STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- RICH HISTORY: Gruene Hall has hardly changed in nearly 150 years
- A/C UNITS ADDED: Painstaking measures were taken to not change the look of the venue
- WHAT TO EXPECT: Summer concerts could be 15-20 degrees cooler
A Rich History
GRUENE, Texas – Built by Heinrich Gruene in 1878, Gruene Hall is a lasting testament to solid, German craftmanship. Its wooden floors have withstood a lot through the years.
“Loud concerts and people jumping and stomping,” Momentous Concepts Senior Director of Operations Tim Conway said. Momentous Concepts is the company that operates Gruene Hall.
The hall has always been a watering hole, but its recent live country music has made it legendary. The list of high-caliber artists who have played at the venue is growing by the year.
“‘Asleep At The Wheel’ is one of the first bands that played [here],” Conway said. “George Strait, obviously, came through.“
Add Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson and, most recently, Kacey Musgraves to the list.
Gruene Hall has become a place that few want to see changed. Incredibly, in its near 150 years of existence, it rarely has.
What is changing
“You want everything to look the same when you come into Gruene Hall,” said Conway. “You come as a kid, you come as an adult and you bring your kids and it still has the same look.“
When Gruene Hall decided to make a change, its operators went through great lengths to make sure the aesthetic was not altered.
Gruene Hall now has air conditioning. The units replace swamp coolers, which did little to cool down the venue in the summer during busy concerts. As a result, Conway believes it will now be around 15 to 20 degrees cooler.
To avoid changing anything visually, the same air ducts used for the swamp coolers were also used for the new A/C units.
“Everything we do is very intentional,” Conway said.
Why did they make the change?
“We decided, you know, with the customer feedback over the years: ‘Hey, it’s hot during the summer,’” Conway said. “We care about our customers and we want them to feel good when they come in here and have a good time.“
Some artists avoided playing at Gruene Hall amid the hot summer temperatures.
After all these years without A/C, it does beg the question: why now?
“We listen to a lot of feedback, and there’s more feedback now that ever,” Conway said.