Bob Wills' Ranch House

The Showplace of the Nation

Located near the center of downtown Dallas. Corner of Industrial Blvd. & Corinth St.

True Western style and color throughout. 45 foot bar inlaid with silver dollars.

One of the largest and finest dance floors in the Southwest. Daily broadcast from the bandstand over Radio Station WFAA. Weekly television show over WFAA-TV Channel 8. A family institution where children are welcome. You have not seen Texas unless you have seen this unusual showplace.

Bob's quarter horses (some of the the world's most beautiful show horses)

are on display in the Ranch House

Built by millionaire O.L. Nelms for his friend Bob Wills, the Ranch House opened late in 1950. After Bob left Dallas, the place was sold and eventually became known as The Longhorn Ballroom. I can't begin to do justice to the history of the place, so let me enlist some other folks to do it for me. 

Miles and Miles: The Longhorn Ballroom by Coy Prather

The Ghosts of the Longhorn Ballroom by Jeff Liles

Selling the Sex Pistols to Texas by Paul Gallagher 

The Old 97s played the Longhorn on Dec 31, 2007 and that is the last gig I could find for the place.
In this short video from 2011 many of the windows are boarded up.