Browse Items (425 total)
(The) ApexOriginally known as Club Alvadere (1920-22) and The Nest Club (1922-26), The Apex was an afterhours spot on the second floor across from the Chicago…
![](https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/52878/archive/square_thumbnails/cb3e81e1ba4f7b547b7e6bac4b15c7ef.jpg?Expires=1749081600&Signature=lrn%7EkKosbpMUZMjiTQYLLjEv3kwXUrUKCLg7-%7E5fFsMfPxL-GEdk1LtOQTpZWEyPnhKo1Fqtq6JKSBBbQPKPH1Kcfc2--8ZT9ZUaYL7IE%7EkBge1fe65yvKepy4yjLj7VHUQekJTehHrEulfiRAAhr-Mq8pahK7GBR5oT0ogHJGKC9%7EiETc6THy2i9qNUh7wVT6hkz%7E7cflOw-j3XbRchUY4bgfhPGuTehRyJYGHDRiIKN93GnyFXSoWFvXbpcqUjeG7Cf06GPNIGnHRQRNoiT%7EHbA6hAglQBqZixo44vDTXutulam-TmS5dClFTF6x4HydFyBBbG6HkXb2Sok6HIXw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM "Official "Medusa's", "Reactor" Reunion plugger")
AlcatrazzAlcatrazz featured DJs Luis Segura, Diamond Boy Dito, Philip Delamora, and Mr. Wonderful. The club also hosted reunion parties for Medusa's and The…
(The) Annex/Annex 2This short-lived venue, which opened in February 26, 2016 and closed in October 2017, had a 5:00 am entertainment license for Saturday night/Sunday…
(The) ArmoryThis opulent art deco building, originally known as the Washington Park Armory, was built in 1931 to hold military training exercises. In 1970 the…
Ascot HotelAn eight-story, 175-room facility, the Ascot Hotel played host to some of the first hotel ballroom parties held by Lil Louis during the mid-1980s…
(The) B-Side CafeB-Side held many events for Black young adults during the summer of 1995, including the Chicago debut of The Roots. Every Saturday that summer, DJ…
Baja Beach ClubNavy Pier club catering to suburban party-goers and college students.
Bedrocks
Big WigCocktail lounge with a dance floor themed like a retro beauty bar.
(The) Bitter EndJuice bar with separate dance floor and raised DJ booth owned by Lowell Tuff. Also known as T.B.E., Leonard "Remix" Rroy began his DJ career their…
(The) BismarckThe Bismarck was opened by the Eitel Brothers in 1894 as one of Chicago's premier venues for entertainment and lodging. In 1926 the owners demolished…
Medusa'sRemembered as a significant meeting ground for young people from all over the City and suburbs, this juice bar owned by Dave "Medusa" Shelton hosted…
CheeksA multi-racial gay club next door to the Golden Nugget, Cheeks had what some call a "Cheers"-like vibe. Many transgender patrons dressed in "full…
Broadway LimitedBroadway Limited, named after a deluxe passenger train that ran between Chicago and New York, had its grand opening as a discotheque in November 1975.…
Club LaRayBlack, gay club in Lakeview owned by "LaRay." Housed in a former theater, Club LaRay was famous for its "stairs to nowhere." The club featured…
(The) ClubhouseAfter Club LaRay closed, Bob Yeaworth and the late Sam Davis opened The Clubhouse to fill the gap left in Chicago's Black, gay house music scene.…
(The) Cotton ClubNamed for the famous 1920s club in Harlem, the Cotton Club played jazz in its front room and disco in the back, including sets by DJ Frenchie during…
DarkroomUkranian Village bar/lounge with a gallery, dance floor, and occasional live bands.
DeJoie'sBlack restaurant featuring New Orleans-style cuisine owned by Steven and Paul DeJoie with Craig Butler that served as a nightclub at night. The space…
Dingbat'sCommercial disco owned by Ron Briskman famous for its bouncer, Mr. T. Played music videos in the early 1980s and had a Sunday afternoon "kiddy disco"…
Dugan's BistroOwned by Eddie Dugan, with design by Ron Veltmann, the club became known for having high-quality sound and lights, and for playing seamlessly mixed…
![](https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/52878/archive/square_thumbnails/146121a2a03a719973612eb66d5ccaa3.jpg?Expires=1749081600&Signature=toF6CXNc3cJTpkMKj5Iq5-A0dygS252ksehxTBBfJkcpKnJubdt57NFFuugs7uSZMWwtGAU4soGWXWDdCAvfr1tpNdeXjK2hgiezibXbV%7Ev8FWT7iCKwcx78W2FSzGHS1VW8dSsTea59KyoK3nbLvST1T78dTnzqibeBMNob6lItMPT1hdVMBMd%7ECYV4vvR848SuPxWQebYwIB59I2Y3MwnD1uf3gWJ4hlvu72RaKGKgHBd3V4lSPVjgXWgsTlZtyl7GDfQzsj7uS1nPiDscCsT3-Mvx2jmKNUAxmqhrQ3lwPC1tAnY-vKr%7E0bfpv9Oqe8uIisRubj1ObPEiHOt9xw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM ""The Last of the Last" plugger")
Edge of The Looking GlassVenue promoted by Robert Williams featuring music from Ron Hardy, Andre Hatchett, Jamey London, Armando, Ron Trent, DJ Rush, and Braxton Holmes.
