The Best Texas Dance Halls

If you like two stepping, the Cotton-Eyed Joe, the Texas shuffle, Boot Scootin’ Boogie or just some good Texas music, then you need to check out these Texas dance halls and honky tonks. Some are way out in the country next to cow pastures and cornfields and past cattle guards and others are within the city limits – either way all of the Texas dance halls are fun and excellent places to shuffle across the polished pine or oak dance floor into the wee hours of the morning.

Most of the dance halls in Texas are frequented by locals and all have a friendly fun loving crowd. You may find Willie Nelson and his band, or just some local guys who get together every weekend to play so you can dance.

Some of these dance halls have been around since the late 1800’s and others are recent newcomers. Most aren’t fancy but you’ll typically find a fun crowd, cold beer, reasonable prices, good music, and great time.

Albert Dance Hall

Stonewall

Great for public dances as well as weddings.

Anhalt Hall

Anhalt

A huge gabled barn with arched trusses, a chicken coop vent on the roof, tin sheets on the exterior walls, and a six thousand square foot dance floor plus signs saying “no pedal pushers or “indecent, uncommonly dancing”.

Billy Bob’s

Fort Worth

The world’s largest honky tonk located in the Fort Worth Stockyards. You’ll see real bulls and real cowboys plus the best entertainment around.

Cat Spring Agricultural Society Hall

Cat Spring

The 12 sided white clapboard social center was built in 1902 and hosts public dances, weddings, anniversaries and other events.

Chicken Ranch Dance Hall

Ledbetter

“Where all the hens go & the rooster’s crow in Nechanitz!”

Club Westerner

Victoria

Boot scoot on a beautiful 3200 square foot dance floor from 1929.

Coupland Dance Hall

Coupland

Friday and Saturday nights the dancers line up for the impressive lineup of live music, from rockabilly to country. You can also enjoy their restaurant and the Old West brothel style B&B next door.

Dallas Nightclub

Austin

A sprawling dance floor is surrounded by four lengthy bars. Troughs of beer are scattered throughout.

Fischer Hall

Fischer

In Fischer (population 20), this barn-style whitewashed dance hall with curved wooden arches on the ceiling was erected in the late 1800’s as a community gathering spot.

Galvan Ballroom

Corpus Christi

This elegant venue was built as a permanent home for the fifteen-piece Galvan Orchestra, the largest dance orchestra in Corpus Christi at that time. The Galvan Ballroom quickly became a showcase for the best in big band, swing, and jazz music.

Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon

Austin

If you have ever heard of “Chicken Shit Bingo” then this is the place you have to go to enjoy the entertainment, music, beer, etc.

Gruene Hall

Gruene

Gruene Hall is the oldest dance hall in Texas – fantastic bands, cold beer, and a small quaint cities.

Harley’s Country Store & Beer Garden

Bayview

What’s better than free barbecue twice a week or the laid-back, Hill Country ambience. Perhaps it’s the informal jam sessions over guitars and longneck beers.

Hubcaps Wings & Sports Bar

Gainesville

Great bands, good food, friendly service, fun crowd, dance lessons, Texas Hold Em, cold beer, and more.

John T. Floore Country Store

Helotes

Willie Nelson still occasionally plays here under the stars on the huge outdoor patio or inside under the books and other paraphernalia hanging from the rafters.

Kendalia Halle

Kendalia

In 1903 Kendalia Halle became a place to perform and entertain a small community. Today it is still entertaining with a fun clean environment suitable for the entire family to experience one of the oldest historic dance halls in Texas!

KJT Hall

Ganado

Rent this historic hall for public or private events.

Lazy L&L Dance Hall

New Braunfels

An open air, family oriented dance hall with a bar and grill and live music every Friday and Saturday from Memorial Day to the second week in August, and then again Labor Day weekend, plus camping, tubing, volleyball, and lots more fun. The Hall is also available for private parties.

Luckenbach

Luckenbach

Established in 1849, made famous by Jerry Jeff Walker, “everybody’s somebody in Luckenbach, it is still home to some fun times and great music.

Lucky Mule

Abilene

They are known to throw the best and craziest party every night in Abilene.

Martinez Social Club Dancehall

San Antonio

They are known to host two dances a week, in their 103 yr old hall on Sunday and Wednesday evening featuring classic county music and the occasional Polka.

Pearl’s Dancehall & Saloon

Fort Worth

The gem of the stockyards.

Rockin’ Rodeo

Denton

Rockin’ Rodeo used to be the biggest honkey tonk in Denton County, but it has been closed for years.

Quihi Gun Club & Dance Hall

Quihi

Visitors from all over the world enjoy dancing on one of the best wooden dance floors ever.

Saengerrunde Hall

San Jacinto

German settlers in 1879 in the Austin area had formed a singing society bearing the name “Saengerrunde”. It is the oldest ethnic organization in Austin.

Schroeder Hall

Goliad

Second oldest dance hall in Texas.

Sengelmann Hall

Schulenburg

Reopened in 2009, after six decades of neglect

Sons of Hermann Hall

Dallas

Voted Best of Dallas Music Venue 2006.

Southern Junction

Royce City

Great bands, good dance floor, grill your own steaks, and ride the mechanical bull.

Swiss Alp Dancehall

Schulenburg

It’s an old barn, barn wood and tin with a “swirling dance floor”.

The Cadillac Dance Hall

Marble Falls

Head for the the “country” side of town where the sky is big, wide & blue, and the road winds up at “Welcome!” It’s always BYOB at The Cadillac.

The Continental Club

Austin / Houston

“Great place to see live music. Reasonable cover charges and drink prices.” “you call yourself a true Texan, you should have set foot in this joint at least once in your life.”

The Fair Pavilion

LaGrange

The Fair Pavilion was first built in 1925 and over the years has served as an integral place for the locals to meet and enjoy themselves at dances and various types of gatherings.

The Old Coupland Inn & Dancehall

Coupland

Opened in 1904 as a mercantile, was a Grande Ballroom in the the fifties, a whorehouse in the upstairs hotel, a roller rink in the seventies, a saloon in the 80’s, and a dance hall since 1992 with great bands.

The Oplin Dancehall

Oplin

The Oplin Dance Hall is in the ghost town of Oplin. Dances have been held here for over 40 years.

Quihi Gun club and Dance Hall

Quihi

This is one of the oldest social clubs in the country and dances are held every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month.

The Phoenix Saloon

New Braunfels

Visit this renovated 1871 bar that is inhabited by Mr. Sippel, a ghost from the past.

The Stampede

Big Spring

You’ll still find the same raw rafters, bare walls, propane heaters, Coke box, and calf-roping mural from when it was in 1954.

Tom Sefcik Hall

Seaton

A polished oak dance floor from 1923 in the small town of Seaton – population 40.

Twin Sisters Dance Hall

Blanco

For over 140 years the organization has held a monthly dance on the 1st Saturday of the month.

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Texas Dance Hall Rescource Guide

• Best Texas Honky Tonk – A list of the best honky tonks in Texas
• Texas Dance Hall Preservaton – Dedicated to preserving the Texas Dance Halls that are at risk
• Central Texas Country – Big Bill’s guide to country dancing and dance halls around Austin
• Dance Halls and Last Calls – A history of Texas country music