Club Ludwig Was Once One of Jackson's Top Nightclubs

Club Ludwig had lots of personalities over the years: polka music, country music...but I remember Club Ludwig when they featured rock music. That’s when I would go.

According to MLive, the building that became Club Ludwig was originally called The Villa Bee in 1944 and became nationally known as one of the top clubs in Mid-Michigan. The 1945 Jackson directory called it "Jackson's foremost society night club." With the house band Karl Kaslow & His Orchestra, Saturday nights would often see at least 350 people on their huge oak dance floor.

In the mid-1950s, The VIlla Bee was up for auction. At the time, Johnny Ludwig and his brother Stan were working at the Pink Elephant. Upon getting wind of the auction, Johnny went to Detroit, won the bid and took over the establishment and its liquor license. He re-named the business as Club Ludwig, opening in 1956.

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Located at 4204 Ann Arbor Road just a stone’s throw away from the old Jackson Drive-In Theater, it later became home of "Happy Polka Time." It was an hour-long program that showcased Johnny’s passion for polka music, as he hosted the show on Sunday nights, broadcast from Ludwig’s over WJCO-AM radio.

Aside from live music and dancing, renovations in the 1970s made it possible to serve hot dinners. When Johnny passed away in 1997, his daughter Pattie and son Jack took over the business. It finally closed in January 2015.

Demolition began on November 16, 2015, but the familiar Ludwig’s sign was saved from destruction and now sits at Marshall Motors, 4500 Ann Arbor Road. The former Ludwig's is now the Hampton Funeral Home. Scroll down a ways to see photos of the demolition.