Colored lights, disco balls, black leather couches—doesn’t it sometimes feel like every single nightclub out there looks exactly like every other one? Well if you’re looking for a change of pace, these unusual nightclubs can provide a much-needed alternative to the typical nightlife experience… from the complete opposite side of the spectrum. Party in a 6,000-year-old tree, spend your night beneath vaulted ceilings adorned with millions of vertebrae, or tell your cab driver to drop you off below a bridge in Paris. Party at any one of these unusual nightclubs around the world and experience a night unlike any other.
Most Unusual Club in the World: Sunland Baobab (Limpopo, South Africa)
Hanging out inside the trunk of a tree isn’t just for Keebler elves anymore. At this bar, located inside the hollow of a 6,000-year-old Baobab tree, you can play darts, relax with a beer on one of the wooden benches lining the room tree, or just enjoy the WTF factor of partying inside a hollowed-out tree trunk. With a 155-foot-circumference, this 72-foot-tall Baobab tree is cozy enough for a relaxing afternoon and a cold beer with friends. And don’t worry, no trees were harmed in the making of this bar; Baobab trees naturally hollow out after 1,000 years, which totally makes hanging out in a 6,000-year-old tree feel safe.
Most Unusual Club in the World: Guacara Taina aka “The Cave” (Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic)
Ever think that cavemen would have had a lot more fun doing whatever it was that cavemen did if they had invented alcohol before they invented the wheel? No? Well neither have we, but the designers behind Guacara Taina must have had this concept in mind. Sixty feet below the earth’s surface in Santa Domingo lies a hidden nightclub which packs 3,000 partiers on three different floors, naturally decorated with stalagmites and stalactites. In addition to having a unique and alluring décor, Guacara Taina boasts a priceless natural soundsystem with limestone walls providing crystal-clear acoustics. Pretty cool, huh? Just take a note, boys: just because this nightclub is located in a cave doesn’t mean you should show up looking like the Geico man.
Most Unusual Club in the World: Icebar (Multiple Locations)
If you’ve been a tourist pretty much anywhere in the world, chances are you’ve checked out, read about, or heard about a touristy nightclub known as Icebar. While the temperature remains chilly (23° F), the theme has progressively heated up, causing this nightclub trend to latch on in New York, Orlando, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Saint Tropez, Athens, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Dubai, and Mumbai (just to name a few locations). The bad news? You can only hang out at these bars for a limited amount of time and that outfit you spent hours putting together will be hidden by a fugly oversized coat. The good news? Drinks are always served chilled, in glasses made out of imported ice from the Torne River in Jukkasjarvi, Northern Sweden.
Most Unusual Club in the World: Museum HR Giger Bar (Gruyères, Switzerland)
Ever wonder what it’s like to party inside “the remains of a mutated future civilization?” Well that’s exactly how you will feel standing beneath the gaping arches of vertebrae at the Museum HR Giger Bar in Gruyères Switzerland – one of the most unusual (and frightening) nightclubs in the world. Hans Rudi Giger, designer for the Alien movies, used his knowledge and experience of the exotic and otherworldly to create this awesome, cavernous nightclub. Whether you’re in the mood for something a bit freakier than usual, or you’re just a sci-fi nerd, the breathtaking Museum HR Giger Bar in Gruyères is worth a look.
Most Unusual Club in the World: Mars 2112 (New York, New York)
Apparently there is life on Mars—they look just like us, eat burgers and chicken fingers just like us, and they get drunk and think they know how to dance just like us. This “Mars” we are referring to, however, is not in outer-space; it’s located right by Times Square in New York City. And because of its cratered, out-of-this-world décor, Mars 2112 earns a spot on our list of the most unusual nightclubs in the world. Between the spacey setting, the Martians wandering the 35,000-square-foot space, and a three-story crystal tree known as the “Crystal Crater,” the only thing earthly that’s left in this bar is the gravity (and even that might be iffy after a few cocktails).
Most Unusual Club in the World: Kross Klub (Prague, Czech Republic)
Unlike some of the nightclubs on this list, one of the most unusual clubs in the world, Kross Klub in Prague, actually has a subliminal message behind its décor – don’t drive drunk. The entire nightclub is decorated with crashed cars and busses, with remnants of car engines dangling from the ceiling and grease-spattered gears lining the walls. While the description makes this place sound like a junkyard tractor pile-up, the space is surprisingly cool and futuristic (in a grungy, industrial sort of way).
Most Unusual Club in the World: Showcase (Paris, France)
When going out on the town, you’ll typically hop in a cab and rattle off the cross-streets of your nighttime destination. To get to Showcase, one of the most unusual nightclubs in the world, all you have to do is say “Pont Alexandre III” since this place is located right below that famous Parisian bridge. The huge vaulted ceilings curve with the shape of the bridge above, and as far as acoustics go, big name French electronic acts like Chloe have no problem getting the sound from their turntables straight into the ears of the eager partygoers that fill this space. Look out the arched windows onto the glimmering Seine and smile knowing that the cars passing above have no idea that thousands of people are packing the dancefloor of this unusual nightclub below.