When was Knickerbocker Saloon established?

Knickerbocker Saloon claims a founding year of 1835, placing it in the Westward Expansion era.

Knickerbocker Saloon — Oldest Bar in Indiana (Est. 1835)

Q: What is the oldest bar in Indiana?

Knickerbocker Saloon in Lafayette is widely cited as the oldest bar in Indiana, with a claimed founding year of 1835. Verification status: Disputed. The 1835 date — tied to what is described as Indiana's first liquor license, when the bar operated as the Gault House Tavern inside the Lahr Hotel — is well documented, but the Slippery Noodle Inn in Indianapolis credibly disputes the 'oldest bar' title because the Knickerbocker was rebuilt after a 1960s fire and spent a stretch of the 1970s operating as a clock shop, breaking continuous operation.

Q: Is Knickerbocker Saloon still open?

As of our July 2026 review: Open today. Open as of April 2026, daily 4:00 pm-3:00 am, following a recent floor-to-ceiling renovation; it now also serves the full menus of local restaurants Professor Joe's and Digby's. Confirm current hours with the establishment before visiting.

Since 1835

Established in 1835 inside Lafayette's Lahr Hotel as the Gault House Tavern, the bar is credited with holding Indiana's first liquor license. It became the Cherry Wood Bar in the 1850s and took the Knickerbocker Saloon name in 1874, after a player piano of that brand that was a major early draw. The original bar counter was replaced in 1891 with a walnut bar faced in inch-thick cherry veneer that remains in use today, and a 1981 remodel uncovered the pressed-tin ceiling and added a performance room. Continuity was interrupted by a fire in the 1960s and a brief stint as a clock shop in the 1970s. Today, under owner Jeff Hamann, it is one of Lafayette's premier live jazz venues.

Reported patrons over nearly two centuries include Purdue University founder John Purdue, Ulysses S. Grant, Mark Twain, Al Capone, and Purdue alumnus Neil Armstrong.

What to order: Cocktails and a list of 84 craft and specialty beers served at the 1891 walnut-and-cherry bar, with regular live jazz.

How solid is the claim?

Disputed

Indiana’s oldest bar — the evidence

Knickerbocker Saloon in Lafayette is our featured pick for the oldest bar in Indiana, with a claimed founding year of 1835. The 1835 date — tied to what is described as Indiana's first liquor license, when the bar operated as the Gault House Tavern inside the Lahr Hotel — is well documented, but the Slippery Noodle Inn in Indianapolis credibly disputes the 'oldest bar' title because the Knickerbocker was rebuilt after a 1960s fire and spent a stretch of the 1970s operating as a clock shop, breaking continuous operation.

Claimed Founding

1835

Operating Status

Open today — Open as of April 2026, daily 4:00 pm-3:00 am, following a recent floor-to-ceiling renovation; it now also serves the full menus of local restaurants Professor Joe's and Digby's.

Verification

Disputed

Last Reviewed

July 2026

Competing Claims

Other Indiana establishments with a stake in the title:

1850

Slippery Noodle Inn — Indianapolis

Bills itself as Indiana's oldest continuously operated bar in its original building on the original site, pointing to the Knickerbocker's 1960s fire rebuild and 1970s clock-shop interlude as breaks in continuity.

Knickerbocker Saloon

Since 1835

How solid is the claim?

Indiana’s oldest bar — the evidence

Competing Claims

Sources

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