I CAN ALMOST HEAR the rhythmic oom-pah-pah of the polka, see the couples twirling across the scuffed wooden dance floor, smell the scent of whiskey poured from bottles hidden in brown paper bags.
Across Minnesota, ballrooms once centered Saturday evenings with wedding receptions, concerts and parties celebrating milestones. The Blue Moon Ballroom in Marshall. The Gibbon Ballroom, site of Polka Days, in Gibbon. The Pla-Mor Ballroom in Rochester. George’s Ballroom in New Ulm. And many others.
Now most of these entertainment venues are shuttered. Abandoned. Or gone. The places of memories shared in stories. The places of memories photographed. A bride tossing her bouquet. A couple wrapped in each other’s arms. A trio wildly whirling in The Chicken Dance. My parents met at a dance in a southwestern Minnesota ballroom in the early 1950s. So many Minnesotans hold ballroom memories.
Last summer while in New Ulm, I photographed the exterior of George’s Ballroom, an art deco style brick structure built in 1947 by George Neuwirth. The facility, which could hold up to 3,000 guests, once served as this community’s celebration and concert hub. Lawrence Welk, Glen Miller, The Six Fat Dutchmen and other big name bands played here.
George’s closed in 1991, reopened for awhile under new ownership and then shuttered again—permanently—in the early 2000s. Property taxes went unpaid. Options expired.
Now, nearly 20 years later, the former dance hall faces likely demolition, according to media reports. Cost to restore the ballroom is estimated at $5 million. Cost to demolish it, $1 million. That’s a lot of money. But when you’re dealing with mold from water damage, asbestos and other health and safety issues, costs climb quickly.
All of this saddens me. I love historic buildings. They’re often well-built and hold important historic, community and personal importance. But I am also a realist who recognizes that not everything can be saved.
I do hope, though, that the George’s marquee and signage—which drew me to photograph the building in the heart of downtown New Ulm—will be saved. It sounds like that’s the plan. I hope the historic art can be incorporated into an outdoor public space rather than tucked inside, mostly unseen and under appreciated. People need easy access to George’s memorabilia. To photograph. To reminisce. To remember the Saturday nights of Big Bands and polkas and partying with family and friends. With a little creative thinking, George’s can continue to draw locals and others, adding another attraction to a community that excels as a destination city.
TELL ME: What would you do with George’s Ballroom and/or the marquee and signage? I’d love to hear your creative ideas and/or your memories of George’s or other ballrooms.
© Copyright 2021 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
I really hope they save the marquee too – that is what makes the place POP! You would need multiple people investing to open this space again. It is sad to see it go. It could have been a good co-op space for businesses or maybe even like a four-plex or more for people to live. Sometimes leaving a building vacate costs more in the long run to get it back in shape. I hope they can salvage all the good parts inside too. Love art deco!
Be nice for those that have the memories to be able to take a brick and personalize it and make a patio/park scape or walkway in a park/public space with those bricks.
Happy Day – Enjoy
I agree that allowing a building to sit vacant and decay often leads to high removal costs. I like your idea of reusing those bricks as pavers in a public park, walk way…
It is always so hard to see these historic places fade away. I, too, hope there is a way to save some of the history of this place.
I’m confident New Ulm folks will save the marquee and signage and use those as another draw to their beautiful community.
It is hard to see old, historic buildings be demolished, but it’s understandable. And better that then seeing the buildings all worn out, damaged and in ruins. Better to keep some memorabilia and be creative to save some memories.
Exactly. Rundown and vacant buildings detract from a community. It will be interesting to see what New Ulm figures out for this marquee and signage.
The “ALTAIRS” (Tom Ginkel, Wayne Plagge, Mark Furth & Tom Windhorn) rock band played our first dance at GEORGES’S on Feb. 28, 1965.
Thank you for that bit of historic info, Wayne.
Many years ago—probably late ’60’s, our 6 piece rock group played there numerous times…it was stunning!!! We were accustomed to dingy , grubby venues—and frankly, many of the clients were just as dingy and grubby. When we walked inside, we all thought we’d been transported to the Taj Majal. Years passed, and our drummer, Steven Greenberg penned a little thing called FUNKYTOWN. Believe me, just playing in a venue like Georges infused loads of confidence in any group given the opportunity to perform there—and likely had some part in Steven’s gift to all of us.
Sandy, thank you for sharing your appreciation of George’s Ballroom in New Ulm and what it meant to you as musicians in the late 1960s. Stories like this need to be shared and read.