Casa Loma Ballroom

This is the most unique venue I’ve visited in a long time, and I mean that in a good way.
We heard about CLB by chance, in a comment by our server at Cleveland-​Heath, who told us his parents used to dance there. A little research brought up some fun videos about CLB history (a long list of celebrity entertainers) and current events (lots of fun dance options for Therese H.). So I decided I’d earn some good-​husband points and take her here for swing dancing as part of our wedding anniversary bash.
We parked in the lot across the street to the west ($ 5 for the night). We were greeted by servers who happened to be at the door, walked up the stairs and met the manager ($ 10/​each admission), found a table, and put in our order for drinks and popcorn. Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers warmed up, and the place soon filled with people who appeared to range from age 18 to 80. A little after 8:00 PM, a pair of instructors stood at a mike near the stage, and called us out for a swing dance lesson. The lesson was fun, all based on rhythm and examples. Though I was lost after about the fourth dance variation, I had learned enough to get me going. When the lesson stopped, Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers took over, and there was non-​stop fun for a long time. Every now and then we took a break for drinks and popcorn (servers and friendly and stopped by our table often) or restrooms (upstairs in the balcony area). We enjoyed people-​watching too, lots of great dresses and shoes and such. We might have to find Therese H. a retro dress for the next visit.
For those of you who really, really want to go, but can’t get the spouse/​significant other to agree, tell him/​her that you don’t have to dress up, as we saw some people in relatively casual attire, and I don’t think anyone thought less of them for it. It helps if you are someone who is at least comfortable enough to move at your typical wedding reception/​high school dance, but you don’t need previous knowledge about swing dancing. In John H. vernacular, the rhythm is basically 1,2,3; 1,2,3; quick, quick. If you can move to that rhythm at least a little bit, you’ll be fine. While Therese H. would dance a solo for thousands (and has), I’m a little more self-​conscious than that, and was grateful for a crowd on the dance floor to camouflage my mistakes. Really, tell your potential dance partner that there are so many people, you can find your own dim 5’x5’ area, and no one else is going to notice.
Check out the CLB website, and search for videos on youtube and its facebook page. You’ll see the fun you’ve been missing.

Got to thank Patrick Brannon for keeping this StL landmark up and going. Parked in the monitored lot across the street, paid the $ 10 admission and had a great night of dancing. Small crowd on our Friday night for the «Ambassadors of Swing» but that was good as my wife and I need a lot of space on the dance floor. Surprised at the number of younger people there and enjoyed watching their «creative» styles. Dress ranged from formal to casual and we especially enjoyed watching a stylish couple who showed how elegant ballroom dancing can be. If this place is not on your «bucket list» you’re going to miss a very nice experience.

Time warp seems to be a consistent descriptor of this old-​school venue.
We had a great time watching Pokey Lafarge and the band, with a few opening acts before the main show. We arrived at 7pm for an 8pm start. The secure parking lot was a mere $ 5. It was filling up fast at 7 o’clock, so keep that in mind if you’d like to park in that lot. The same was true for tables inside. If you wish to sit down, arrive early. There’s a fair amount of seating, but depending on the act, the chairs could go fast.
True, the venue is old and dated, but I found the staff friendly and the bathrooms clean. I had to chuckle at the bathroom attendant — a nice young lady handing out paper towels while playing with her phone. Some tipped, some didn’t — why not? What’s an extra buck?
We sat in the back, to the right of the rear bar. Acoustics were fine and I could actually see the stage – which doesn’t always happen since I’m fairly shrimpy.
Friends found us and relocated from their table upstairs. They said that their view was fine but that the sound was bad — so keep that in mind when you’re making your seat selection.
Loved to the people watching. There were several couples who really knew how to dance and an eighty something lady cutting the rug.
I’m looking forward to more fun concerts here.

What a charming little place. I have been hear many times for «The Beggars Carnivale». It is older and was probably stylish in it’s day. But even today is full of character.

Great place to catch Beggars Carnivale!

Cool spot, I’ve heard its rarely open, but saw a pokey lafarge show there this past weekend. There are tables on the sides of the stage (under the balcony) and on the second floor, so you’ve got a decent set of options for how to take in the show.
I parked on Cherokee Street, I believe there are lots around the venue though.

