Entry No. 26 — the Dallas file — filed under: ritual-music

Sons of Hermann Hall

Built in 1910 as a German fraternal lodge, this is reputed to be Dallas's oldest free-standing wooden structure -- now a creaky bar, ballroom and former bowling alley. Staff report children's voices after hours, furniture sliding upstairs on its own, and a Victorian-dressed couple seen climbing the staircase before vanishing behind a locked, empty door.

The move: Grab a drink in the downstairs tavern, then sneak a look up the famously haunted staircase where the vanishing Victorian couple is said to appear. Time it for a swing-dance or live-music night so you get the creaky-old-lodge atmosphere with a built-in activity.

📍 Before you go It anchors the corner of Elm and Exposition, on the eastern edge of Deep Ellum where the district shades into Exposition Park, so it's an easy add-on to a wider neighborhood crawl. There's no lot of its own, but you can usually find free un-metered street parking along Elm and the surrounding blocks, plus paid lots across on Exposition and behind the building near Commerce. The downstairs tavern is the casual, walk-in part; the upstairs ballroom comes alive on its recurring dance and live-music nights, which is when the creaky old-lodge atmosphere is best. It still operates as a fraternal lodge, so be respectful of the members' building.

• 📍 Deep Ellum
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Hours: Open as a bar/venue; check event calendar for dance and music nights.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: ghosttexas.com · nbcdfw.com

last checked: 2026-06-06