An American field guide
The places behind the music.
Find honky tonks, country bars and dance halls across America. Read their histories and see what’s on this weekend.
Across the map
Browse by state
Worth a visit
Featured venues
The White Horse
An East Austin dance hall that became an early home for Mike and the Moonpies.
Billy Bob’s Texas
A Stockyards landmark built for country music, dancing, and bull riding.
The Bowery
The Myrtle Beach room where Alabama built its sound through seven summers.
Broken Spoke
An Austin dance hall where generations of Texas country have taken the stage.
Gruene Hall
Texas’s 1878 dance hall, still operating in its original layout.
Robert’s Western World
A Lower Broadway room with steel-guitar roots and a live-country legacy.
Honky-tonk history
How honky-tonk got here.
From early country bars to today’s bands and dance floors, a brief history of honky tonkin’.
Upcoming edition · 2026-09-25–2026-09-27
Finally Friday: September 25–27, 2026
Six picks across the map: live bands, an afternoon club and line dancing. Times are local. Confirm schedules and ticket availability before going.
Open the guideKnow a honky tonk we’ve missed?