I have no idea how I missed reviewing the Casa Loma, but here it is. I have yet to have a bad Casa Loma experience and do not suspect that there is such a thing. We are avid Beggar’s fans so we have been to the Casa Loma several times now to see the most amazing show in town — the Beggar’s Carnivale. I absolutely love the set up — the interior — the ambiance. It has such an old school ballroom feel to it — even the bathrooms! The Beggar’s crowd and ambiance really makes it seem as though we have time warped back to the 1920s or so. It is so vast inside that you don’t realize just how many folks are there until you are waiting in line for the restroom. Unfortunate but true… there is only one women’s (and men’s I believe) restroom — albeit there are multiple stalls. That is really the one and only ‘bad’ thing about the venue but definitely not bad enough to demote the review. There have been a few events where the bathroom could’ve used more love, but I think it is fair to exclude any NYE event considering the sheer multitude.
Tess Barclay — best server by far. She has taken SUCH good care of us each and every time we attend Beggar’s. We have come so far together — esp after the New Year’s Eve event… she remembers it more clearly than we do. Oops. She actually requests our table when setting up for the Beggar’s event. The rest of the staff are equally as amazing and cordial. The drinks… wow…the drinks are potent and certainly serve their purpose. I also do not find myself with an extensive bar tab at the end of the night despite the smaller drink sizes (mixed cocktails)…and believe me our table of hooligans certainly puts a dent in their bar at each event. The shots are certainly substantial as well.
I cannot speak too much in regards to the food they serve at this event as I have yet to sample the menu. The breakfast buffet at the NYE event was a little weird, but I suppose it served its purpose.
I will add to my fellow Unilocaler’s review boasting about the Beggar’s NYE event held at the Casa Loma last December. It was by far one of the best NYE events I have ever experienced. I too LOATHE going anywhere on NYE because it is generally a huge cluster f*ck no matter where you go. The Beggar’s threw a great party — we as always had VIP tickets so we were guaranteed a table for the night, and it was right up front… super awesome. The party went on for what seemed an eternity and did not end until well after midnight — 3am to be exact. It was 1000 x better than paying an outrageous cover at an overpriced/​overcrowded bar/​club.
I hope that the Beggar’s NYE event will become an annual — we will definitely attend each and every year if that is the case. Apart from NYE — we will ALWAYS return to the Casa Loma for each and every Beggar’s event barring any scheduling conflicts. We love it all — the crowd, the venue, the ambiance, the staff, and the entire experience. This is by far one of the better venues for more intimate, live performances in the city.

Fun place … and a bit of a time warp for me. Not sure how old the Casa is but it must have been around forever. Looking for something to do the other night having eaten close by and having been there before it was a good option for a place to go dancing, although I was hesitant with the $ 15 cover the night I went (x 2). Definitely and older crowd so you also get some pretty dated outfits, colorful and interesting … and there was a handful of younger kids (20ish) on up to whatever the age limit is … a mix but I’d say for sure a 50+ age group. I’ve been with younger friends and they really liked it when That 80s band was there, this night a Motown group. So check the schedule, go sometime, don’t plan on drinking a lot (drinks were seemingly light on the liquid and weak) but the times I have been here it is has been packed. Very large floor, up and down seating and a fun crowd. Worth checking out.

I have been to Casa Loma for about 4 – 5 times now. The ONLY reason I go here is to see The Beggar’s Carnivale
(the next one is March 10… fyi).
I have driven past this place many times and had no clue what was going on in there, and with «Ballroom» in the name, I didn’t know what I expected… probably an older crowd.
Sometimes I see lines here w/​a lot of older folks dressed to the hilt in suits and evening gowns… but now I think that maybe they were coming from a wedding since I know they do a lot of receptions here.
The place is HUGE on the inside… and very impressive (at least in the dark). There are 2 floors and the second floor is mostly a balcony viewing area with a bar and tables where you can easily see the stage wherever you choose to sit.
There are 3 bars in this place so really no waiting in line, and they do serve food here but honestly I’ve never had it (‘cept last NYE where I had a breakfast buffet… yum!).
The stage is also very large and perfect for most acts/​bands. I love the lighting here as well. Great for photography.
My only real complaint is the bathroom… there is only one, and it’s upstairs. Lots of up and down stairs in heels for me = sore tootsies.
I also added some photos if anyone would like to see the inside.

