I love the castle but they kicked us out an hour early on March 8th because of daylight savings time. We were hoping for a good time just to be kicked out an hour early because of something out of our control. Frustrating experience. read more

This was my first time visiting The Castle after hearing so many stories about it. I was super excited to experience the legendary venue, but unfortunately, a rowdy crowd of frat boys kind of ruined the vibe. They completely lacked spatial awareness, but luckily, the staff did their best to keep them under control and ensure everyone stayed safe. ​On the positive side, the drinks were excellent and very reasonably priced, and both the music and visuals were spectacular. I really enjoyed that the venue has two floors playing completely different styles of music. ​The main downside applies to the entire venue: throughout both floors, it gets incredibly hot and humid inside, and when it's crowded, the layout makes it very difficult to navigate anywhere in the building. It's an awesome concept, just prepare for the intense heat and tight spots on crowded nights. read more

The Castle - Zoltar deco - Dance Clubs Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Immediately upon entering the line, a man with a zipper mouth mask walked past us and was pacing the line. We got in, it was quite empty to start but got crowded quickly. A mix of individuals, some older people (including one man who looked like a ghoul [trench coat, white hair, pocket wayxh]). Nothing wrong with this, in fact quite interesting, until we saw some soldiers (who appeared to be legit Castle security) walk past us, including one in an SS Nazi uniform. The frat men continued to multiply, and were very loud and obnoxious. In the back was some sort of BDSM spanking exhibit with a man in a furry costume doing the spanking. We stood close to this exhibit as loud "industrial noise" music played. I would akin this music to a spoon banging against a pot. There was a man who appeared to clearly be fent folding amidst the dance floor who proceeded to catch a random girl's twerk... And stared at us with beady eyes. Before going downstairs, I accidentally bumped into someone and he hissed at me, which was interesting. Okay guys, stick with me, we're getting to the best part. After all of these events, we go downstairs to the basement (or dungeon). Pleasurably, they were not playing industrial noise. Actual songs with lyrics! Yay. Early 2000s alternative. The dungeon had a bunk bed sort of set up where many different individuals seemed to be having a sensory break, other than the frat boys who were posing on top of it and flipping off of it. As we continued our observations, we noted two older gay men dressed as a cop and a prisoner. One laid down and the other began dancing right in front of him, akin to some sort of ritual. We soon after spotted a shirtless Marshmello across the room, which was quite exciting. Lots of shirtless men parading around, some with the leashes of their skinny asian girlfriends in hand. Before leaving, we finished up our people watching by observing Lisa from Genshin Impact, Sasuke & Sakura from Naruto, and Inosuke from Demon Slayer enter in highly realistic cosplays. In our state, we could not rationalize that these people were not actually from the show as the DJ conveniently decided to play anime OSTs as they entered. We also believe we spotted Shadow the Hedgehog. Not sure of this. Final note-- the people who would come in and greet each other by dancing at each other. Very interesting and something we had never seen before. It was like witnessing a different reality. To sum up The Castle experience, this is like a place a parent would have a nightmare of their child coming to. Would return! read more

