It has operated as a dance music club but more often hosted concerts with primarily metal, punk and ska lineups.

The venue opened in August 1962 as a banquet hall and tavern by brothers Chester, Frank[4] and Edward (Rusty) Cholewa.

In the late 1970s, Rusty's wife, Phyllis[6] decided to use the space as a concert venue, to fill the gaps in wedding and party reservations.

[8] Five years later, Bailey changed the name to the Hunka Bunka Ballroom and dancing became the primary focus of the venue.

[12] Renovations include adding a mezzanine in the rear of the main hall, updated lighting, improved sightlines, and acoustics, redesign of the backstage area and the dressing rooms.

[19] My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Senses Fail and dozens more performed over two nights, raising over $150,000 for UNICEF and the International Red Cross.

In September 2005, Dashboard Confessional and Coheed and Cambria co-headlined an event to raise $80,000 for Direct Relief International's efforts to assist victims of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.