Willowbrook Ballroom

Ok place if you don’t plan to order any drinks. In addition to a basically zero selection of wine and champagne, they employ the meanest, dumbest, most unfriendly and arrogant bartenders on earth. No establishment should hire people like that.

I used to not like this place at all… Not because it was bad but because I had no clue wtf events and things they had to offer. They still need to do a little work on that, but now that I figured out their «nights» it’s better! What’s cool is that you wouldn’t have a clue that their dance lessons are legit. Which — kudos to May I have this dance dance studio for sending legit teachers!
I’ve done a couple Zumba parties here (instructed) and honestly it’s a great space and fun if you know how to work the venue! (Never really was the case for the other instructors who had no idea what the heck they were doing…)
Anyway, been to a couple weddings here and also some banquet dinners which were decent! Again, I’m in it for the Salsa Wednesday’s and the live bands on the other nights are fun too! Hoping Wednesday’s are here to stay because I love learning new stuff and dancing after! Please, please, please advertise this better and I promise more will come! Flyers need a little updating and more consistency — other than that I think it’s great !
*even if you aren’t here to dance– people watching is seriously entertaining :)

Historic ballroom, very romantic. New Years Eve is great with a Big Band, dancing and balloon drop. Great evening to start the New Year.

Went here for a funeral luncheon on a Saturday afternoon, about 60 people in our party. Seating was a bit tight since they put us in the same room with another funeral luncheon. We were served chicken noodle soup, roast beef, mashed potatoes, chicken and mostaccioli. The food satisfied my hungry stomach and was traditional food that the older folks are probably accustomed to. Nothing special at all though and in my opinion quite bland. Surprisingly for a banquet hall, the coffee was bad. Not sure on the price, so maybe that’s why we went there; I hope it was inexpensive. If I had to plan a luncheon, I personally would shop around. Overall, «Meh. I’ve experienced better.»

Excellent service!
We had our wedding reception in the Bunkeris Lounge. One month before the wedding we had to change our reception location. They were very helpful in explaining everything to us and getting things ready in such short notice.
They were flexible in the hours we could come in to see the rooms available and they gave us a few days to make our final decision.
They let us use our own centerpieces and they prepared everything else.
The chair covers were not provided but the chairs by themselves look very nice. They also gave us an information sheet of vendors that they have worked with if we wanted the covers or additional things.
We had traditional family style dinner and the food was delicious! There was plenty of food to go around.
During the reception we had some unexpected situations and they were quick to help and keep things under control.
We are very happy with how everything turned out, I highly recommend this location.

We booked the Willowbrook Ballroom for our wedding venue. It turned out to be the absolute perfect venue for us! The night of our wedding the ballroom transformed into a fairytale like setting with the gorgeous rustic details and the breathtaking chandeliers. Miss B and Toni really took care of all the details for us from setting up all our little touches to even helping us pack up our things at the end of the night. The food was so delicious, and they made sure our family style plates were replenished as needed so that everyone was fed until they were full (not an easy task for some of our growing boys). Their attention to detail was apparent in their set up of the tables and chairs, and they even set up the place cards perfectly in order for us. They worked diligently behind the scenes to fix any issues without me even having to get involved. They also planted a gorgeous rose garden outside which looked so lovely in all my pictures and my guests all loved them, too. We also tested out their capacity having a wedding of over 300 and the grand ballroom dance floor perfectly fit all of our guests who wanted to dance all night. If you are looking for a venue with history and character and also elegance and class this is it!

I can only speak to the Wednesday night salsa nights, but I’ve always had an incredible time each time I’ve attended.
It’s a very old venue, with a very large dance floor which is great because even when there’s a lot of people, there’s still plenty of room.
The instructors are great and I always learn a few new steps each class. The first half of the lesson is basics and the last half is sped up to a faster more intermediate pace.
You don’t need to worry about bringing a parter because you end up dancing with everyone rotating after each new move.
However if you bring a partner, you can choose to dance only with them.