The Castle is beautifully decorated and has great acoustics, and the staff are kind and helpful. It also seemed fully staffed with enough people to handle everything without too much stress, which is rare these days. I love the inclusion of the bunk beds which makes it a much more comfortable place to hang out. The drinks are pricy but I think that is justifiable due to the fanciness of the venue and the excellent selection of liquors. However, I can't rate it more than 3 stars because of the flagrant lack of effort at accessibility. I went with a friend who is a wheelchair user and there were steps at the entrance and between every room, which made it necessary to get help from staff to carry her every time we wanted to go somewhere. Because of this, we were reluctant to explore since she felt guilty that the staff member had to carry her. We were a bit worried he could hurt his back because her chair is quite heavy, too, and that's even though she and her chair combined are probably on the lighter side as far as wheelchair users go, so it's a bit of a concern for employee welfare too. I don't think anyone can blame the venue for the second floor section being inaccessible because there's simply no good way to fix that in a historic building that I can think of (the staircase is a bit narrow for a stairlift, I think), but on the first floor, it would be really easy to install ramps between rooms! Between the beautiful decorations, the impressive bar selection, the fancy sound system, and the giant crowd of people purchasing many expensive drinks, this place is clearly not hurting for cash and should therefore install ramps ASAP. If my assessment there is somehow wrong, surely they could at least set up a GoFundMe. If you think I'm being too harsh about this, please imagine how you would feel if you were unable to fully enjoy the majority of public areas for reasons outside your control, and yet people refused to make fixes to allow you to participate in public life even in places where it would be pretty easy, and routinely treated you as obnoxious and demanding for even asking politely about it. My friend and other disabled people should be accommodated everywhere as a given, at least as much as possible, but she is sometimes afraid to even bring it up because of how she's been treated throughout her life. I'm a little worried I might be overstepping here because of that but I thought about it and decided it's more important to say something, because she loves the venue and would like to go back, and I want it to be welcoming for her when and if we do. And I want it to be welcoming for others. If ramps are installed please let me know because I'll immediately amend the review to 5 stars. read more

This is a fun club with a unique vibe. There's a few different areas to dance with different types of music in each. The drinks are pretty pricey for how small they are, but they are very strong as well. The bartender was very helpful and pretty fast. Overall a fun place for a once in a while going out night. read more

The Castle - Dirty Shirley - Dance Clubs Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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We went to the Castle for the Vampire Ball, and it was an endless night of wonderment, especially in the VIP room. While it first started as a small bar, it has grown into an epic party palace with groovy DJs. We picked up drinks at the VIP bar for most of the night, but you can also order from other bars in the saloon and the Main Room dance hall. There are many areas to hang out, but it can be a challenge when it's a big event with the crowds coming in droves. For the Vampire Ball, everyone was dressed accordingly, but it was pretty hot and stuffy wearing the regalia when it's wall-to-wall with people. If you had VIP passes like we did, ordering drinks wasn't too terrible, but you did wait a few minutes to reach the front of the queue. If you didn't have VIP, it could be a challenge based on which bar you were closest to ordering at. Overall, the Castle was fun, especially with the Endless Night Vampire Ball. You get to live your best self, so long as your makeup doesn't run too much. read more

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Loved it. Super cool theme, drinks were cheap, and they started playing Deftones so I can't hate. Did get super hot on the lower level, but I was having a blast so it didn't bother me much. Gotta visit this if you're into the whole spooky aesthetic read more

The Castle - 2nd floor (I thought the chandelier was cool) - Dance Clubs Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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It's been a couple of months (like February of 2025) since me and my fiancé last visited. We used to be regulars until the last visit, unfortunately the last visit made us all feel like we shouldn't come back for a while. Food- The drinks are pricey, they are pricey anywhere but it the prices vary on which bartender you go to. Service- Upon arrival, the price for entry depends on the night. Sometimes it is $20 to get in and on special nights (Halloween) it is like $50 (ridiculous lmao). It also varies if you're under 21 as well (it's a couple more bucks to get in underage). If you're 21+ you get a wrist band but if you're under 21, you get the black Xs on your hands. The staff is nice except the bouncer, he was kinda rude to my Fiancé. Ambience- The place is beautiful, it fully covers the dark ambience for our alternative peeps. The lights, the seating and decor. It's perfect, it's the best part of the club if anything. The reason I have not been able to come back is due to the amount of frat boys that come in and make it uncomfortable. My last visit, I went with my fiancé and his buddies so they could enjoy a night since they traveled down from South Carolina. The moment my fiancé left my side to grab us drinks, a guy came in started talking to me and asked me if that was my fiancé. It was ok until he started asking me for my number and I told him no MULTIPLE TIMES. I have a fiancé and I'm not interested. It took until my fiancé returned to have him get up and leave me alone. There was a staff member near by and I usually remember them to be very observant (had a similar situation where they came up and made sure I was ok) I obviously was uncomfortable so I thought it would bring attention that I needed help. I also noticed that the people with Xs on their hands seem to be more drunk than I was. We hope to come back eventually but for now we will stay away. read more

