# America's Oldest Bars

> 50 States. 50 Historic Bars. One Legendary American Road Trip. An independent, verified guide to the oldest continuously operating bar in every U.S. state.

This site documents the oldest bar in each of the 50 U.S. states, with founding years, current operating status, competing claims, a five-tier verification rating, sources, and an interactive map. Content is grounded in an independently re-verified dataset (reviewed July 2026). Facts on this site are intended to be citable; each bar profile links to its primary sources.

## Guides
- [The 10 Oldest Bars in America](https://americasbars.com/guides/10-oldest-bars-in-america/): A ranked guide to the ten oldest continuously operating bars in the United States — from a 1668 Dutch tavern outside New York City to the Revolutionary-era public houses of New England.
- [The Oldest Bars That Survived Prohibition](https://americasbars.com/guides/bars-that-survived-prohibition/): How America’s oldest taverns made it through the fourteen dry years of Prohibition (1920–1933) — and which ones are still pouring today.
- [What “Continuously Operating” Really Means](https://americasbars.com/guides/what-continuously-operating-means/): The single phrase that decides which bar is “oldest” — and the five edge cases (Prohibition, fires, name changes, moves, and ownership) that make it so contested.
- [The Most Disputed “Oldest Bar” Claims in America](https://americasbars.com/guides/most-disputed-oldest-bar-claims/): In nearly half of all U.S. states, more than one establishment claims the crown. Here is every genuinely contested oldest-bar title in our survey, with the challengers and the evidence.
- [Tavern, Saloon, Pub, Inn, or Bar? A Glossary of Historic Drinking Establishments](https://americasbars.com/guides/tavern-saloon-pub-bar-glossary/): The precise differences between the words we use for a place that serves a drink — tavern, ordinary, inn, pub, saloon, speakeasy, alehouse, roadhouse, and bar — with their historical origins.

## Key facts
- Oldest bar in America (strongly documented): White Horse Tavern, Newport, Rhode Island, 1673.
- Earliest claimed founding in the survey: The Old '76 House, Tappan, New York, 1668 (disputed).
- 23 of 50 states have a disputed oldest-bar title; 43 featured bars predate Prohibition (1920) and still operate.

