Skylon Ballroom

The History of the Cedar County Skylon Ballroom 

The Skylon Ballroom was originally located south of the banks of the Mighty Missouri River, on what was then called “Homewood Park”. The Skylon was a rebuild of a previous dance hall that had unfortunately caught fire and was destroyed. Sometime around 1937, the Skylon was born. Sources say there is no specific origin of where the “Skylon Ballroom” got its name, but the pavilion was legendary nonetheless. The Skylon Ballroom at that time was the place to be. It was the location of many events, concerts, festivals, and more – drawing in crowds from near and far. The Skylon Ballroom’s main cause for downfall in Homewood Park was the uncertain condition of the roads, bridges and all that comes with the ruthless Nebraska weather-- proved that location challenging access at times.

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A man by the name of Ferdie Peitz, did not want to see it become a wreckage of the past. So, in December 1951, he and his hired men moved the Skylon to the corner of Highway 84 and Highway 57, piece by piece. They tried to save as much of the original building as they could, although a lot of the building was recycled, the original hardwood flooring was salvaged. The building was made larger and due to some rotting lumber there obviously was some improvements made during this transition, but from then on, the spirit of the Skylon Ballroom was able to live on. The new and improved Skylon Ballroom made her debut onJuly 20th,1952.

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Although the legendary Skylon Ballroom had many more years of rock n’ roll, wedding cheers’, first dances and last calls--74 more years to be exact, the Skylon Ballroom faced yet another pivotal moment of time. The corner lot where the Skylon Ballroom sat was needed for an expansion for a local business. The decision was made to yet again, not let the Skylon’s legacy end. In October 2024, Marlow’s Housemoving from Jackson, NE began the huge undertaking of taking the Skylon Ballroom to her final resting place. They moved the 150 ton building to a lot that is designated just for her. To read more about this amazing move click here. A brand new parking lot was poured in addition to other improvements that have been made to get her to where she is now. A 70'x 50' addition was also added to the front (south) side of the barrel-shaped building following the move. This allows for more space for the pavilion and the ability to hold more guests, allowing a grand total of 11,900 square feet! Come check out the Skylon Ballroom in Hartington, NE and let us help you with your event in this historic and legendary space!