/schema-emitter.ts
index 111b933d1a..55b4725e74 100644
--- a/packages/graphql/src/schema-emitter.ts
+++ b/packages/graphql/src/schema-emitter.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,29 @@
-import { emitFile, interpolatePath, type EmitContext } from "@typespec/compiler";
+import {
+  emitFile,
+  getNamespaceFullName,
+  interpolatePath,
+  type EmitContext,
+  type Program,
+} from "@typespec/compiler";
+import {
+  GraphQLBoolean,
+  GraphQLObjectType,
+  GraphQLSchema,
+  printSchema,
+  validateSchema,
+  type GraphQLSchemaConfig,
+} from "graphql";
 import type { ResolvedGraphQLEmitterOptions } from "./emitter.js";
-import type { GraphQLEmitterOptions } from "./lib.js";
+import { createDiagnostic, type GraphQLEmitterOptions } from "./lib.js";
+import { listSchemas, type Schema } from "./lib/schema.js";
+import { GraphQLTypeRegistry } from "./registry.js";
+import type { GraphQLSchemaRecord } from "./types.js";
+
+export const PLACEHOLDER_FIELD = {
+  type: GraphQLBoolean,
+  description:
+    "A placeholder field. If you are seeing this, it means no operations were defined that could be emitted.",
+};
 
 export function createGraphQLEmitter(
   context: EmitContext<GraphQLEmitterOptions>,
@@ -12,15 +35,116 @@ export function createGraphQLEmitter(
     emitGraphQL,
   };
 
+  function resolveOutputFile(schema: Schema, multipleSchema: boolean): string {
+    return interpolatePath(options.outputFile, {
+      "schema-name": multipleSchema ? schema.name || getNamespaceFullName(schema.type) : "schema",
+    });
+  }
+
   async function emitGraphQL() {
-    // replace this with the real emitter code
-    if (!program.compilerOptions.noEmit) {
-      const filePath = interpolatePath(options.outputFile, { "schema-name": "schema" });
+    const emitter = new GraphQLEmitter(program, options);
+
+    for (const schemaRecord of emitter.schemaRecords) {
+      program.reportDiagnostics(schemaRecord.diagnostics);
+    }
+
+    if (program.compilerOptions.noEmit || program.hasError()) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const multipleSchema = emitter.schemaRecords.length > 1;
+
+    for (const schemaRecord of emitter.schemaRecords) {
       await emitFile(program, {
-        path: filePath,
-        content: "",
+        path: resolveOutputFile(schemaRecord.schema, multipleSchema),
+        content: serializeDocument(schemaRecord.graphQLSchema),
         newLine: options.newLine,
       });
     }
   }
 }
+
+function serializeDocument(schema: GraphQLSchema): string {
+  return printSchema(schema);
+}
+
+export class GraphQLEmitter {
+  private options: ResolvedGraphQLEmitterOptions;
+  program: Program;
+
+  constructor(program: Program, options: ResolvedGraphQLEmitterOptions) {
+    this.options = options;
+    this.program = program;
+  }
+
+  private _schemaDefinitions?: Schema[];
+  get schemaDefinitions(): Schema[] {
+    if (!this._schemaDefinitions) {
+      const schemas = listSchemas(this.program);
+      if (schemas.length === 0) {
+        schemas.push({ type: this.program.getGlobalNamespaceType() });
+      }
+      this._schemaDefinitions = schemas;
+    }
+    return this._schemaDefinitions;
+  }
+
+  private _registry?: GraphQLTypeRegistry;
+  get registry() {
+    if (!this._registry) {
+      this._registry = new GraphQLTypeRegistry(this.program);
+    }
+    return this._registry;
+  }
+
+  private _schemaRecords?: GraphQLSchemaRecord[];
+  get schemaRecords(): GraphQLSchemaRecord[] {
+    if (!this._schemaRecords) {
+      this._schemaRecords = this.buildGraphQLSchemas();
+    }
+    return this._schemaRecords;
+  }
+
+  static get placeholderQuery(): GraphQLObjectType {
+    return new GraphQLObjectType({
+      name: "Query",
+      fields: {
+        // An Object type must define one or more fields.
