Historic Old West Saloons Still Open for Business

In 1832, the U.S. Congress passed the Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law. This legislation allowed establishments to serve alcohol without having to lease a room for the night. The new law opened the door to a new type of business and plenty of choices for cowboys, miners and frontiersmen in the Western United States. With the exception of Saloon #10 in Deadwood, South Dakota all the saloons below are at least one hundred years old and have played a role in the history and development of the Wild West.

Saloon #10, Deadwood, SD

The original Nuttall and Mann’s Saloon #10 burned down with most of Deadwood, South Dakota in a fire in 1879. A re-creation named Saloon #10 was opened across the street in 1938. The original Saloon #10 was the site of the murder of “Wild Bill” Hickok in 1876 after a disagreement in a poker game. The chair that Mr. Hickok was murdered in sits in a case above the saloon’s front door. The saloon holds re-enactments of the fateful poker game and displays other memorabilia including the fateful final hand of Aces and Eights.

The city of Deadwood, South Dakota was founded in 1876 during the Black Hills gold rush. The town’s history was popularized by HBO’s “Deadwood” mini-series. The area is a very popular tourist destination with Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower National Monument, Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park all within a few hours distance of Deadwood.

Occidental Saloon, Buffalo, WY

A twenty five foot bar is the hallmark of this storied hotel and saloon. Famous patrons of the hotel and bar included President Theodore Roosevelt, President Herbert Hoover, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill Cody, Butch Cassidy and many others. Story has it that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid would ride from their hideout close by to the Occidental.

The hotel was founded in 1880 and the saloon was refurbished in 1908 to a standard that made it one of the most elegant saloons in the west. The hotel has won awards in recent years for one of the top places to stay in Wyoming. The beautiful embossed tin ceilings are original and the bar back was brought in over a hundred years ago by wagon. Every effort has been made to maintain the history and authenticity of the original structure. Even the ceiling in the saloon still has twenty three bullet holes in it.

Menger Bar, San Antonio, TX

Teddy Roosevelt recruited his Rough Riders from this Lone Star State bar before heading off to fight in the Spanish-American War. Roosevelt would offer cowboys from the Chisholm Trail a free beer as a recruiting strategy. In addition to its historic elements the Menger Hotel & Bar have been known for the appearances of ghosts and strange happenings over the years. Paranormal experts attribute the hauntings to the hotel’s location next to the Alamo. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places the Menger Hotel & Bar is also adjacent to the San Antonio Riverwalk.

The bar was built in 1887 as a replica of the House of Lord’s Pub in London. The bar is made of dark cherry wood and the mirrors were imported from France. The hotel was built in 1859 by William and Mary Menger on the site abandoned by the first brewery in Texas. It quickly became known as the finest hotel west of the Mississippi.

Bucket of Blood Saloon, Virginia City, NV

During a period of the 19th Century, Virginia City was the most important city between Denver and San Francisco. The mining boom had turned the barren desert into a vital industrial city. The riches taken from the mines turned simple miners into millionaires. Mansions, hospitals, schools and opera houses were built seemingly in the middle of nowhere. At one time there were as many as 115 bars and saloons in Virginia City.

Dating back to 1876, the Bucket of Blood Saloon has always been a favorite watering hole for locals and visitors. Like many western towns Virginia City experienced a tragic fire in 1875 and the saloon was built on the site of the Boston Saloon. The television show Bonanza got its name from the “Bonanza Group” who had discovered one of the largest mineral deposits in the area. Despite its ominous name, the Bucket Blood prides itself as a friendly escape.

Palace Restaurant and Saloon, Prescott, AZ

More than just a place to have a shot of whiskey, the Palace Saloon was business central to the people of Prescott, Arizona in the 1800s. The saloon served as a place to process mineral claims, a base for local elections and where the unemployed could find work. Established in September of 1877, The Palace was the most famous saloon on Whiskey Row. Wyatt and Virgil Earp along with Doc Holliday were some of the more famous customers. Doc Holliday had one of his biggest poker wins at the saloon and shortly after headed to Tombstone, Arizona along with the Earp Brothers. All three men were vital figures in the infamous shootout at the O.K. Corral.

In 1900 the saloon was destroyed by fire and in 1901 was rebuilt to include a barber shop and Chinese restaurant. The original 1880s Brunswick Bar was saved from the fire and is in use today.

