Aragon Ballroom

The Aragon Ballroom is a ballroom turned event space located in Chicago in the Uptown neighborhood, approximately 5 miles (8 km) north of Downtown.

The Aragon Ballroom was built by brothers Andrew and William Karzas, who turned to ballrooms after making their early fortunes in nickelodeons and movie theaters. Their first dance hall project was the 1922 Trianon Ballroom in Chicago designed by renowned theater architects Rapp & Rapp. With hopes of duplicating the success of the Trianon, the brothers opened the Aragon on July 15, 1926, once again turning to movie theater experts for building design. Architects Huszagh & Hill designed the Aragon’s stucco exterior in Spanish Baroque style while movie palace designer John Eberson decorated the interior to resemble the courtyard of a Moorish castle surrounding a 21,000 square-foot dance floor. Named for a region of Spain, the Aragon was an immediate success and has remained a popular Chicago music attraction for many decades. The Aragon's proximity to the Chicago 'L' train provided patrons with easy access, and often crowds in excess of 18,000 would attend during each six-day business week. Each night, powerhouse radio station WGN broadcast an hour-long program from the hall to audiences throughout the United States and Canada. Some reports indicate the broadcast was heard overseas in Britain. According to legend, the secret tunnels under the nearby Green Mill bar, a Prohibition-era hangout of Al Capone, led to the Aragon's basement.