This is an intimate music venue by the UT campus. I came here for my friend's music school performance, and I reminisced on a concert I had previously enjoyed here in the past. They have a nice little stage inside. They have an outdoor area as well, although I have never seen a performance there. I also really appreciate how there is free street parking in the surrounding neighbourhood. You may have to walk a bit, but it's there. I love cozy little concert venues, but my gripe about this place is the restrooms. They are gender neutral, and one has urinals while the other has toilets. That's great and all, but the room with the toilets smelled so bad and did not appear clean. And this was on a very low traffic day with not many people in attendance. There were only two stalls in the toilet room, so I can't imagine how stinky and how long the line gets when it's busy. I didn't see any other restrooms, so I'm assuming there's only two toilets for all the women and men who come here. read more

The Ballroom at Spider House - The Walters - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Cool little concert venue. I was expecting to walk into a theatre-style venue but this place was pretty small. The sound was pretty good, cool design and a fully stocked bar. Enjoyed the small club atmosphere and being close to the stage. read more

This is what the Austin arts scene was built on. Spaces like this that give you the sense that you've arrived at some place special yet approachable, that has a stage that is visible from up close or far away (because you're not that far away) and that brings people together of all ages and experiences to just enjoy the artists' performances without breaking your bank. It feels like you're stepping back in time as the venue itself is no frills (dressed up with some red velvet curtains and a disco ball), but you don't need frills when you've got talented, up and coming artists to experience. The staff is incredibly friendly and devoted to making your experience a great one. There are food trucks and hole in the wall restaurants in the surrounding area, with picnic tables in The Ballroom's courtyard and parking lot (which is small and neighborhood parking is not easy - so ride share is recommended). I attended a show recently, which was a good reminder of how fond I had always been of the OG Austin arts scene and a reminder that I need to continue to support venues like this (and its other long-standing friends) as they are the kinds of places that make Austin so special. read more

The Ballroom at Spider House - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

MAKE SURE AND CLOSE YOUR TAB!!!! I was there for a Halloween comedy show and my friend bought 4 beers and was charged $80. She has a common last name and they added other people's drinks on there. Dispute it with the bank, right? Wrong, they provided a receipt to the bank and indeed did put other people's drinks on the tab, and there's nothing she can do about it. She tried contacting them on NUMEROUS platforms and they ignored her. The phone number listed doesn't work. I've been a bartender and restaurant manager for going on 10 years and I would NEVER do this. They are clearly wrong in the situation and at the very least, it's poor customer service. Would not recommend this venue to anyone. read more

I love this venue. I've been to about 4 shows, including 3 of their Stoned vs Drunk vs Sober show. Going to one this weekend too. The vibe is great, no bad seats in the house and good bar service. It's always local artist and local comedians. Wish I lived in Austin to visit some of their market days. read more

The Ballroom at Spider House - Vibes - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

The Ballroom is great-the bartenders are super cool and fun to talk to. The event space was turned into a goth club called The Grave for a party and it kind of ruled! Well curated music and interesting vendors like a tattoo artist that is literally an artist and Raven that makes handmade gorgeous body harnesses and jewelry herself and definitely does not charge enough for her art pieces. Great music and tons of hipster goths in their most dripping outfits-so fun and cute!! read more

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Been two Fridays in a row for different comedy shows and really enjoy the venue and that the on-site bar has a variety of options. The stage is perfectly situated so there's no bad seat in the house. They do have reserved signs on the high table tops that no one ever seems to have actually reserved so they just sit idly through the whole show. (Please sign my petition to get rid of this seat hierarchy and open those bad boys up to everyone!) Also, shout out to the A/V guy...great music and lighting! read more

I don't know what we were expecting - and this review is pre-pandemic - but this experience wasn't our favorite. We had friends visiting from out of town and to celebrate one of their birthdays, we bought tickets to the Shakespeare play. We knew it would be quirky and were looking forward to that - but didn't find any creativity or talent in what was presented. The venue is intimate and there's no bad seat. Drinks are a challenge to get during the show because you have to leave the main room and miss parts of the performance (which our husbands were happy to do). Maybe it's the performance not the venue, but it may be a while until we trek back up here. Oh, parking was a nightmare too. read more

Love the aesthetic! From the light fixtures, to the bar area, and outside, Spider House gives off a cool vibe. While there is plenty of seating outside in the front AND the back, there's not much room to sit on the inside - which encourages lots of dancing so I absolutely approve of that! Their drinks are well made, the Margarita is a must; my favorite so far is the spiked horchata...cup full of heaven. The staff, as always, was my favorite part. I love when I go somewhere with fun, personable people working there. It's awesomely convenient that Arlo's Food Truck is right outside the building and I absolutely made a stop there after the Honeymade show. read more