KA-BOOM25,000 square foot multiplex nightclub venture produced by Cal Fortis of Neo and Ken Smith of Exit with interior design by Thomas Schlesser. When the…
Le Pub
Macomba LoungeThe Macomba Lounge was an after-hours owned by Leonard Chess, who would later found Chess Records. Chess had invested the money made from the two…
(The) Music Box 1Influential socio-sonic space developed by Robert Williams following his split with Frankie Knuckles. Catered to a straighter, though by no means…
(The) Music Box 2Influential socio-sonic space developed by Robert Williams following his split with Frankie Knuckles. Catered to a straighter, though by no means…
Neo NightclubPopular punk/new wave venue that broke with the late 1970s disco mold. Featured DJs Suzanne Shelton, Sky and Jeff Pazen.
NymbusA discotheque located in a suburban Ramada Inn, the Nimbus was reviewed in Playboy, had private rooms and multiple levels, and is even rumored to have…
(The) PlaygroundAccording to promoter and resident DJ Jesse Saunders, he and promoter Craig Thompson opened the space in part to capture some of the audience that…
(The) PleasuredomeVenue hosted by Andre Hatchett and Pharris Thomas that briefly produced parties featuring Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy for teens too young to get…
Polish Highlander HallAlso known as Highlander Paradise Hall.
PolonaiseBuilt as a Polish social club in the early 20th century, this spot was also known as the Polo Club. In the mid-1990s, promoter Al Cisneros, of…
(The) ReactorLater known as Kings & Queens, The Reactor was a loft space turned into a club owned by Fred Riley. The space launched the careers of veteran dance…
Red DogLater known as Ohm, this was the longtime home of Chicago's epic Monday night Boom Boom Room party, a party that DJ Lady D called "a house party for…
(The) RitzThe Ritz was a popular black gay bar on Chicago’s Near North Side. Charles Perkins DJed there in the early ’70s, playing music so loud he regularly…
Sunset CafeCritically important "black and tan" venue for interracial jazz audiences in Chicago. The building, a large garage-style structure, was declared a…
(The) Warehouse IIITri-level club that opened in late 1990 with residencies by the venue's founder, Joe Smooth, as well as Julian "Jumpin'" Perez and Frankie Knuckles.
Ron Hardy
Faces DiscoDiscotheque catering to, at its peak, 16,000 card-carying members. Taken over in 1978 during the height of the disco era by Jewish Lithuanian…
Screaming WheelsAccording to archivist Raquel Flores, she wasn't allowed into the party because she was too young, but she could watch her sister and her friends.
Den OneOriginally a mixed race gay disco, Den One was the first places to host a residency by DJ Ron Hardy. With 9,000 square feet of space, the club became…
(The) GeneratorOwned by brothers in law Nick Mandis & James Allen Misovec, the Generator replaced the duo's original venture, the Stop and Drink, and became one of…
Green DolphinEmbattled second home to the legendary Boom Boom Room that closed after a weekend shooting in the summer of 2015. The venue was also home to Frankie…
(The) ShrineOpened in 2009 by Joe Russo, of Funky Buddha Lounge and Sinibar fame, The Shrine had one of the best sound systems in Chicago clubland as well as an…
SmartbarNorth Side institution opened by Joe Shannahan as the sister dance club of Metro. Has hosted residencies by many of Chicago's most well-known house…
(The) WarehouseThe story of house music culture begins here. A narrow building made of cream brick accented with green art deco diamonds, 206 South Jefferson hosted…
C.O.D.Basement punk club in Rogers Park with a capacity of about 1000 that mainly hosted Chicago punk, hardcore and alternative rock bands, as well as DJ…
First ImpressionsJuice bar popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s for its blend of disco and punk. The venue influenced promoters and artists like David Risque,…
Martin's DenBlack, gay disco owned by Henry Martin where DJs Craig Cannon, Craig Loftis and Michael Ezebukwu spun records in the late 1970s and early 1980s.…