Grand Rapids Music Venue Skelletones is Shutting Down—Again

After making a triumphant return in 2021, Grand Rapids’ beloved all-ages music venue Skelletones is once again preparing to close its doors.

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History of Skelletones

Skelletones has long held a special place in the city’s music scene. First opening on South Division Avenue in 2000, the venue became a safe haven for young music fans and an important launchpad for local bands just starting out. Known as an “all ages nightclub,” it wasn’t just about the shows—it was about belonging, expression, and community.

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The venue shut down in 2009, leaving a void in the scene. More than a decade later, original owner Mark Leech organized a fundraising campaign to bring it back, saying at the time, “Skelletones is and always has been a labor of love. A safe haven for young musicians to express themselves and a home away from home for anyone looking for a place to belong. Skelletones is and always will be all ages, all the time."

lThe effort was successful, and Skelletones reopened in September 2021 with renovations and upgrades to the sound, stage, and space.

Skelletones to Shut It's Doors Once Again

Now, just four years later, Leech has announced the venue will close at the end of 2025.

In a post to social media, he shared,

For a myriad of reasons, we’ve decided to let our old space go. It’s not necessarily [sic] goodbye, though we thought it might be. Being a lifer, this is too much in our blood. It’s a privilege to serve our scene in some small way. So we’ll take some time while we figure out the future—a new place to call home.

Leech also thanked everyone who has attended shows over the years and helped make Skelletones what it is.

While this chapter is ending, it sounds less like a final farewell and more like a pause. Fans will have to wait and see how—and where—Skelletones reinvents itself.

In the meantime, there’s still time to catch a few last shows before the doors close at year’s end. Updates can be found on Skelletones’ Facebook and Instagram.