#6343 - Sons of Hermann Hall, Dallas, TX - 9/10/2025

Sons of Hermann Hall, Dallas, TX

I'm not sure how old the bar at the Sons of Hermann Hall is, but it appears to have had a bar and a ballroom right from the start, i.e. when it opened in 1911* for the Dallas chapter of the fraternal organization created to preserve German traditions and ease the transition of German immigrants into American society.

Looking at the building today, I see no reason to doubt that the bar and ballroom started out in the same segments of the building as they do today?  Indeed, given its private status (and home to so many Germans) during prohibition, one assumes that its life as a bar barely slowed during federal prohibition. 

It is said to be the last remaining all-wood structure in Dallas, and it gradually transitioned from a private fraternal club to being open to the public, including hosting bands and swing dances in the ballroom upstairs. It is now a treasured venue, particularly for country music, with artists who have played there including the Drive-By Truckers, Wilco, Dixie Chicks, Arlo Guthrie, Townes Van Zandt, Whiskeytown, James McMurtry, The New Bohemians, Junior Brown, Lost Highway, Son Volt, and Slobberbone.

*Some sources say it opened in 1910, but the history page for the site itself says 1911.

3414 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75226 - (214) 747-4422
Est. 1911? - Building constructed: 1911
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: sonsofhermannhall.com
Reviews: dallasobserver - centraltrack.com - dallasobserver - nbcdfw