HOT PROPERTIES
Texans can buy this legendary Hill Country dance hall for a song
Kendalia Halle can be yours for $669,000.
A storied Hill Country dance hall is up for sale, and the asking price isn't much more than the average house these days: The Kendalia Halle complex, 45 miles outside of San Antonio, has gone on the market for $669,000.
Built in 1903, the dance hall was the social lifeblood of the tiny unincorporated town of Kendalia near Boerne, serving its German immigrant community for generations. More recently, "Ambassador of Texas Music” Gary P. Nunn declared it one of his favorite stages.
Kendalia Halle abruptly shuttered in August 2024, saying it was “suspending operations for the immediate future” and canceling its upcoming shows.
The historic property first went on sale in May for $550,000. Since then, the Schwab Ranch Investments listing has gone up by almost $120,000. The listing includes three buildings in the complex: the main dance hall; a small 825-square-foot cottage (which could be a residence or Airbnb, the listing notes);and the Elbel Building, a historic storefront that has housed several local businesses since 1911.
According to Schwab, the Kendalia Halle building has seen a few renovations over the last 30 years — mostly structural. The hall was straightened by pulleys, and the building’s foundation was reinforced with concrete and steel. New insulation was added to help with cooling, and the wood paneling was installed in the interior.
The 3,500-square-foot hall also sports a large bar, VIP area, and roomy dance floor. The basement of the Elbel Building was also once used as a bar called the Rathskellar (German for “cellar”) and features a kitchen.
The 2000s have seen a number of historic dance halls close in rural Texas communities, even as sites like Gruene Hall have attracted a new generation of tourist. In August, the 120-year-old Coupland Dancehall near Austin was saved by a last-minute Hail Mary. Others like Uhland's Club 21, shuttered in 2010, are now historical footnotes.