Genoa Bar and Saloon, Genoa, NV

Nowhere more than northern Nevada is the Wild West still alive today. The bleak landscape has few sizable towns outside of Reno and Carson City. Brothels and gambling halls still exist as does a spirit of a time gone by. The oldest saloon in Nevada is the Genoa Bar and Saloon in a small town south of Carson City.

The original bar was built in 1853 and has changed names over the years but has always operated as a saloon. The historic bar has been the backdrop for numerous movie scenes including “Misery” with James Caan, “The Shootist” with John Wayne and “Charley Varrick” with Walter Matthau. Many musical stars have been drawn to the old west “thirst parlor”. Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and John Denver to name a few have ponied up to the Genoa Bar for their favorite libation. Many aspects of the bar are original including the diamond dust mirror that was brought over from Glasgow, Scotland in 1840. Unlike many old historic landmarks the Genoa Bar and Saloon is owned by a local couple.

Crystal Palace Saloon, Tombstone, AZ

Anyone who has visited history rich Tombstone would at least partly agree that tall tales have overshadowed the more interesting truth in this fabled town. A list of this type would be missing if it didn’t include a Tombstone saloon. The Crystal Palace Saloon was originally known as the Golden Eagle Brewing Company and got its start in the early 1800s. In June of 1881, fire destroyed most of the town and the site where the brewery existed was quickly rebuilt and named the Crystal Palace Saloon.

At one point Deputy Marshall Virgil Earp had his office on the second floor of the saloon along with the local physician and coroner.

Tombstone is best known for the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp, Virgil Earp and Doc Holliday took on the McClaury and Clanton brothers. The gunfight story has been told through movies and books many times. It is definitely worth the experience to down a shot of whiskey or cold glass of something and imagine the rough existence that was the west in the 1800s.

Cold Spring Tavern, Santa Barbara, CA

Imagine riding an old stagecoach over rough terrain for long distances. Being able to get out to stretch your legs and grab some food and drink would have been a luxury. This is how the Cold Spring Tavern got its start in 1886. Situated along the San Marco Pass in the mountains east of Santa Barbara, California the once stagecoach rest stop is now a full service restaurant and tavern.

In 1901, those areas that accessed Santa Barbara from the east by stagecoach had the option to use the new rail lines. This spelled the end for the Cold Spring Rest Stop and it was many years before suitable roads made it possible to operate the tavern as a profitable business. Today the tavern is a very popular restaurant and place to have a cold drink and take in the historic buildings that sit on the property.

Buckhorn Exchange, Denver, CO

Holding the first liquor license issued in the state of Colorado is the Buckhorn Exchange. Henry H. “Shorty Scout” Zietz opened the bar in 1893. His nickname was given to him by Chief Sitting Bull who he met while working as a scout with William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Zeitz befriended President Theodore Roosevelt (has been named in the historical accounts of just about every saloon in the Wild West) and lead him on hunting trips in Colorado and hunted with him in Africa. He opened the Exchange after hearing from local railway workers that there was no place near the train depot to drink.

The walls and displays of the Buckhorn Exchange are decorated with hunting trophies, a gun collection and other artifacts from the pioneer days. Although it feels more like a museum the Buckhorn Exchange is an award winning restaurant and bar.

Pioneer Saloon, Goodsprings, NV

Built in 1913 in a very small town south of Las Vegas, the Pioneer Saloon gives those who pass through its front door a true feeling of stepping back in time. The exterior and interior walls are stamped tin and were manufactured by Sears and Roebuck. This type of construction is thought to be the last of its kind in the states. The saloon inside and out and its location give the visitor a sense of what the Wild West looked and felt like.

A room next to the main bar area is dedicated to memorabilia. Most of the memorabilia centers on Clark Gable and a plane crash that killed his wife Carole Lombard. Gable waited at the bar for three days waiting for word on his wife who was aboard a plane that crashed into a nearby mountain on January 16, 1942. The story goes that holes burned into the wooden bar surface were those of Clark Cable when he put out his cigarettes.

Anyone who has watched a car commercial and the backdrop was the southwest has surely caught a glimpse of the Pioneer Saloon. If you are visiting Las Vegas and need a break from the bright lights and the ringing of slot machines the Pioneer Saloon fits the bill. Please don’t tell too many though as this place is a true hidden gem.