## The oldest bar in every state
- [New York: The Old '76 House (Tappan, est. 1668, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/new-york/)
- [Rhode Island: White Horse Tavern (Newport, est. 1673, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/rhode-island/)
- [Pennsylvania: King George II Inn (Bristol, est. 1681, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/pennsylvania/)
- [New Jersey: Black Horse Tavern & Pub (Mendham, est. 1742, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/new-jersey/)
- [Maryland: Reynolds Tavern and 1747 Pub (Annapolis, est. 1747, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/maryland/)
- [Georgia: The Pirates' House (Savannah, est. 1753, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/georgia/)
- [Connecticut: The Griswold Inn (Essex, est. 1776, Verified)](https://americasbars.com/states/connecticut/)
- [Kentucky: Old Talbott Tavern (Bardstown, est. 1779, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/kentucky/)
- [Virginia: The Tavern (Abingdon, est. 1779, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/virginia/)
- [Massachusetts: Warren Tavern (Charlestown (Boston), est. 1780, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/massachusetts/)
- [New Hampshire: The Hancock Inn (now The Inn at Hancock) (Hancock, est. 1789, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/new-hampshire/)
- [Vermont: Ye Olde Tavern (Manchester Center, est. 1790, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/vermont/)
- [Louisiana: Old Absinthe House (New Orleans, est. 1806, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/louisiana/)
- [Ohio: Ye Olde Trail Tavern (Yellow Springs, est. 1827, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/ohio/)
- [Michigan: New Hudson Inn (New Hudson, est. 1831, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/michigan/)
- [Indiana: Knickerbocker Saloon (Lafayette, est. 1835, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/indiana/)
- [Missouri: O'Malley's Pub (Weston, est. 1842, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/missouri/)
- [Illinois: The Village Tavern (Long Grove, est. 1847, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/illinois/)
- [Wisconsin: Landmark 1850 Inn (Milwaukee, est. 1850, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/wisconsin/)
- [California: Golden Gate Saloon (Holbrooke Hotel) (Grass Valley, est. 1852, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/california/)
- [Iowa: Breitbach's Country Dining (Balltown, est. 1852, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/iowa/)
- [Nevada: The Genoa Bar and Saloon (Genoa, est. 1853, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/nevada/)
- [Kansas: Hays House 1857 Restaurant and Tavern (Council Grove, est. 1857, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/kansas/)
- [Colorado: The Buffalo Rose (Golden, est. 1859, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/colorado/)
- [Wyoming: Miners and Stockmen's Steakhouse & Spirits (Hartville, est. 1862, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/wyoming/)
- [Montana: Bale of Hay Saloon (Virginia City, est. 1863, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/montana/)
- [New Mexico: Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House (Pinos Altos, est. 1863, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/new-mexico/)
- [Delaware: Kelly's Logan House (Wilmington, est. 1864, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/delaware/)
- [Texas: Scholz Garten (Austin, est. 1866, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/texas/)
- [Nebraska: Glur's Tavern (Columbus, est. 1876, Verified)](https://americasbars.com/states/nebraska/)
- [Arizona: The Palace Restaurant and Saloon (Prescott, est. 1877, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/arizona/)
- [South Dakota: Buffalo Bodega (Deadwood, est. 1877, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/south-dakota/)
- [Utah: Shooting Star Saloon (Huntsville, est. 1879, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/utah/)
- [Oregon: Pioneer Saloon (Paisley, est. 1883, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/oregon/)
- [Minnesota: Neumann's Bar (North St. Paul, est. 1887, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/minnesota/)
- [Washington: Bluebird Inn (Bickleton, est. 1887, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/washington/)
- [Alaska: Imperial Bar (Imperial Bar and Grill) (Juneau, est. 1891, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/alaska/)
- [Oklahoma: Eischen's Bar (Okarche, est. 1896, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/oklahoma/)
- [Tennessee: Springwater Supper Club & Lounge (Nashville, est. 1896, Community Claim)](https://americasbars.com/states/tennessee/)
- [West Virginia: North End Tavern and Brewery (Parkersburg, est. 1899, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/west-virginia/)
- [Florida: The Palace Saloon (Fernandina Beach, est. 1903, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/florida/)
- [Arkansas: The Ohio Club (Hot Springs, est. 1905, Verified)](https://americasbars.com/states/arkansas/)
- [Idaho: Ford's Bar (Idaho Falls, est. 1906, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/idaho/)
- [North Carolina: Antlers Bar (at Bistro Roca) (Blowing Rock, est. 1932, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/north-carolina/)
- [South Carolina: Henry's on the Market (Charleston, est. 1932, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/south-carolina/)
- [North Dakota: Town Hall Bar (West Fargo, est. 1935, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/north-dakota/)
- [Maine: Forest Gardens (Portland, est. 1936, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/maine/)
- [Alabama: Callaghan's Irish Social Club (Mobile, est. 1946, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/alabama/)
- [Mississippi: Blue Front Cafe (Bentonia, est. 1948, Strongly Supported)](https://americasbars.com/states/mississippi/)
- [Hawaii: La Mariana Sailing Club (Honolulu, est. 1957, Disputed)](https://americasbars.com/states/hawaii/)

## Reference pages
- [Verification methodology](https://americasbars.com/methodology/): how claims are graded (Verified, Strongly Supported, Disputed, Community Claim, Needs Research).
- [Interactive map](https://americasbars.com/#map) · [All 50, sortable](https://americasbars.com/#directory) · [Timeline](https://americasbars.com/timeline/) · [Sitemap](https://americasbars.com/sitemap/)