After it opened, it became a notorious underworld resort frequented by criminals and characterized by violence and theft. Known for its rough bouncers and elaborate dance hall, the establishment was often the scene of barroom brawls and robbery.
It was described by a journalist for the Cincinnati Enquirer as having "a beastliness and depravity... compared with which no chapter in the world's history is equal".
It very quickly became a popular underworld resort, frequented by thieves, pickpockets, and procurers throughout the old Fourth and Sixth Wards for nearly two decades. Armory Hall was often the scene of barroom brawls and gang violence. Drunken customers were robbed, many times by the female regulars who flirted with the victim beforehand, and then dragged from a table by a bouncer and thrown out into the street. Once outside, the victim would be searched by for anything of value and was usually stripped of his clothes.
Armory Hall was entered from the street through a double doorway, which led into a long, narrow passageway with its walls painted "dead black". Fifty feet down the unlighted passage was the barroom and from there the main dance hall, furnished with chairs and tables, which accommodated up to 700 people. The music played in the dance hall included a piano, a cornet and a violin. A balcony ran around two sides of the hall with small box seats, some containing secret compartments, separated by heavy curtains reserved for wealthy patrons.