The Castle - Me and my fiancé :) - Dance Clubs Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I had a very disappointing and concerning experience here. When I approached security for help with what I believed was a potentially dangerous situation, the response was not only dismissive but unprofessional. Instead of addressing the issue, the staff member appeared more focused on taking photos and became angry when I interrupted to ask for help. In an environment where safety should be a top priority, a lack of awareness and urgency like this is unacceptable. Situations that could put people at risk deserve immediate attention, not this sort of blatant disregard. I was concerned for the safety of my friends, and he decided not to care. So I'm deciding to no longer spend money here. read more

12.31.2025 - NYE Celebration planned in the club. A white middle aged girl with blonde hair rejected me from the entrance despite being 21+. She said I don't "look" 21! I have a FL drivers license I showed her. They don't have a machine to verify so she just said I can't enter. She spoiled our plans for the evening! THE CASTLE- get a **cking ID reader! This is ridiculous! I will tell everyone I know to avoid this club!!! Heading to all other platforms to share my negative experience about this club!! read more

I absolutely adore the castle amazing techno music upstairs and a staple to the goth scene here in Tampa. However the prices to get in have been sky rocketing meanwhile there are more people dressed in skinny blue jeans and white tube tops and blonde hair.... I get it it's for everyone but at least throw on a black shirt and pants. A loose dress code should be enforced. I've been here many times and they increase the priced everytime i've been there. Last time it was 40 dollars... to me it just feels very ungothic to even charge that much let alone charge 50 dollars on halloween with the ideologies goth people stand for in anti capitalism shows it's more about profit than portraying a mission here at the castle. Every other club in ybor i've been to has been about 10 dollars max to get in as well also I understand bills need to get paid but even getting one drink here (a lemon drop shot) it was 16 dollars... yeah... i love this place but please do better. read more

I've been a regular at The Castle for a while, but after what happened recently, I don't feel safe or respected here anymore. I was kicked out without reason and falsely accused of being sick in the bathroom--something that simply did not happen. What's worse is that the interaction felt racially charged and handled with zero tact or empathy. There was no attempt to verify the situation or even speak to me respectfully. It was as if a decision had already been made based on assumptions--not facts. For a place that claims to be inclusive and part of an open-minded community, this experience was the exact opposite. It's painful when somewhere you've supported so often chooses to treat loyal guests with such blatant disregard. I hope this review sparks reflection on how patrons--especially patrons of color--are being treated at this establishment. read more

The preeminent goth club in Florida. 4 different bars inside, a massive dance floor, always different events, stripper poles, a rack with "professional" doms, everything you could ask for. Always a fun party vibe, with tons of place to dance, talk, chit chat, sit, and just show off your best goth wear. The drinks are always very well priced. If I had any complaints at all it's that sometimes security seems a little lost especially when the "popped collar crew" starts to flood in. Cannot recommend highly enough. read more

Awesome Vibes , rock on cool kids. this was great went with my wife and got to live out my rock and roll raver dreams. will be coming back thank you the castle ybor !!! read more

Super weird place. Always down for a good time, here wasn't it. Ppl doing snow everywhere and super rude staff. Music wasn't the great either. Felt like a demonic sex club. read more

I love the ambiance of this place. It's like partying in Dracula's castle. I came on a goth night. Music was banging, and I had a lot of fun. There were two dance floors, one upstairs and one outside. I wasn't sure what the rules were in relation to the people being flogged, but they seemed like they were having a good time. I think the person doing the spanking worked for The Castle? Maybe it's a liability thing. Were drinks overpriced? Yes. But you'd be hard pressed to find a club in Ybor that doesn't have that. read more

