The
Pirate's House(1753)
20 East Broad Street
Savannah, GA 31401
Since 1753, The Pirate's House has been welcoming visitors to Savannah with
a bounty of delicious food and drink and rousing good times. Situated a
scant block from the Savannah River, The Pirate's House first opened as an
inn for seafarers, and fast became a rendezvous for blood-thirsty pirates
and sailors from the Seven Seas. Here seamen drank their grog and
discoursed, sailor fashion, on their exotic high seas adventures from
Singapore to Bombay and from London to Port Said.
Jean Lafittes
Blacksmith Shop(1772)
941 Bourbon Street
New Orleans, LA 70116.
One of the all-time favorite tourist attractions of the New Orleans French
Quarter is Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, on the corner of Bourbon Street
and St. Phillip Street. It was built sometime before 1772, and is one of the
few remaining original "French architecture" structures in the French
Quarter.For the past several decades, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, privately
owned, is operated as a bar and restaurant, and is a favorite haunt for
tourists and locals alike.
The Horse You Came In On(1775)
1626 Thames St.
Baltimore, MD 21231
The name may come from a pre-fight mantra – "I can take you AND the horse you
rode in on!" - but visitors will only find good times and upbeat vibes inside
this popular Baltimore nightlife hotspot. "The Horse" is a fairly low-key
waterfront bar, unlike other Baltimore nightclubs, but things heat up on the
weekends when live rock is featured and the party crowd comes out to listen,
mingle, and dance. It must be a great place if it’s been a tavern since 1775!
Bell In Hand(1795)
45 Union Street
Boston, MA 02108
The Bell in Hand Tavern was established in 1795 by Jimmy Wilson, Boston's last
known town crier. Good news or bad, Bostonians heard it from Jimmy. He reported
on everything from the Boston Tea Party to the birth of the nation. Upon
retirement, Jimmy opened a tavern and called it appropriately enough, The Bell
and Hand. It is currently housed in a building that dates back to 1844. Daniel
Webster, Paul Revere, and Wllliam McKinley were known to frequent the Bell in
Hand Tavern.
The Knickerbocker(1835)
113 N. 5th Street
Lafayette, IN
Established in 1835 as the “Cherry Wood Bar” of the Lahr Luxury Hotel, and
issued Indiana’s first liquor license, this is in fact Indiana’s oldest bar. The
“Cherry Wood Bar” was later renamed the Knickerbocker Saloon in 1874 when the
areas first player piano was introduced. The Knickerbocker's player piano was a
technological wonder in its day. A gentleman could stop in; get a shave,
haircut, shot and a brew. Many gents spent their days in the luxury of the bar
reading a good book, playing cards, or waiting on the next train that stopped
directly out front, on 5th St. The Knickerbocker boasts a guest list including;
President Grant, Mark Twain, Al Capone, and even Neil Armstrong.
The
Spread Eagle Tavern(1837)
10150 Plymouth St.
Hanoverton, OH 44423
The Spread Eagle Tavern dates back to the Canal Era of the early Nineteenth
Century when the village of Hanover was a bustling stop on the Sandy & Beaver
Canal. Erected in 1837, the three-story Federal Period brick tavern house served
as a hostelry for many a weary traveler and for Hanover townsfolk. Today, more
than 150 years later…and after an extensive two-year restoration by Peter and
Jean Johnson… the Spread Eagle Tavern has become an Ohio landmark. With its
seven dining rooms and five guestrooms, the tavern offers gourmet dining and
deluxe overnight accommodations in a uniquely historic setting.
The Slippery Noodle Inn(1850)
372 S. Meridian St
Indianapolis, Indiana
The Slippery Noodle Inn was originally founded in 1850 as the Tremont House. It
is Indiana's oldest, continually operated bar in the original building. The
Noodle is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Originally it was
a roadhouse and a bar. It has raditionally been owned by people of German decent
and it was one of the first German clubs in Indianapolis. The Noodle has been
through several name changes over the years. In the 1860's the name was changed
to the Concordia House. This name came from the first German Lutheran immigrant
ship to land in the new world (the Concord). As a side note, there is a cemetery
on south Meridian Street named Concordia.
