our story

The site of the Club 400 was first established in 1894 as the Northwestern Hotel. It operated as a hotel for railroad passengers and workers from the train depot located across the street. The site later operated as a boarding house, cigar store, and soda shop. In 1948 George and Ralph Polsfuss, the father and brother of Waukesha guitar pioneer Les Paul, opened the nightclub Club 400 after major renovations. The Club itself is named after the Chicago Northwestern Locomotive #400 which used to stop across the street around 4:00pm daily. Les Paul performed at The Club 400 back in the 1940’s and 50’s. Throughout the years the bar has opened its doors to many musicians including Bruce Springsteen. Daniel "Poky" Pokwinski purchased the bar in 1981 and made major improvements to the site adding the upstairs "Clubhouse" bar and dining area.