The Castle - a lit christmas tree in a dark room - Dance Clubs Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Upon moving to Tampa, I heard many stories about having to "check out the Castle." While I am super into dark, unique experiences - the Castle was nothing short of that. We decided to check it out around 11PM on a Saturday night. We arrived at the Castle with a short line to get into the entrance. While we waited, we took in the detail of the building itself and the outfits of people walking into the establishment. I was super into the vibe that this place was giving off. When officially getting into the building, we realized there was somewhat of a hefty cover charge. For me, at 32, I normally am not one to pay a cover to go into a bar, but I figured since it was an experience - I might as well. We were a little shocked at how much cover was that night and likely won't pay it again to visit unless it is to allow someone else to enjoy the same experience. We quickly went up to the bar and ordered a few drinks which were EXTREMELY strong. I mean, straight vodka. I wasn't complaining, because..why would you? The decor in the place was very gothic, dark, creepy. i LOVED it. While this is not normally my scene, I definitely think it is a great place for people to go to express themselves. It allows everyone to be welcomed no matter what and that, to me, is pretty cool. We went upstairs to an area of gothic music. It was a little loud for my liking, so when we finished our drinks we left. Kudos to the owners of the Castle for making this place a well known and well liked club around Tampa! read more

Love this place. My husband and I will go again when visiting Tampa. We went on Friday and Saturday cause we loved it so much. I wish I lived in Tampa cause I would work there and be the spank-the-butt woman. read more

The Castle - Dance Clubs Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Love Castle. It's especially fun during Gasperilla. Very inclusive crowd :) drinks are cheap! read more

The Castle - Gasperilla - Dance Clubs Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Ugh. I can't say enough of this place ! This place was amazing! So much fun! There is an entry fee tho. I've been twice, the first time I went through the street door it was $25 and the second time I went I entered through the side and it was $10. Drinks are a bit pricy but then again. What club isn't? Do watch out for how bartenders will charge you differently on each level. The lower level charged me $2 more for a drink then the top read more

Went for one of their 80's Video Nights, and I'm kicking myself in the ass for NOT going any sooner! The decor and vibes of this club were some of the best, I truly felt like I was in a Gothic version of heaven when I walked into the club and into main Dungeon. The crowd was also amazing too, felt like i finally found my long lost family in there (hell i saw someone willingly let someone play with their ass pretty much adter giving em some money), and if you bumped into someone all you do is apologize and make sure you didn't spill their drink lmao. Yes there were people being whipped there, but I will not be ashamed to admit that I tried and LIKED it. Fair warning about that section though, it attracts a crowd of people watching you, so if you're not into other people watching you, I'd recommend skipping it, but if you're willing to experiment while being watched I'd recommend it. Upstairs primarily plays a lot of electronic/dark dance music and on that particular night, downstairs played 80's new wave-esque music videos. Since I went on a Friday too, it was also during their iconic Midnight Mass night, so the place was definitely packed during the night! Cover was $10, but it's cash only, however they do have an ATM available on site if you need to pull some cash. Since I wasn't sure if cash only covers are standard in clubs (this is the first one ever been to) this isn't counting against the review score. Definitely a must-visit if you're into the gothic culture or if you're looking for something just a LITTLE bit different to your typical nightclub. Definitely making it a point to go there more often to have a GREAT time! read more

The club was fun but the bartender had an attitude and on top of it when i gave my ID and credit card to open a tab, he lost my drivers license right before I had to fly back home. I don't understand how a drivers license just goes missing, but no one had answers for me. I couldn't get in touch with the club for help in any way before physically showing up the next evening to find out that my ID somehow vanished. I called multiple times, emailed, and messaged their Instagram. This was such an unbelievable mishap and it's quite unfortunate that nothing could be done for me even though this was not my fault and now because of a careless bartender, i have to deal with traveling without identification. read more

