Here’s Where To Go Country Dancing In Austin
Searching for some of the best country dance floors in Austin? Well, there are still a few adorable, historic, family-owned honky tonks in ATX that make for a great date night, a memorable bachelorette party activity, or just a fun evening out with friends. Country dancing is a great excuse to dress up, have fun, and meet new people.
We’re not going to get into the specifics of dance styles and whatnot (your dance guides will familiarize you with different terms and techniques!), but whatever level of two-stepping proficiency you’re coming from, here are a bunch of fun places to go country dancing in Austin.
About me: I’m Kelsey, a bestselling travel book author and the creator of 3 Texas travel websites. As a native Texan, I spend my own time and money exploring this state to help millions of readers find the best food, things to do, places to stay in Austin and beyond. Check out my other sites: TheSanAntonioThings.com and TheWacoThings.com!
Where To Go Country Dancing In Austin Texas
Broken Spoke
This historic dance hall is renowned around the world as an authentic honky-tonk. It’s tucked in between two high-rise apartment buildings on South Lamar, but Broken Spoke isn’t going anywhere! In fact, it’s on the path to being considered a historic landmark. Plenty of famous country music artists have performed here, like Dolly Parton, George Strait, and Willie Nelson. Oh, and if it’s your first time, be sure you don’t miss the memorabilia room (aka "the tourist trap room,") which is stocked with country music souvenirs.
This is the perfect place to go if you want to learn how to dance the Texas two-step. For $10 plus your cover charge, they offer traditional Texas Two-Step dance lessons. This is the most iconic spot in Austin to learn how to two-step. The Broken Spoke is a little piece of Texas history, and it’s definitely worth a visit.
WEBSITE | 3201 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Mercer Dance Hall
Mercer Dance Hall is a unique, family-run dance hall located in Driftwood (a few miles south of Austin.) Although it’s a dance hall and a fun place to go country dancing near Austin, it’s much more than that! They offer diverse music, live concerts, and even onsite rental cabins (so you can make a staycation of it.) The Mercer Street Dancehall has a HUGE dance floor and high-quality lighting and speakers.
They offer live music every weekend and a recently opened restaurant, Mercer Munchies.
Photo: Linda M, Yelp
WEBSITE | 23490 Ranch Rd 12, Driftwood, TX 78619
Mavericks Dance Hall
Buda, TX knows how to country dance, y'all! Mavericks is absolute FIRE when it comes to the best places to country dance near Austin. They have a huge dance floor, live music or DJs, a bunch of parking spots, and a giant outdoor patio when you're ready to sip your drink and escape the noise for a bit.
They offer lessons for those who need to learn how to 2-step, and once the dance floor opens, it tends to fill up (which is a good sign - people love this place.)
It's loud, it's rowdy, it's fun. It's an excellent place to go with a bachelorette party, or just a fun spot to meet some new people and enjoy a night of line dancing.{Photo: Esin A, Yelp}
WEBSITE | 500 Comal St, Austin, TX 78702
White Horse
For one of the most iconic east Austin honky tonks, head to White Horse Bar. They have a dance floor, a full-service bar where you can get a good shot of whiskey, and live music events every day of the week. There’s an outdoor smoking area, a couple of pool tables, and a taco truck parked outside.
Most of the time, there’s no cover, but there might be a fee on the weekends.
Photo: Mark A, Yelp
WEBSITE | 500 Comal St, Austin, TX 78702
Sam’s Town Point
An institution since 1981, Sam's Town Point in south Austin is the spot to go for live music, ice-cold beer, and a great night out.
Don’t expect glitz and glam…it’s a classic, dusty, working-class neighborhood bar. vibes. The decor is a bit dated, but it feels cozy and welcoming. There’s a big, open-air backyard, and this place is packed every single weekend. If you’re looking for some live music and a great place to dance, this one fits the bill! Every weekend, their bands are playing country, punk, western swing, Americana, and blues.
WEBSITE | 2115 Allred Dr, Austin, TX 78748
Little Longhorn Saloon
The Little Longhorn Saloon has been one of the most popular spots in Austin's honky-tonk country music scene for more than 40 years. They have live music, country dancing, and ice-cold drinks 6 nights/a week. (Oh, and it’s also the original home to Chicken Shit Bingo for more than 15 years. Anyone needs a Sunday afternoon activity?)
They offer a FREE two-steppin’ dance class every Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 pm, and then you can stick around to hear the live band perform.
Photo: Lisa M, Yelp
WEBSITE | 5434 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78756
Donn’s Depot
This one is actually a really old Missouri-Pacific railway terminal hub in Austin, but for more than 50, it’s been a dancing destination in Austin. It’s a honky-tonk, a dance hall, a piano bar…even a wedding chapel! It’s a weird old place with even older carpet, but it’s been serving Austin with free live music, cold drinks, and good times for all of these years. Oh, you can still find Donn Adelman behind the piano once a week!
Photo: Suzy D, Yelp
WEBSITE | 1600 W 5th St, Austin, TX 78703
Twin Sisters Dance Hall
This historic dance hall was constructed by German immigrants in 1870, and it’s still used today as an event space. While it doesn’t have a regular dancing horses like some of the other Austin honky tonks on this list, it is a fun place to go when they host their occasional Saturday special events. You can even rent it for parties, dances, and weddings!
Photo: Robbie M, Yelp
WEBSITE | 6720 US-281, Blanco, TX 78606
Coupland Dance Hall
If you're willing to drive out a bit, Old Coupland Inn and Dance eHall is just about as iconic as it gets! This is true, authentic Texas country dancing at its finest. The original building was built in 1904 and had multiple uses before it turned into a quaint bed & breakfast and dance hall that it is now.
Lots of folks love going to Coupland for live music and dinner (there's a restaurant attached), but it's also fun to look on their events calendar and stop by for a country dance night! They typically have a $10 cover charge, so check the website for getting tickets ahead of time. {Photo: Old Coupland Inn, yelp}
WEBSITE | 101 Hoxie St, Coupland, TX 78615
Is Austin known for country dancing?
Well, the short answer is: no.
Despite the fact that Austin is a pretty big city in Texas, country dancing isn’t a really significant cultural thing here. The main reason is Austin isn’t all that influenced by western culture in the same way as cities like, say, Fort Worth, TX.
Austin has experienced a large amount of population growth thanks to big tech companies moving their headquarters here, so a lot of folks will say Austin is kind of like “if Texas and California had a baby.” So no, country dancing isn’t really a key component to the city of Austin. But that doesn't mean you can’t put on your boots and find a good honky tonk in Austin! There are still a few fun little places to go country dancing in Austin.
Fun, cheap, and easy to learn, country dancing is seriously perfect for all ages, and it’s a great thing to check off your Austin bucket list. Oh, and if you’re not from Texas and you have no idea how to line dance…don’t get caught on the outside looking in! You can quickly learn how to dance in Austin because most of these places offer beginner and advanced dance classes.
This post is part of the Austin Food Bloggers Alliance City Guide! To see more guides to the ATX food scene, click here.
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