I was just married at the Willowbrook Ballroom 16 days ago. I have three different reviews: one prior to the wedding with the planning, one during the wedding, and one for after the wedding.
Prior to the Wedding:
We looked around from place to place looking for the perfect venue for our wedding day. We are sort of quirky in the sense that we were looking to get married in October and we wanted to get married somewhere with a little aesthetic and history. We heard rumors of the ballroom in connection with the Irish Legend across the street being haunted. I’ve been by the ballroom but never inside it. It always appeared old and cheesy and I never felt anything about it. My husband suggested that we try to look them up for the wedding.
We went to the ballroom for our first time and we were blown away. They had it set up for a Halloween Party for a hospital benefit and I couldn’t feel anymore giddy about wanting to get married there. It seemed like all the locations we looked at didn’t even stand a chance. There is so much character and you can feel a sense of history when you step on that hardwood floor. We booked our wedding for October 13 but were disappointed to find out that the rumored underground tunnel was filled.
During the Wedding:
We made arrangements to do our ceremony on the ballroom floor. I walked into the Ballroom for my first time in wedding mode and my breath was taken away. The lighting was perfect. Everything we gave the coordinator for set up was done exactly as we requested. Ceremony came and went and the tear down for reception happened in a blink of an eye.
Then we were served cocktails and dinner. The food is just wonderful. I’ve been to a lot of weddings and the food is never anything to write home about. This is wedding food that I will remember for the rest of my life. We had a sweet heart table which they set up so beautifully. They had an antique looking candle holder which added an ambience to our décor that was accidental but pleasant. Our photographer loved the place because of the lighting and the character. At one point after the ceremony my mother was rude to the coordinator, but she turned the other cheek and simply complied with my Mom’s request.
According to my guests, someone had vomited on the dance floor. I never knew because they cleaned it up so fast. We also did a candy bar that was set up exactly the way I wanted it to be. I didn’t have to provide anyone direction. I just enjoyed my day.
My only beef was I didn’t see any ghosts but that wasn’t in my contract.
After the Wedding:
The day after the wedding we unpacked the car and opened up the boxes they had given us with our stuff. Every single thing was accounted for. We then opened our card box and found 2 of our wedding favors. They were cakeballs that we made ourselves that someone had left behind and they gave to us to enjoy while we open our cards. The thoughtfulness almost made me cry.
All in all, the Willowbrook Ballroom now holds a special place in my heart. I can’t wait for the next time I go back to the ballroom.

One of the première places to dance. You can’t get a bigger floor or better dance experience than when there is a live band and follows waiting in the wings.

I really like this venue a lot actually.
With events lined up all week long, this ballroom appeals to many people, young and old. They have country, western, salsa, line, couples, and singles dances that you can try out with friends or your significant other. Prices range but you won’t pay anything more that $ 15 or so to get in to the place. They have all sorts of bands and dances year round and it is normally themed to the specific month they’re in. You can have banquets there, obviously, and celebrate the New Year with them as well. I’ve seen local bands play and even tried out the salsa classes even though I was born with two left feet. If you are ever looking for something fun to do any night of the week, just check their calendar for a list of events happening month to month. I don’t think you can go wrong with this place EVER! Like I said before, Willowbrook Ballroom is good for the young & old, singles & couples, country & latin — you get the picture. Check It Out!
–Papa Bear

The Willowbrook Ballroom offers dancers and nightlife lovers so much. The 2^nd Saturday night every month the Willowbrook Ballroom hosts a Route 66 Dance Party featuring live music by Chicagolands BEST Early Roots Rock N’ Roll Band The Del Souls.
There is also a special guest band every month. Singles and Couples come to enjoy live music, dancing, cash door prizes, dance awards and reasonably priced cocktails. The guests are fun loving and there just to enjoy dancing, conversation and an all around good time.
This is a MUST attend event for those who love great music, dancing and friendly people. For upcoming dates visit the Route 66 Hop Dance Party website at:
5 STAR RATING

This was my first experience and my LAST. My dearest friend lost her mother and this was the place the funeral home recommended for the lunch afterwards. We asked for drinks. were told it wasn’t included because we said no to bar service-​which we took to mean alcohol. They would NOT even serve us soda. because it was against ‘the rules’. Soda? You apparently need a bartender to dispense soda here?! Everything we asked for was against ‘THE RULES’.finally we put up such a fuss were were served soda. mind you it was (all) FLAT soda, but soda nonetheless. Need I say more?

