The Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park Wins Best Dance Club

A historic ballroom with a 90-year-long legacy might not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about dance clubs, but The Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park has been a hub for people learning to dance and looking to have a good time for nearly a century. While the era of dancing to live big band music is long past, the ballroom still holds dances every weekend focused on different styles of music and dance.

If people haven’t been dancing at The Spanish Ballroom, they may have been there for a wedding, b’nai mitzvah or other special event, as it is also the biggest rental space in Glen Echo Park.

“Our Spanish Ballroom is famous among dancers throughout the region for being unusually large and so nice to dance on,” says Emily Crews, Glen Echo Park’s dance and events program director. “Additionally, our dance event prices are a great value, and [the] community is always welcoming and fun!”

The Spanish Ballroom first opened in 1933 as part of the former Glen Echo Amusement Park, and was a popular venue for visitors from across the country. During World War II, it was frequently visited by off-duty servicemen and women, and saw performances from legendary musicians like Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman and early rock-and-roll band Bill Haley and the Comets.

It’s this history that landed The Spanish Ballroom on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, The Spanish Ballroom partners with local dancers and musicians to host social dances, with genres ranging from Brazilian samba to waltz. If you’re ever hankering to go square dancing, the Ballroom has that, too.

For people less confident in their ability to bust a move, the facility also offers dance classes.

“This makes us feel proud that Montgomery Magazine readers love our venue, and with this award, more will learn about it,” Crews adds. “We hope everyone continues to come out to our dances and bring their friends and family. The Spanish Ballroom—along with the entire Park—is a wonderful place to make memories.”