Hurricane Harry’s, Aggieland’s beloved dance hall for over 30 years, shut its doors for the last time on Dec. 8, 2024 amidst new construction agreements — but its story may not be over yet.
Ever since the first week of Harry’s closure, students and community members have speculated about the possible reopening of the iconic dance hall. However, these speculations and rumors failed to gain reliability, leading people to believe there was no intention to reopen the business.
Now, nearly a year later, those speculations have gained reputability.
Rusty Surette, the news anchor and executive producer for KBTX’s evening newscasts, posted a statement about Harry’s on X on Sept. 17.
“I have a good source telling me Hurricane Harry’s 2.0 is in the works,” Surette wrote in the post.
Online chatter and rumors on A&M fan website TexAgs around Surette’s statement point toward Shiner Park as the potential new location for Harry’s. Shiner Park — the iconic corner bar on Northgate — shut down in August, leaving students and locals curious about who would step in to fill the vacancy.
A bartender at O’Bannon’s Taphouse, geographic information science & technology junior Carter Grout, revealed what he had heard about the future of Harry’s and Shiner Park.
“All I’ve heard is just a couple rumors flying around that Harry’s is gonna buy out where Shiner was, but they’re asking a really, really high price, so they’re not too sure about it,” Grout said.
The Northgate location, formerly leased by Shiner Park, belongs to the same owners as The Tap, a sports bar on Harvey Road and one of College Station’s staple destinations for over 30 years.
According to The Tap’s history on its website, “The success of The Tap inspired the same guys to open a ‘bigger Tap with a dance floor’ which led them to open Hurricane Harry’s in February 1992.”
The Tap’s close relationship with the history and legacy of Harry’s strengthens the rumors that Harry’s is returning to fill the vacancy left by Shiner Park, but nothing has been confirmed.
The general manager of The Tap, Nathan Hernandez, declined to comment at this time about the future of the location previously leased by Shiner Park and its involvement with Harry’s.