McSorley's Old Ale House(1854)
15 East 7th Street
New York, NY 10003
McSorley's Old Ale House has been a gathering place, a watering hole, the
subject of art and literature and even a supreme court controversy. Established
in 1854 - McSorley's can boast of being New York City's oldest continuously
operated saloon. Everyone from Abe Lincoln to John Lennon have passed thru
Mcsorley's swinging doors. Woody Guthrie inspired the union movement from a
table in the front - guitar in hand, while civil rights attorney's Faith
Seidenberg and Karen DeCrow had to take their case to the Supreme Court to gain
access. Women were finally allowed access to McSorleyÕs in 1970! So belly up.
Enter the sawdust strewn floors and history patched walls for a trip back
through time. Share the McSorley's experience with the spirits of 150 years!
Old Ebbitt Grill(1856)
675 Fifteenth Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20005
Old Ebbitt Grill is just steps from The White House and museums in downtown
Washington. Established in 1856, it was a favorite of Presidents Grant,
Cleveland, Harding and Theodore Roosevelt and is still a popular meeting spot
for political insiders, journalists, celebrities and theater-goers.Its
Beaux-Arts facade, mahogany and velvet booths and bars set in marble, brass and
beveled glass are Washington at its finest, and The Oyster Bar at Old Ebbitt is
D.C.'s most famous. Founded by William E. Ebbitt, the guest list has included
Presidents McKinley, Grant, Johnson, Cleveland, Roosevelt, and Harding.
McGillin's Olde Ale House(1860)
1310 Drury Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Shortly after the Liberty Bell cracked and long before ground was broken for
City Hall, McGillin’s Olde Ale House threw open its doors. Its beer taps have
been flowing since 1860 -- making it the oldest continuously operating tavern in
Philadelphia. McGillin’s has outlasted Strawbridge’s, the Civil War and even
Prohibition. McGillin's is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2010.
The
Saloon(1861)
1232 Grant
San Francisco, CA 94133
World's greatest blues bar? Well, that may be a little strong, but it's the
oldest bar in San Francisco and boasts the best of the blues in the Bay Area,
not only in terms of the incredibly good music with almost unbelievably small
crowds of a mid-week evening, but because of the impressive array of CDs
recorded on the premises and released by proprietor Myron Mu.
P.J. Clarke's(1868)
915 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
At the crossroads of New York's cultural life, P.J. Clarke's at Lincoln Square
has quickly become a fixture on the city's Upper West Side. Step inside and
immediately feel the warmth and democracy of traditions begun over 125 years
ago. Artists, singers, dancers and stagehands mix happily with theatergoers who
will soon be seated to watch them perform. The familiar chatter of old friends
and new acquaintances sing backup while Frank and Tony croon through the
upstairs café and in the downstairs dining room. Every night becomes a Manhattan
moment all it's own, where everyone is welcome.
Ear Inn(1874)
326 Spring Street
New York, NY 10013
At some time mid 19th century, this building became a spiritual establishment.
Thomas Cooke brewed beer and sold crocks of corn, whiskey to thirsty sailors.
The bottles above the bar and jugs above the phone booth were all dug out of the
basement below the dining room. This area was once a backyard for a garden and
an outhouse. A back alley extended to Washington Street near the canal and
flower market on Canal Street. The dining room was constructed when the brewery
became a restaurant at the turn of the century. Later it was a speakeasy during
Prohibition. The upstairs apartment was variously a boarding house, smuggler’s
den, and brothel. Ghosts have been heard and seen, in particular one “Mickey,” a
sailor still waiting for his clipper ship to come in.
White Horse Tavern(1880)
567 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
The White Horse Tavern, located in New York City's borough of Manhattan at
Hudson Street and 11th Street, is known for its 1950s and 1960s Bohemian
culture. It is one of the few major gathering-places for writers and artists
from this period in Greenwich Village that remains open. The bar opened in 1880,
but was known more as a longshoremen's bar than a literary center until Dylan
Thomas and other writers began frequenting it in the early 1950s. Due to its
literary fame, in the past few decades the White Horse has become a popular
destination among tourists.
This listing of the
Top Ten oldest bars and taverns in the United States are constantly being revised as we drink more and more of the great beers at Americas oldest drinking establishments.
So, If you feel we
are missing one,
please email us
and let us
know!