The Ballroom at Spider House - people dancing on the dance floor - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

I love this venue! It's a small more intimate setting. You can stand anywhere and have a pleasant experience. The bar here is serving up some delicious cocktails. There is a patio in front and back plus Arlo's food truck. I think this place is cool and plan to pay attention to more of the shows here. The price will keep me coming back again and again. read more

This is a wonderful place to stop before or after a lunch meetup. I had a super nice barista make me an oat latte after I met up with a former colleague for pho. The vibe is really lowkey and I would love to get coffee here as I wait for my order from Arlo's which is right there. The prices were generous as well! I will be back. read more

Fun place to see a show. Had a great time with my partners and there was even non-alcoholic beverages.

This is a cool and funky little bar. I'm not a night-life person, so I was here early. I enjoyed the happy hour margaritas and the friendly bartender . The atmosphere is burlesque-punkish and there was a diverse group of folks . I felt relaxed and right at home ! I can imagine it's very fun at night, if you're into being at a hot spot . read more

I attended an event at this location May 31st and the bathroom was DISGUSTING. It was grotesque and deplorable. it smelled like urine. It was a unisex bathroom yet women had to endure pee in the urinals. I felt so disgusted I wanted to shower immediately after. No one should put up with such filth. The drinks were horrible and the bartender had an attitude. Nevlet going back and sharing my hard earned resources with them. read more

Huge fan of this place - so much that I went twice in one day. They have a great ambiance with friendly bartenders and board games. There's tons of space for sitting and chilling out. I loved the beer selection and the spiked hot cider. I highly recommend checking this place out. read more

RIP. Too many awkward social ventures here to recount. First dates, cringey poetry slams, ACC study groups that doubled as AA meetings, sexually charged outings with co-op housemates, furtive free-water heists and public-restroom dashes, hurting my credit score for a grilled cheese... when you reach those streets paved with gold spider house, stake a claim out for me read more

Great bar!!! Great drinks!! Food is delicious!! Love the outdoor bar & the decor is amazing!! Staff is very friendly read more

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CLOSED! Don't be duped, as I and so many others have been. Though their website says they're open, and when working their outgoing voicemail says they're open, they're not! So we and others have shown up at their door -- only to find it actually closed. We've complained to them multiple times about the need to respect their (prior) customers by updating their website and vmail to indicate that they're closed. But they just don't seem to care enough about the public to update (or delete) their public information. read more

Fun place to hang out with friends, cool outdoor area and often has live music. Good selection of drinks and food and nice atmosphere.

Oddly enough, I wandered in here for the first time recently. I note this as odd largely because during my nearly ten years in Austin, I've never once made it over here. I guess that's a testimony to circadian rhythms if ever I've heard one. This time around, it was the clarion call of the Mortified show (and specifically the participation of Jessica "lowercase" S's participation in said show) that brought me in. On that side note, I highly recommend A) asking Jessica what her story was about, as it was awesome and B) catching a Mortified show when you can. Who knew that I was supposed to keep all of that ridiculous tripe I wrote back then? Certainly not I. The Spider House Special Events Center (formerly the US Art Authority, RIP) is a great venue for these types of intimate shows: it's a small, angled space, ambient and rife with character. There's a small bar tucked in the other room, and the stage dominates the main event space to your immediate left upon entry. It was large enough to feel semi-anonymous on a night like this one, but small enough that even at the back of the room, you always felt part of the proceedings. And I'm sure that at least to some degree that was due to the clever and nostalgic (and frankly, hysterical) readings that demonstrated our experience. But the warm embrace of the Special Events Center didn't hurt a bit either. It's likely I'll be back. read more

The Ballroom at Spider House - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

An interesting venue. We came for sh*t faced Shakespeare and were unsure what to expect. It's as advertised, a ballroom with a stage. There is a separate bar and avoid truck out front. Staff were pleasant. We enjoyed the event. Not sure what makes this icon Austin but sure I guess. We'd come again if there were an event I'm interested in. But a stop for any other reason? Hmmm.... read more

