July 02, 2024
Provided Image/Valley Forge Casino Resort
Howl at the Moon, which closed its Center City location on Monday, had dueling pianos. In 2017, it held a pop-up event at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, shown above.
Center City nightlife spots Howl at the Moon and Down Nightclub – which sit side by side on South 15th Street – announced their immediate closures Monday.
Howl at the Moon, at 258 S. 15th St., was part of a chain of entertainment venues with "dueling pianos," in which two pianists take song requests from the audience. Down, an affiliated venue, was a nightclub with live DJs.
The venues, which each shared the same post Monday on their social media accounts, did not give the reason for their abrupt closures.
"It is with a heavy heart that we announce Howl at the Moon Philly and Down Nightclub are closing effective July 1st, 2024, after more than a decade of operation in Center City," the venue's operators wrote in the social media post. "We want to thank all of the many thousands of people who patronized us week after week along with our loyal staff throughout the years."
Just last week, Howl at the Moon had posted about its annual Red, White and Brew event on July 5 and revealed new drink offerings that were expected to begin this week. A post on Friday explained how customers could get a discount when booking private events.
In response to a Facebook comment, Howl at the Moon said all deposits for future reservations will be refunded. The chain's Philadelphia venue had been open since 2013.
Howl at the Moon fans won't be completely lost — the chain has 12 other locations including in Boston, Chicago and Pittsburgh, plus venue on Norwegian Cruise Line called Howl at the Sea. Down Nightclub also has another location in Boston.
A Howl at the Moon venue in Washington, D.C., closed in February in a similarly short time frame.