I would bet good money that more people join Unilocal on this day than any other in order to one star their NYE experiences, because let’s face it, NYE sucks, has always sucked, and will always suck. Businesses simply cannot handle the influx of morons, yet exploit the evening by overpricing it, and underestimate the quantity of staff and logistics of executing a NYE party.
Having been plagued by years worth of horrific NYE experiences, but also realizing that I needed to pace myself on NYE spent in sweats watching the ball drop at home, I grudgingly resolved to go out and attempt to have a good time, knowing full well it was going to be one of the worst nights of the year (but who knows which year).
I was astonished by how many bars here think that NYE means they can charge a $ 100 cover. My BFF was super excited, as every party billed itself as the «biggest» and «best» in the city. And I’m like dude, it’s a neighborhood dive bar trying to charge you $ 100 (plus tax plus mandatory gratuity plus cab plus a morning after pill) for a freaking 20 cent party hat and «free drinks» (which you will never get because there will be 500 people and one bartender).
Resigned myself to the fact that making my credit card bleed was the only way, I tentatively chose the Beggars Carnivale at Casa Loma for three reasons:
1. It was only $ 59, which didn’t include drinks, which is good, because there is no way I could drink $ 100 worth of booze when the grit necessary to get one drink involves waiting in line for an hour.
2. Instead of a shitty dinner buffet, Casa Loma was offering a midnight breakfast buffet. Best idea ever.
3. On their website it said you could come as you are in jeans and a t-​shirt. I wanted to dress up, but knowing the pressure to look fancy or sophisticated wouldn’t exist here sealed the deal for me.
Drove up and saw a line down the block. My BFF seemed surprised. I groaned. Here we go. NYfuckingE. Other party goers seemed shocked. «We have tickets, why is there a line?» Luckily that line MOVED. And while we were waiting, which was less than five minutes, there were half naked chicks eating fire dangerously close to the line. Sweet.
Got in and 60 meant 60. No bogus surcharges or gratuity or tax or anything. Sweet.
Really cool space. Great lighting, FTMP. Line at the bar was less than five minutes, and there was no line the rest of the night. Seriously. They had two bars, and they moved. AWESOME. Drinks were expensive, or actually cheap, but small, which made them expensive, but whatev.
I thought the capacity of the room was PERFECT for the size of the crowd. Not so crowded that you couldn’t find somewhere to sit, but crowded enough that you probably wouldn’t have to see the guy you gave a fake number to for the rest of the night.
The Beggar’s Carnivale show was pretty incredible. It was a solid 6 hours of entertainment. Nonstop, no joke. Burlesque. Fire breathers. Trapeze artists. Jugglers. Mimes. Chippendale’s-esque clowns. Pole dancers. Rope dancers. Ball dancers. And other random circus shit. Very much a spectator evening.
There was limited interaction, but the performers definitely worked the crowd in character. Chicks with snakes, a bearded lady, midgets, and other people that I don’t have the words to describe. Ahhh, just another Saturday night.
Some of the pitfalls were to be expected on NYE. The bathrooms were totally neglected, disgusting, and out of paper. The champagne toast that was included in the price of our ticket didn’t happen because they didn’t start pouring champagne until 9 minutes before midnight. I’m no math whiz, but pretty sure three waitresses are incapable of pouring 400 glasses of champagne in 9 minutes. But hey, it’s NY’s, and this has happened at literally every NY party I’ve ever been to. Not sure if the staff was Casa Loma staff, Beggar’s Carnivale staff, or just event staff, but other than these areas things went smoothly.
It was a really good crowd. I almost couldn’t tell it was New Year’s. Where were the girls sobbing and pissing themselves in the corner? Where were the dudes wandering around with no pants on? Nobody got shot? Nobody beat up their girlfriend? Nobody puked on me? This must be what adult NYE parties are like. Older crowd, more sophisticated, classy, but still fun. Like, it wasn’t a CRAZY party, but people still knew how to have a good time.
Best part? It went till 3 AM. Nothing worse than a party that ends at midnight.
Worst part? The dancing. The DJ sucked. Seriously. It’s like he picked the worst songs from the 90’s, set them to a shitty trance beat, and set it on repeat. There’s an elevator in my grandmother’s nursing home that plays better music.
Overall? Great success. Can’t wait to do this party, or Casa Loma, again!

Every time I go to Casa Loma I have a great time. I have been there for wedding receptions, fundraisers, parties and just going out with friends. Fantastic music, great dancing — it’s a party!

The Casa Loma Ballroom located in St. Louis is a real neat place. When I go there it feels as though I am stepping back in time when at some point everything was frozen. Even though the place is getting on up in age, being around since 1927 hasn’t stopped this place from swinging. I have gone there for different occasions, from birthdays to weddings to just looking for a place to dance, the Casa Loma Ballroom has always delivered a fantastic time. There are also beginner dance lessons for those of us who are not quite yet a Fred Astaire.
The Casa Loma Ballroom is a great place to go for events or just to go out and dance.

grand old ballroom that’s seen better days. check out Fri/​Sat for big band music and dance, though not very crowded, mostly older folk. can get some free lessons.