Historical taverns, bars, & speakeasies

From cocktail bars where legendary cocktails were conceived to speakeasies & pubs that survived Prohibition, the USA has some historic drinking dens with fascinating tales to tell.

The Old '76 House, built in 1668, is America's oldest bar. The bar had a role in the Revolutionary War, so it's not simply old. It served as a safe haven and prison for the war's most known spy, Major John Andre.

Tappan's Old '76 House

Jack London frequented Heinold's First & Last Chance Saloon in Jack London Square, Oakland. Following in the footsteps of the White Fang & Call of the Wild author is a big appeal, but that's not all the history here.

Heinold's Last Chance Saloon, Oakland

Luckenbach saloon
Luckenbach was founded in the 1840s by German farmers, and John 'Hondo' Crouch & pals bought it in the 1970s to make it a country music powerhouse.

Historical taverns, bars, & speakeasies

Ball & Chain was one of the earliest nightclubs on Calle Ocho, now Little Havana's centre. The 1935 saloon became a musical hot spot in the 1950s. Billie Holiday, Count Basie, & Chet Baker stayed at Henry Schechtman's Tower Apartments.

Miami's Ball & Chain

Red Onion Saloon is a pub, restaurant, & museum. The inn established in 1897 as a brothel for gold miners, utilising dolls as working ladies.

Skagway's Red Onion Saloon

Old Talbott Tavern was built in 1779 and listed in 1973. Jesse James allegedly shot up a room after imagining that birds on the wall were moving.

Bardstown's Old Talbott Tavern

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