It’s just a step to left and a jump to the right and you will be time warping with the best of them at Willowbrook Ballroom.
My friends and I used to go for the Swing Dance nights (usually Sundays, I believe). For $ 10 you could get a complimentary lesson and then enjoy open dance with a live DJ or band.
As high schoolers and college kids, we were by far the youngest ones there but that dd not deter us from having fun. The best are the older guys who know what they are doing and offer to dance with you. They do all the leading. I remember being whipping and spun all around the dance floor, looking way better than I was.
We even went for New Years one year, what a blast. The downstairs venue is small and intimate and the upper, main ballroom is really great for the larger functions.
Great place to get a group together for an alternative night out!

Salsa dancing on Wednesday nights at Willowbrook Ballroom is Awesome. May I Have This Dance gives a 1 hour lesson, and then there is open dancing until 11 pm. If you’ve never danced before… would like to learn… want to practice… or are a seasoned dancer this is the place for you. No cliques. Just really great people that LOVE dancing. No partner needed. Just dance.

I went to the Willowbrook Ballroom Thanksgiving weekend to see American English.
Side note: why is it called the Willowbrook Ballroom when it’s in Willow Springs?
Anyway, it’s a fantastic venue steeped in tradition. No hipster bartenders, no martini list, just standard drinks at fair prices. But let’s be honest, you’re not going there to drink, you’re going to see a show.
The acoustics were surprisingly good considering this place is old. It’s quite charming-​like a place you can picture your parents had their prom.
I doubt I’d be a frequent visitor, but when American English beckons, you can bet I’ll be back here.

I’ve been here twice now for the ballroom dancing on Sunday afternoons (2 – 5 PM). It’s quite the time capsule. The ballroom itself is from the Al Capone days and has a ton of character. It’s beautiful, spacious and grand. For the ballroom dancing, they have a live big band, which incorporates the concept of a dance set. Each dance set has three songs, and the number of the set is always displayed on stage so that dancers can ask other dancers to dance the next set or to dance a particular set. Dance couples dance all three songs in a set, and after the set is over, everyone claps for the band, and the band takes a mini break. Some people even use dance cards to record the names of the people with whom they dance.
Men are required to wear suit jackets, and women typically wear dresses. It’s a great excuse to dress up a little.
Admittedly, the average age of the crowd is a bit older, but as a young woman in her mid-​twenties, I still enjoy the ambiance. I probably would never attend the event by myself, however. There is some mingling but not much. If you are standing in the ballroom facing the band, all the couples who only dance with each other sit to your left, and all the singles who are there to mingle sit to your right. Personally, I enjoy the Willowbrook ballroom dancing as a group outing with people I know.

We came here for a group meet-​up for a singles dance, 70’s and 80’s music. Most of the group were dancing and some chose to sit and talk. Those that sat were attacked by a wildebeast sucking on a lollipop bitching why we are not dancing. Honey look in the mirror. Enough said.
Willowbrook has been around forever. The dance floor is huge 6000 sq ft. Atmosphere is nice staff is friendly. Barkeep made some good stiff drinks at good prices. Building can use some work as tarps were covering parts of the ceiling. They offer dancing lessons different nights each week for Salsa, Swing, Country & Western and Ballroom. Costs are from $ 8 — $ 10. Also available for weddings and banquets. If your lucky after you leave you may get to see the famous ghost Resurrection Mary. Overall a nice place to get out of the house and have some fun.

I went here twice when I was in high school for the Christmas dances. It has a really nice atmosphere. The dance floor and overall room set up was nice and the holiday decorations were very festive. Definitely a cool place to visit.

Absolutely #1 place to go for salsa on Wednesday nights. Huge dance floor, friendly people willing.

My wife and I went to the Salsa dance held on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Lessons were included in the price of admission and we had an absolute blast. I highly recommend this place for dancing. The dance floor is huge!