There’s a common belief that New York or Berlin birthed house music—however, that’s not the case at all. Thanks to Ron Hardy and Phuture, house music was invented right here in Chicago in the late 1970s and 80s. While it’s expanded to other cities since then, there’s no shortage of places with obscure lighting, disco balls, and blaring music. Enter clubs in Chicago, where you’ll find a night that harmonizes dancing and quasi-intoxication.
Whether you’re after a bass-dropping-filled night where you can barely hear your friend an inch away or a lowkey speakeasy cocktail lounge, there will be a spot to match whatever mood you’re after. So grab your Red Bull to pregame and get your friends because you’re about to have a sensational night at one of our favorite Chicago nightclubs.
1. TAO
Tao is the most notable on this list, where you’ll hear famed DJs like Robin Shultz, Loud Luxury, and Chainsmokers. Inside this 126-year-old building that was the one-time home of the Chicago Historical Society, you’ll walk into a 7000-square-foot nightclub with luminous strobe lights, overpriced drinks, and beat drops that will possibly cause tinnitus in the hours you leave—encompassing the perfect place and nightclubs in Chicago to let loose with friends.
📍Address: 632 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60654
🕒Chicago Club hours: Friday:10:00-4:00 AM, Saturday: 10:00-5:00 AM
2. Sound-Bar
Next we have Sound-Bar—an animated, upscale Chicago nightclub that boasts style, luxury, and state-of-the-art sound system. Once you enter this 20,000-square-foot club, you’re greeted with European minimalist decor, flat-screen monitors, and laser light that epitomizes pure bliss for house music enthusiasts. This is a spot if you love dancing in Chicago until dawn.
📍Address: 226 W Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60654
🕒 Club hours: Friday:10:00-4:00 AM, Saturday: 10:00-5:00 AM
3. The Listening Room
Home of House Calls, when you arrive, you’ll head down the stairs to the basement that hosts this intimate nightclub, where lighting is scattered but almost nonexistent while the DJ is propped up on the stage in the center. As you dance through the night, swigging mixies and listening to the reverberating beats, it’s easy to forget if it’s 10:30 or 4:30.
📍Address: 613 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654
🕒Club hours: Friday: 9:00-2:00 AM, Saturday 10:00-3:00 AM
4. Joy District
Joy District is a multi-level venue nightclub in the heart of River North. It’s one of the few places that has multiple floors, including an airy rooftop, a premier Chicago nightclub, and late-night dancing. Joy District’s roof deck is sprawled with lush greenery, transforming it into a tropical oasis on a summer night—while you dance underneath the few stars obscured by the light pollution, you’ll forget you’re even in a crowded city.
📍Address: 112 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654
🕒Club hours: Monday—Friday: 4 :00–2:00 AM, Saturday: 11 AM–3 AM
5. Celeste
Celeste is housed in the historic Louis Sullivan building, and this deluxe club in Chicago is right across the street from Joy District. This multiple-story building has a pub on the first floor, a nod to classic neighborhood bars; the second-floor Deco Room pays homage to Chicago’s glamorous architecture; the third floor is the Disco Room, a dance room with an electroluminescent floor with flashing lights inspired by the clubs of London, Paris, and Tulum; the fourth floor is the Roof Garden, a year-round Victorian-decorated rooftop bar with tropical greenery and vine-covered brick walls.
📍Address: 111 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654
🕒Club hours: Wednesday—Friday: 7 PM–4 AM, Saturday: 7 PM–5 AM
6. Good Night, John Boy
At Good Night, John Boy captures the essence of what it was like to head to a 70s club in Chicago, down from the ripple brown and orange wallpaper to the bulky TVs. The place comes alive in the evening with a vibrant energy that encaptures an electric and groovy vibe. The disco ball sparkles at the top of the ceiling in this dimly lit space and stylish decor creates an alluring atmosphere that will have you coming back every weekend.
📍Address: 905 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60607
🕒Club hours: Wednesday—Friday: 5 PM–Late, Saturday—Sunday: 10 AM–Late
7. Beauty Bar
While most beauty bars offer manicures, Beauty Bar is a nightclub featuring a retro salon, martinis, and a DJ spinning Y2K classics. Beauty Bar is a pink-tue-tinted Chicago nightclub with disco balls reflecting shining dots as you twirl the night away with friends, so add this to your quintessential weekend escapist routine.
📍Address: 1444 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
🕒Club hours:Thursday-Saturday: 7:00 PM-2:00 AM
8. Blind Barber
You might be shocked to learn that by day, the Barber Shop is an actual barber where people get fresh cuts and clean shaves; however, by night, enter the barber’s speakeasy backroom, and you’re transported to a cocktail lounge, serving refreshing drinks and euphonious beats—the dimly lit red room is one of the best clubs in Chicago.
📍Address: 948 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
🕒Club hours: Monday-Thursday: 9:30 AM-1:00 AM, Friday, 9:30 AM-2:00 AM
9. Prysm
Prysm is an upscale, buzzing Chicago nightclub with two dance floors, three cocktail bars, and high-tech lighting that changes to the DJ’s beat. On Fridays, they have an underground event series called Serum, where they take the tables off the floor and display lower lights over the dancefloor for an intimate night of dancing.
📍Address: 948 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
🕒Club hours: Friday: 10:00-4:00 AM, Saturday: 10:00-5:00 AM
10. Spy Bar
Quite literally underground, this is one of the Chicago nightclubs with a cozy basement, the 4,500-square-foot nightclub located directly below the heart of the city’s dance epicenter. The quintessential place is a blend of high-octane clubbing and an intimate lounge atmosphere if you’re craving DJs who spin electronic, techno, and house music.
📍Address: 646 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL 60654
🕒Club hours: Friday—Saturday: 10:00-5:00 AM
11. Smart Bar
Known for hosting underground DJs and musicians and catering to the dance music world, Smart Bar is a premiere nightclub in Wrigley Field and has gained traction since its opening for hosting cutting-edge acts. Frequently celebrating Chicago’s rich dance music history as well as the LGBTQ+ community, the venue presents like a swanky nightclub, with ambient lighting, a full bar, and show-stopping sets.
📍Address: 3730 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60613
🕒Club hours: Thursday, Friday, Sunday: 10:00-4:00 AM, Saturday: 10:00-5:00 AM
12. Bounce
This is not your average sports club, which was once the old parliament building. While Bounce is a casual sports bar atmosphere during the day, it transforms into a Chicago nightclub with blaring music and inebriated patrons at night. While they do have TVs splashed across the room, at night, the sports is obscured by bottles of Don Julio sparkling every few minutes while groups of people pour shots for themselves.
📍Address: 324 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654
🕒Club hours: Thursday—Friday: 7 PM–4 AM, Saturday: 12 PM–4 AM
13. The Hang Uppe
📍Address: 14 W Elm St, Chicago, IL 60610