McMenamins Crystal Ballroom Tour (Plus the Barley Mill Pub)

Time for more stamps.  Here we are waiting for our tour of the Crystal Ballroom.  And here is yet another stunning light fixture in Ringler’s Pub.IMG_5327

The brewery at the Crystal Ballroom.  This totally counted as a brewery tour.  Score!IMG_5328

Our guide leans against a pole in Lola’s Room, the smaller concert venue.  He apologized for being under the weather, but still managed to tell us many interesting facts.  IMG_5330

The Crystal Ballroom is not impressive to Matt at all.IMG_5333

These fabulous chandeliers, of which they are two, were in storage at a bank. McMenamins bought them and installed them.  That bank missed out, because that’s hand-blown Italian glass by some important dude.  Because not too many examples of his work exist these chandeliers are worth more than a million dollars.  (Note to self.  Make quick notes of tour facts so you can be more precise when writing the blog post.)IMG_5334

Self portrait with Matt on stage at the Crystal Ballroom.  This is where I saw .fun –or use this link if you want to actually see the pictures–and Matt and I saw Cake.

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Girls pose on stage.IMG_5339

A view from the balcony.  IMG_5340

After getting our stamps for the Crystal Ballroom, Lola’s Room and the Brewery Tour we headed over to the Crystal Hotel. Here was the answer to the photo quiz.IMG_5342

Then we had to skulk about waiting for Al’s Den to open.  I loved reading about Club Portland which was the gay bathhouse that was the previous tenant of the Crystal Hotel.  It was still Club Portland when I moved here.IMG_5343

And I adore this clever advertising for the four club baths.  See how the picture changes for each location?IMG_5345

Crystal Ballroom and Hotel completed, we popped over to the Barley Mill Pub to get our last stamp on that page.  We stayed for dinner and our free fries or tots.  Here, Matt reads the “One Day” column from the Mercury to me.IMG_5346

There is a lot of Grateful Dead stuff at the Barley Mill Pub.IMG_5347

Including this great collage of Grateful Dead tickets.  I was pleased to find that the show I saw (Eugene ’94 with Cracker) was in the lower left corner.IMG_5348

We are getting closer and closer to completing our passports.

2 thoughts on “McMenamins Crystal Ballroom Tour (Plus the Barley Mill Pub)”

  1. FREE TATER TOTS!!! I mean – nice post about your latest visit. The chandeliers are truly incredible. Thank goodness they were saved and are out of storage.

  2. Wow, those chandeliers are amazing. I love your pics of Matt yawning (which made me LOL) and the little girls on stage. Crystal Ballroom is where I saw one of my all-time favorite concerts (Kaiser Chiefs). Such a fun show! And I remember Club Portland! Didn’t know it was a McMenamins now.

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