I'm with Carla S. on the unhelpfulness of the staff. If you're going to have a pretty large event at your venue, you may want to have some signage put up that helps people get IN to the venue, especially if the logical entrance isn't open for some as-yet-to-be-determined reason. I mean, when this building was the plasma center, you entered through the doors that are now right off the bar...not that I ever WENT to the plasma center, but you know. Also, there were 4 of us in our group, and 4 out of 4 of the things we asked to be served at the bar, they were out of or don't carry. And we were asking for standard fare, not Chateau Chichi '68 or anything outrageous. Basically, they seemed under prepared for the event. The venue itself was pretty cool, especially the big courtyard between it and Spiderhouse. I didn't hang out there for long, but I could certainly picture myself doing so when (and if) I ever go back. read more

The Ballroom at Spider House - windows at US Art Authority - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is a great concert venue. It's very divey and busy with decorations everywhere. It can definitely get crowded and loud which is to be expected. The sound quality is good and the stage is low. My first and favorite concert I've been to here was a Valentine's show with Calliope Musicals covering Fleetwood Mac. Such a great performance and overall awesome night. I would suggest eating at the Spider House Café or at one of the food trucks near by and then walking over to catch your show! read more

The Ballroom at Spider House - Calliope Musicals - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

The SpiderHouse Ballroom is an eclectic Event Space, draped in red-velvet curtains, providing an intimate for room for music, comedy, burlesque and candlelit cabarets. The Ballroom has been reviewed as "The Best Sound Room in Austin" with two stages and Full Bar. The SpiderHouse Ballroom features Austin's most up and coming Performance Artists, Musicians, and Shows. The Ballroom is also available for private events. View upcoming events at: http://spiderhouseballroom.do512.com/ and follow the venues on Facebook & Twitter at @Spider House Ballroom and @Spider House. read more

Caught two kickass bands here during SxSW. Thelma & the Sleaze and The Nude Party brought the house down. So, why Sway when it comes to the so-so rating? The men's room lacked soap and appeared to have been hit by a tornado. read more

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We had our wedding reception here and IT WAS AWESOME. We wanted to provide our guests with a true Austin experience, and for us, that's Spider House and Spider House ballroom. Our guests loved it and so did we! The venue is laid out really well for a reception, there's a large bar up front, a huge dancefloor with seating around it as well as a large patio area, where we had all of our food set. The area outside was roped off for our guests, so even though it was a Saturday night and the place was busy, we had our own space which was perfect. Spider House catered all the food, we had BBQ which Jay, the General Manager of Spider House Cafe, smoked all day for us. They even brought in Vegan BBQ from one of the local food trucks, for our vegetarian guests. Working with George, the Events Director and Jay was the best experience, they are so laid back and easy to work with, they're just all around awesome people. I want to have another event there, just so I have the chance to work with them again! Pricing is incredibly reasonable and you have the flexibility to decide what packages you want, how you want the interior to look, etc. We didn't put up any decorations since we love the vibe so much as is. If you're looking for a unique, laid back, fun place to have your wedding reception or really any event, look no further than the Ballroom. I can't recommend it enough. read more

Ahh yes, this is how I like to remember Austin. Cold cheap beer, divey as f$&k, loud awesome live music and strange creepy decor. It's an older house, bands play in what seems to had been a dining room. The restrooms are small but they kick butt. The patio area is huge, with a mix of circus decor and old patio furniture. They also have a booth outside that sales hot tea on old beat up China. Well, the tea place is located underneath a tattoo shop, next to a food truck which the path way will lead you to the bigger spiderhouse venue. And yes, all of the above is located inside the same location. So in love with this place. We did not have much time to explore next door since we where in a tight schedule, yet next time I'm in ATX I'll defiantly stop again. read more

The Ballroom at Spider House - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Austin, Texas

One of my favorite venues in Austin, this funky, fun, slightly stinky, and charming AF venue is attached to Spiderhouse Cafe and almost guarantees a fun night out. From Shitfaced Shakespeare, to comedy, to cabaret, the shows/events at Spiderhouse are always affordable and a great time. The bartenders are great and dishing out strong drinks (and quickly). There's a small food menu AND Arlo's vegan foodtruck right out front. TIP: they have a few really great seats along the sides and back wall (fun half moon booths and booths with tables). These are the most comfortable/roomy spots in the house AND provide a place for your food/drink. BUT, you've gotta get here right when doors open to snag them. read more

Been here a couple times to see shitfaced Shakespeare and had a great time. Drinks were okay (I'll just go with beer next time). The line at the food truck was crazy so I had to order food from spider house. Their pita bread pizza was actually amazing! I even preferred it over the food I had from the truck last time. Fun place for drinks and a show. read more