Was visiting Tampa and found this place in Ybor city. I had so much fun here. The entrance is $10 per person cash only. If it's your birthday you go in for free :) It is from 10:30pm-3:00am The line is long but it's okay. There's plenty of room inside the castle. You can dress up in fun costumes. Halloween all year round sounds amazing. Wish the DMV had a place like the castle! read more

This is the only club my friends and I will go to, because there are simply no other clubs in Tampa that can compete. There are so many rooms with different themes and purposes, it makes the experience feel like an adventure. The staff is always courteous and I feel not only that they want me there, but that they want to be there too. The people who go are friendly, easy to talk to, and eager for interesting conversation. The cover is a little expensive but I'd rather pay a few extra dollars for a night full of guaranteed fun. read more

Had a terrible experience at The Castle. I was denied entrance to the bathroom by a security guard. Apparently his job was to stand in front of the bathroom and decide who has the correct genitalia to enter. In all the years I have lived out as a trans woman, this had never happened to me until that night. I doubt anyone really cares that much.. it's sad. read more

This is amazing club to have really gold time. People are very nice no one is rude, I've been here couple times and I've not seen anyone causing any problems. Best thing is no one will judge anyone everyone is welcomed here. read more

The setup of the club is cool. The music is good. The staff are horrifically rude and unprofessional: One seemingly drunken bartender cussed me out and demanded that I leave after I didn't tip him for a can of apple cider. Another time, I was rejected at the door because the women who checked my ID ( I am 21 and it's a real Maryland ID) said the photo looked blurry. It is illegal for businesses to claim a real ID is fake. They need to train their staff how to check IDs from other states. When I tried to tell her the ID was in fact real, the security shoved me out of the line and told me to "get out of here". What is this treatment???? read more

A must see place if your looking for nightlife in Tampa. Went night before Halloween and it was a blast. I personally think it's one of best night clubs in the area read more

The Castle - Upper dance floor - Dance Clubs Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The Castle is an Ybor City institution for all things Goth, punk and New Wave. I went here in my 20's and well, I'm in my 40's so... yeah its been here forever. It's an imposing structure filled with loud music. Dark moody lighting and bars that help you get into the feel of things. The Castle consists of 5 rooms, on two floors: The Saloon, the Tower, the Courtyard, the Main hall and the Dungeon. Each has it's own look and feel, each providing it's own.. take on the place. And there's the grand staircase, because that's how you traverse between the two floors. Themed entertainment can be found on certain nights. The night I recently visited was the "Steampunk Ball". Normally I wouldn't go out to the Castle on a Saturday, but one of my friends, and Steampunk Royalty was in town, and he asked me to show my face, so dutifully I went. And so did a lot of other people, including Makers and crafters alike. There were so many creative souls in the place, that had tragedy struck, Tampa might well have been left a barren wasteland bereft of any beauty because it would have all been left in the rubble of the castle. You can find their regular night list - their current theme nights on their website, thecastle.com. A couple of nights to look forward to would be StarWars night where you can bring out your inner Jedi or maybe your inner Jawa (I think that would be awesome to see) and of course the Half way to Halloween party on May 14, which has become a Tampa ritual for those of us in the Halloween industry as a benchmark because we don't get to play with everyone else, so we claim this day. read more

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The best club in Tampa! The vibe is very Tool/ Nine Inch Nails + EDM but no worries-- everything is still amazing even if the music and the ambiance is different than your normal taste. The service here is superb - only $6 cover only. $6 vodka and soda with quality dear Eddy vodka and not watered down. Come here for good times. No creepy dudes and everyone was chill. read more

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Price is not bad at all, only $10-$12. Large space with variety of bars with differing levels of noise and intensity. Spacious dance floor. Castle is so aesthetically pleasing. Lots of cool bdsm dungeon stuff too if you're into that. read more

Walked in a boy came out a man. The drinks were so stiff you needed to be drunk to drink them (not a bad thing). Be prepared to see some crazy characters. I have no photos of that night and it shall stay that way. read more

