Bellevue Ballroom

I drive past this apartment complex almost every day on my way home from getting groceries. And I remember when I first moved to Sioux City a few coworkers of mine lived in this apartment complex and told me about this majestic ballroom in the basement. “No way” I thought, but then they took me down the curved staircase to the lower landing, and I peered through the wrought-iron gate. This was truly like finding a secret room, an underground lair.

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lost and found

After that initial discovery I moved a couple times and changed a few jobs over the years, but never forgot about that tingling sensation I felt when I glimpsed a piece of Sioux City history. Unfortunately, since I’m not originally from Sioux City, and was unfamiliar with the area at the time, I had forgotten where these apartments were.

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So you can imagine my amazement when on a normal afternoon I was driving down Summit Street, and passed an apartment complex called Bellevue Apartments. I nearly swerved over in to the wrong lane looking back over my shoulder. “Could it be?” I drove around the block, and slowly passed by a second time. “Oh. My. Gosh. I think I found it.”

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rediscovery

As soon as I got home, I looked up the Bellevue Apartments, and sure enough, there on my computer screen, was the Bellevue Ballroom. Who would expect an elegant and historic 3,000 square foot dance floor to lie beneath an inconspicuous apartment building?

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Completed in 1926, a year earlier than the Orpheum, this was one of the largest brick buildings built in Sioux City at that time. At a cost of $500,000, it would generate a budget of over $7 million dollars today!

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restoring a sioux city heirloom

Famous acts such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Elvis Presley and even Liberace have performed here. It’s even been rumored that John F. Kennedy stayed here while passing through Sioux City.

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Closing in the mid-1960s, it was purchased twenty years later by Mark and Nan Cord, who made the decision to perform a complete restoration. By the late 1980s the roof had been repaired, and the original antique chandeliers were back in working order.

Read up on more extensive and recent remodels via the Sioux City Journal’s article: https://siouxcityjournal.com/business/local/bellevue-ballroom-in-full-swing-after-renovations/article_71821e4d-7bd2-5e49-8724-2b2b7d52abb4.html

first impressions

As you walk in to the apartment complex foyer, off to the right are black and white pictures of the 1926 crew just after completing the Bellevue Apartments. Then directly to the left of the entrance is the staircase leading down to the ballroom.

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Once you enter into the ballroom you are immediately welcomed by this site! One can just imagine the Roaring Twenties in full swing down here. Big Band and Jazz musicians entertaining the crowd, and Doo-Wop and Blues performers playing their hit songs.

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catering to your event

Not many bands come play now, but there’s no need. This nearly century-old ballroom has evolved into an elegant, yet resourceful, event center for not just weddings, but also prom, family reunions, graduation parties, club meetings, and much more.

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Finally, facing the ballroom is a fully functioning bar and kitchen. The bar is not fully stocked, however, but available at your disposal upon your rental. A liquor license is not needed if you are not selling drinks at your event, but you could employ a good friend to be your “bartender” for the night. And in the kitchen is a refrigerator, sink, deep freeze, ice chest, and prep area.

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Need to know

Cost of renting this venue is actually quite reasonable. For only $1000 you secure an 8-hour event, which includes four hour set up, and one hour take down. You could also rent out the ballroom hourly. At $100 an hour, they require a three-hour minimum to secure your event. Tables and chairs for up to 200 are included in your rental agreement, but linens, seat covers, and table cloths are not.

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• You are welcome to bring in any caterer of your choice.
• Look for the disco ball!
• Bellevue Ballroom provides their own security for your event
• Cut-off time for events is midnight
• Rent a soda machine through Chesterman’s for $120

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Plan your visit

So, if you are wanting a stylish wedding with historical value consider the Bellevue Ballroom. If you are wanting more information check out their facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BellevueBallroom/)

Be sure to contact Christy Conrad with your questions, and to schedule a walk through and visit.

712-577-0176
2110 Summit St
Sioux City, IA 51104