The Oldest Bars In America
The list below is an on-going project attempting to list the oldest bars still operating in the United States. This was originally a post that I did in August of 2008, prompted by another website’s list that contained many inaccuracies and omissions. My list is far more comprehensive, and is based on reader comments to the original post plus some of my own research and poking around. If you know of any others that should be on this list, please do let me know by posting a comment or sending me an e-mail.
- White Horse Tavern; Newport, RI (1673)
- Jessop’s Tavern; New Castle, DE (1724)
- Red Fox Inn; Middleburg, VA (1728)
- General Lafayette Inn & Brewery; Lafayette Hill, PA (1732)
- Middleton Tavern, Annapolis, MD (1750)
- Fraunces Tavern, New York, NY (1762)
- City Tavern, Philadelphia, PA (1773)
- Jean Lafittes Blacksmith Shop; New Orleans, LA (1775)
- Horse You Came In On; Baltimore, MD (1775)
- Griswold Inn; Essex, CT (1776)
- The Tavern; Abingdon, VA (1779)
- The Union Hotel (a.k.a. The Allentown Hotel, now DiMattias Restaurant & Lounge);
Allentown, NJ (1779) - The Warren Tavern; Charlestown, MA (1780)
- Gadsby’s Tavern; Alexandria, VA (1785)
- Wiggins Tavern; Northampton, MA (1786)
[tavern moved from Hopkinton, New Hampshire] - Bell In Hand; Boston, MA (1795)
- Old Absinthe House; New Orleans, LA (1815, possibly 1807)
- Broadway Hotel & Tavern; Madison, IN (1834)
- Knickerbocker Saloon; Lafayette, IN (1835)
- The Old Tavern; Niles, MI (1835)
- Spread Eagle Tavern & Inn; Hanoverton, OH (1837)
- Landmark 1850 Inn; Milwaukee, WI (1847; but currently closed for renovations)
- Ye Olde Trail Tavern; Yellow Springs, OH (1848)
- The Slippery Noodle; Indianapolis, IN (1850) [Wikipedia]
- Deer Park Tavern; Newark, DE (1851)
[occupying the same spot as St. Patrick's Inn, founded in 1747, but burned down in 1848] - Breitbach’s Country Dining; Balltown, IA (1852)
- Genoa Bar & Saloon; Genoa, NV (1853) [new]
- McSorley’s Old Ale House; New York, NY (1854)
- Anvil Restaurant & Saloon; Ste. Genevieve, MO (1855)
- Old Ebbitt Grill; Washington, DC (1856)
- Tujague’s; New Orleans, LA (1856)
- McGillin’s Olde Ale House; Philadelphia, PA (1860)
- Arnold’s Bar and Grill; Cincinnati, OH (1861)
- The Saloon; San Francisco, CA (1861)
- Waterfront Hotel; Baltimore, MD (1861; building built in 1771)
- Pete’s Tavern; New York, NY (1864)
- Scholz Garten; Austin, TX (1866)
- The Original Oyster House; Pittsburgh, PA (1870)
[Bear Tavern also opened on same site in 1827] - Ulrich’s Tavern; Buffalo, NY (1870)
- Puddler’s Hall; Milwaukee, WI (1873; historical info)
- Ear Inn; New York, NY (1874)
- Shooting Star Saloon; Hunstsville, UT (1879)
- White Horse Tavern; New York, NY (1880)
- P.J. Clarke’s; New York, NY (1884)
- The Uptowner; Milwaukee, WI (1884)
- The Little Shamrock; San Francisco, CA (1893) [thanks to LS bartender Mike Flynn for correcting the date. The LS opened October 28, 1893, not 1863]
Arguably America’s oldest bar, the White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island.
The following are also contenders, but for one reason or another it isn’t clear if they were originally bars. They’re old, but they weren’t necessarily bars from their beginning or at a remote enough date in the past to make the list above.
- The Pirates House; Savannah, GA (1753)
- Napoleon House; New Orleans, LA (1797)
Also, the Green Dragon in Boston, MA opened in 1654 so presumably might be considered the oldest. In 1764, the St. Andrews Lodge of Freemasons bought the tavern. Unfortunately, the original location on Union Street was demolished in 1854. Its present location at 11 Marshall Street was built at a later date, but I can’t find out exactly when. It’s certainly old, but probably not more than 100 years, if that.
UPDATES: Karsen Luthi sent me information about the Genoa Bar in Nevada (thanks, Karsen).
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
don’t forget heinhold’s over here in Oakland. 1883
Additionally, Bell in Hand Tavern, claims to be the oldest continually run bar in the US. The other contenders have not been taverns continuously since opening.
Yes, I know they claim that, but I’m not convinced. The website states that the Bell in Hand “is currently housed in a building that dates back to 1844, which means they’ve moved at least once. That calls into question, at least in my mind, their own continuous operation. Not to mention every bar or tavern in America was closed (or at a minimum not operating as a bar or tavern) for thirteen years during Prohibition so in reality no place can possibly have been continuously open since before then to the present.
At any rate, their saying so is hardly proof anyway. If someone can prove that all 14 of the 15 (one admits to moving) that claim to have opened before the Bell in Jar have moved or closed sometime other than Prohibition then fine, but records are notoriously bad back in history that far, and besides this is just for fun anyway.
We’re #2! When you live in Delaware little things matter.
Whether or not Bell in Hand has been continuously running is irrelevant. Middleton Tavern has been around longer and has also been continuously operating since its inception.
Arnold’s Bar and Grill in Cincinnati has continuously operated, never closing since 1861. For the 13 years of prohibition they served food. Additionally there remains a bathtub in the second floor dining room (their claim to fame) where bathtub gin was made during prohibition. So they have continuously been a place serving spirits since 1861. Not claiming to be the oldest. Just sayin’.
and thank you for putting together the most comprehensive list I have seen anywhere on the internet.
#4 General Lafayette is closed also
There is bar named NEIR’S in Woodhave, Queens County, New York State, which is located on the 87-00 block on 78th Street.
The said NEIR’S opened sometime between 1830 and 1860, as it was across the street from the Union Course Race Track was was the preeiminet trotting track in the east. I believe the said bar has a web site, but most of the info I receive on NEIR’S comes from googling UNION COURSE RACE TRACK, QUEENS COUNTY, NY.
Thanks for this list, it’s been a big help in our project (we’re making a documentary series on historical bars throughout the US), and have hit quite a few of these. There are some missing though, like Old 76 House in Tappen, NY (1688), Bridge Cafe in New York (1794), My Brother’s Bar in Denver (1870), and Crystal Palace in Tombstone (1892). Cheers!