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Spider House Ballroom is the best spot for students in Austin for sure. I actually don't go to the Ballroom side much (although I did once for a poetry slam, which was questionable). The bar side is super chill. They used to have a cat that literally hung out at the physical bar, sitting on a stool. I think her name was Brisket, and she ran away :( I miss her. The vibe is laid back and comfortable. I've never had trouble finding seating, even when it's really crowded, which definitely happens on trivia night. That's actually the warning I would give you: don't take a date to Spiderhouse on Wednesday unless you looooove trivia, because the microphone will drown out you and your date. This is pretty much a classic Tinder/OkC/CMB spot, so definitely check it out. read more

This place is so much fun. The atmosphere is great and there is a lot to look at! Good food and drinks, too :)

I have been coming to this coffee shop for over 20 years and have been treated kindly every time. The atmosphere is most unique and cozy too. My teenagers are also fond of it too. The started ordering the Shirley Temples over a decade ago. Good energy here! read more

The best hang out with the best vegan food selection!!! I can mention to anyone who has lived in austin... even for a short time... and everyone loves this place!!! So missing spider house since back in Houston... one of my top 5 reasons to want to move back to austin!!! read more

This felt like the most Austin place I've been to in Austin. There are vegan food trucks outside and the one I picked made me wait like it was Franklin's so the irony was not lost on me there! There is a mural of a topless unicorn on the wall by the parking lot. The patios are beautiful and inviting as well. I wasn't there long enough to see a band play or anything but was very impressed. read more

Well I hate to be the dissenting reviewer since the two prior reviewers loved this place so, but I did not. First every single person in attendance was confused as to where it was (including someone helping with the show). There is nothing that clearly marks where you are to go. Several of us were standing in front of the place and could clearly be seen by the people right inside the locked door. No one bothered to tell us the proper place to go. Several people went next door to Spider House and were sent back to where we were to begin with. Finally it was sorted out that we should have gone to the back. We entered through a completely unmarked wooden fence that I would have never guessed was the place to go. (anyone going in the future, you evidently have to wind your way on through SpiderHouse's patio and maybe you'll find it {others who were told this could not find it either}) we were lucky enough to have gotten there early enough to get chairs. both the chairs I tried were precarious, i was stablizing myself on the chairs of the two people i was with. now the show was awesome. if it was another event like "Mortified", i'd go back; however, i would need to know that whatever i was watching was going to be worth my while. god, i feel so complain-y, but i really was put off by the venue. read more

You may remember this place as the United States Art Authority. Now dubbed the Spider House Special Events Center, it seems as though the new name has ushered in a wealth of changes, and from the looks of the old reviews, they're changes for the better. Upon entering, I was greeted by one of the most eclectic bars I've ever laid eyes on. This was neon I could appreciate - no Miller or Bud Light signs here! The venue is small but very open and intimate all at the same time, the perfect setting for last night's Mortified performance. I enjoyed checking out the various pieces of art strewn about on the walls and even on the walls outside. If you'd written this location off before, I say give it another shot. I think you'll like it better the second time around. read more

I seriously love this mad divey little venue. Everything about it smells like what Austin is actually supposed to be like - and I feel like a lot of east side places aspire to it but just don't quite make it. A very diverse range of things going on, brilliantly weird decor, extremely cheap drinks and always a great eclectic crowd. The Spiderhouse is a gem. I can't imagine having a bad night here seeing anything. read more

Word to Carla and Marla, we had the exact same experience at the Mortified event. Pain in the butt to find the entrance, I was in the group of strangers mentioned by Carla (I was w/ fellow Yelpers, and I didn't even realize it?!) all linked together by our confusion on actually getting inside this venue. Once inside, it was really smelly. Like muggy smelly. Our table and chairs were unstable and wobbly. They were out of the beer my bf wanted and the Bloody Mary I ordered, I seriously believe was a shrimp cocktail sauce, with a splash of vodka. I echo the statement that I would come see Mortified again at this venue.... but otherwise, probably not. read more

I really dig spiderhouse. I come for the Testify show (last Thursday of every month) as often as I can. The bartenders are rad, the space is dope, the drinks are good and aren't overtly expensive. Both the cafe and ballroom are two great spaces to kill time, eat, drink and check out cool shows. read more

What a nice new venue/bar. I really like the welcoming feel of this place. Very contemporary without a bunch of clutter. Plenty of room for an art show, dance or music show. Very nice bartenders, make it totally worth your while to tip. And the DJ is very compliant with song requests. I really love this place.!!!! read more