+        // https://spec.graphql.org/October2021/#sec-Objects.Type-Validation
+        _: PLACEHOLDER_FIELD,
+      },
+    });
+  }
+
+  private buildGraphQLSchemas(): GraphQLSchemaRecord[] {
+    const schemaRecords: GraphQLSchemaRecord[] = [];
+
+    for (const schema of this.schemaDefinitions) {
+      const schemaConfig: GraphQLSchemaConfig = {};
+      if (!("query" in schemaConfig)) {
+        // The query root operation type must be provided and must be an Object type.
+        // https://spec.graphql.org/draft/#sec-Root-Operation-Types
+        schemaConfig.query = GraphQLEmitter.placeholderQuery;
+      }
+      // Build schema
+      const graphQLSchema = new GraphQLSchema(schemaConfig);
+      // Validate schema
+      const validationErrors = validateSchema(graphQLSchema);
+      const diagnostics = validationErrors.map((error) => {
+        const locations = error.locations?.map((loc) => `line ${loc.line}, column ${loc.column}`);
+        return createDiagnostic({
+          code: "graphql-validation-error",
+          format: {
+            message: error.message,
+            locations: locations ? locations.join(", ") : "none",
+          },
+          target: schema.type,
+        });
+      });
+
+      schemaRecords.push({ schema, graphQLSchema, diagnostics });
+    }
+
+    return schemaRecords;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/graphql/test/assertions.ts b/packages/graphql/test/assertions.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e09af071db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/graphql/test/assertions.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import { isType, type GraphQLType } from "graphql";
+import { expect } from "vitest";
+
+interface GraphQLAssertions<R = unknown> {
+  toEqualType: (expected: GraphQLType) => R;
+}
+
+declare module "vitest" {
+  interface Assertion<T = any> extends GraphQLAssertions<T> {}
+  interface AsymmetricMatchersContaining extends GraphQLAssertions {}
+}
+
+expect.extend({
+  toEqualType(received: GraphQLType, expected: GraphQLType) {
+    if (!isType(expected)) {
+      return {
+        pass: false,
+        message: () => `Expected value ${expected} is not a GraphQLType.`,
+      };
+    }
+
+    if (!isType(received)) {
+      return {
+        pass: false,
+        message: () => `Received value ${received} is not a GraphQLType.`,
+      };
+    }
+
+    const { isNot } = this;
+    return {
+      pass: received.toJSON() === expected.toJSON(),
+      message: () => `${received} is${isNot ? " not" : ""} the same as ${expected}`,
+    };
+  },
+});
+
+export { expect };
diff --git a/packages/graphql/test/emitter.test.ts b/packages/graphql/test/emitter.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..70e66ce64b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/graphql/test/emitter.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { expectDiagnosticEmpty } from "@typespec/compiler/testing";
+import { GraphQLSchema, printSchema } from "graphql";
+import { describe, it } from "vitest";
+import { GraphQLEmitter } from "../src/schema-emitter.js";
+import { expect } from "./assertions.js";
+import { emitSingleSchemaWithDiagnostics } from "./test-host.js";
+
+describe("GraphQL emitter", () => {
+  it("Can produce a placeholder GraphQL schema", async () => {
+    const result = await emitSingleSchemaWithDiagnostics("");
+    expectDiagnosticEmpty(result.diagnostics);
+    expect(result.graphQLSchema).toBeInstanceOf(GraphQLSchema);
+    expect(result.graphQLSchema?.getQueryType()).toEqualType(GraphQLEmitter.placeholderQuery);
+  });
+
+  it("Can produce an SDL output", async () => {
+    const result = await emitSingleSchemaWithDiagnostics("");
+    expectDiagnosticEmpty(result.diagnostics);
+    expect(result.graphQLOutput).toEqual(printSchema(result.graphQLSchema!));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/graphql/test/registry.test.ts b/packages/graphql/test/registry.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2eec540ae0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/graphql/test/registry.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, it } from "vitest";
+import { GraphQLTypeRegistry } from "../src/registry.js";
+import { expect } from "./assertions.js";
+import { createGraphqlTestRunner } from "./test-host.js";
+
+describe("GraphQL Type Registry", () => {
+  let registry: GraphQLTypeRegistry;
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    const runner = await createGraphqlTestRunner();
+    await runner.diagnose("");
+    registry = new GraphQLTypeRegistry(runner.program);
+  });
+
+  it("Will navigate program when state is accessed", () => {
+    expect(registry.programNavigated).toBe(false);
+    expect(registry.rootQueryType).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(registry.programNavigated).toBe(true);
+  });
+});