Balinese Room
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Balinese Room
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Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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The Balinese Room in 2006
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| Location | 2107 Seawall Boulevard Galveston, Texas |
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| Built | 1920 |
| Architect | Rapp and Rapp |
| Demolished | September 13, 2008 |
| NRHP Reference # | 97000258 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 2, 1997 |
| Removed from NRHP | January 8, 2009 |
The Balinese Room was a famous nightclub in Galveston, Texas, United States built on a pier stretching 600 feet (183 m) from the Galveston Seawall over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For decades a dance hall and illegal casino, the Balinese Room was remodeled and reopened in 2001 without the gambling.
Operated by Sicilian immigrant barbers-turned-bootleggers Sam and Rosario Maceo, the Balinese Room was an elite spot in the 1940s and 1950s (Galveston's open era), featuring entertainment by Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, George Burns, The Marx Brothers and other top acts of the day. Patrons of the private club included Howard Hughes, Sophie Tucker and wealthy oil barons from nearby Houston.
In 1997, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the early morning hours of September 13, 2008, the structure was completely destroyed by Hurricane Ike.
The Balinese is featured in pop culture; Rock group ZZ Top wrote and performed a song about the club called, "Balinese."
The Maceos took over "Chop Suey," a small restaurant at the intersection of 21st Street and Seawall Boulevard, and in 1929 they opened "Maceo's Grotto" at that location. It was one of many entertainment venues that popped up along the Galveston Seawall around that time (along with bathhouses and dance clubs, some of which were illegal casinos). In 1932, the "Grotto" was remodeled into a Chinese restaurant called "Sui Jen" (pronounced Swee Rin), and a 200-foot pier stretching out over the Gulf was added to the building. The pier location, across 21st Street from the Galvez, made the restaurant/club an easy walk for those Galveston visitors who preferred to stay in one of the city's most exclusive hotels.
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