This is a place to be free. A place to leave your inhibitions at the door. Whether you're there for people watching or losing yourself on the dance floor, it's worth experiencing. I love places that encourage freedom of expression and individuality. read more

i would give 0 stars if i could, they gave up on playing any emo/goth/halloween music, for halloween they had a halloween 2000s horror party playlist and played charlie xcx and all i want for Christmas, they need to get rid off all of their djs and put people who actually know their audience. we asked them to play anything emo and the next song was hot to go :| read more

Super fun place! Everyone can just be...no judgement. I highly recommend visiting when in Tampa read more

The Castle - Dance Clubs Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I just keep calling and calling and no one ever answers. Idk if it's because it's a gay bar thing in Tampa Florida and st Pete or it's because they're closed. I'm a 30min and so I'd really like to have anyone come up and tell me that it's open during this covid situation rn. I'll change my score when someone actually picks up the phone or messages back from the club read more

Reggie's customer service hurts my heart. I've been to the castle every Friday night for the past 2 years. He shines his flashlight in my face telling me to " move along" without any regard to how I feel or anybody behind me. He's mean. I can't find any other word in my extensive vocabulary but mean. REGGIE " guy with goggles on his head" stands in the doorway upstairs at the castle has made my experience there unhappy. The ladies that work in the bathroom think he's mean as well as most Of the bartenders. Proof is in the pudding......Reggie needs WAY more customer service training .. my friends come out from across the state and country and can't Believe how horrid he is to them read more

Had a lot of fun! Enjoyed the different dance floors, nice big bars, friendly bartenders, the decor was great

-WARNING! ADULT CONTENT- What an interesting club! They hold many themed parties at this location. This weekend was Superhero/villain fetish night. The club has two floors with 4 bars, 2 on each floor. The castle is comprised of different rooms holding different purposes. There is an outside dance floor and two large stages inside, one on each floor. Their is a private sitting room with a pole for adult entertainment. It is available for anyone to dance on. Throughout the castle were plenty of activities to get your blood flowing. There were plenty of people there to talk to and share stories/interest with. It's enjoyable to exit the normal routine lifestyle from time to time and try new things. I went out of my comfort zone and had a wonderful time! Great place to meet other people with similar interests and try something new! read more

This is the absolute best goth/industrial club in the country, even compared to the clubs in places like Los Angeles (and I've been all over the place). Unique in its ambiance, The Castle is housed in an old Cigar Worker's Union hall that literally was built to look like a castle (complete with stained-glass windows), and the club, which and which has been around since the 90s is one of the few places in the US that still has the original vibe and decor. I grew up in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area and experienced the SF scene in the 90s, and The Castle reminds me of the clubs from way back in the day - there was a particular "magic" that anyone who was there remember (where you entered a world separate and different from the outside world), and though things have changed considerably, I do feel like The Castle has a bit of that quality of being a "sanctuary." Whether it's on the main dance floor or outdoor patio, covered in tropical plants, I always have a good time. (Sadly, the huge multi-stemmed tropical tree that was in the patio fell over in the hurricane, but the staff seem to have done their best to maintain the same atmosphere). The music is one of the high points. Whether it's death rock or post punk or other random things/music videos outside or the typical industro-rave on the main dancefloor, I hear things that I almost never hear anywhere else. DJ Tom Gold in particular does a great job of spinning some of the most cutting edge industrial/aggrotech/harsh EBM from the last 3 years (from around the world). I was also impressed by the security and the whole way the place was run. The very first time I went, some drunk mainstream guy started haggling me, and security jumped in and dragged him off without me even having to say a word. They do a good job at creating a safe space where everyone can have good time (whether you're a goth or rivethead or just enjoy the music). As a plus, this is one of the only clubs in the county that is just a goth/industrial club, where they actually own the building, and it's open on every Friday and Saturday night. There aren't enough good things I can say about The Castle. If only they could stay open all night (but local laws require them to close at 3 AM). I would probably keep dancing! read more