When was Glur's Tavern established?

Glur's Tavern claims a founding year of 1876, placing it in the Civil War & Reconstruction era.

Glur's Tavern — Oldest Bar in Nebraska (Est. 1876)

Q: What is the oldest bar in Nebraska?

Glur's Tavern in Columbus is widely cited as the oldest bar in Nebraska, with a claimed founding year of 1876. Verification status: Verified. Multiple independent sources — the National Register of Historic Places (listed 1975), the National Trust, state tourism, and Nebraska media — document continuous operation since 1876, including through Prohibition, and no rival claim within Nebraska was found. Its only caveat is regional framing: it is often called the second-oldest continuously operating tavern west of the Mississippi, after Breckenridge, Colorado's Gold Pan Saloon.

Q: Is Glur's Tavern still open?

As of our July 2026 review: Open today. Open and thriving: Nebraska Public Media profiled it in March 2025, and Yelp/Tripadvisor listings updated into June 2026 show daily service (roughly 11 a.m. to midnight, closed Sundays). Longtime owners Todd and Carrie Trofholz retired and sold the tavern to new local owners on August 2, 2024 after 32 years; it continues operating unchanged. Confirm current hours with the establishment before visiting.

Since 1876

Swiss immigrant brothers William and Joseph Bucher built the tavern in 1876 as Bucher's Saloon, known early on for selling cigars and tobacco. Louis Glur, who had worked at the bar since boyhood, purchased and renamed it in 1914, and kept the stools filled through Prohibition with playing cards, cribbage boards, and slot machines. The bar was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 30, 1975, and its white clapboard building remains largely unchanged. It is widely cited as the oldest continuously operating tavern west of the Missouri River and, after a 2024 ownership change, still serves as a neighborhood bar and burger spot today.

Local legend holds that Buffalo Bill Cody paid his tab with a $1,000 bill in May 1883, when his entourage came to Columbus for the funeral of his friend Major Frank North, former leader of the Pawnee Scouts.

What to order: Famous burgers and thick, skin-on fried potato slices sprinkled with Lawry's seasoned salt.

How solid is the claim?

Verified

Nebraska’s oldest bar — the evidence

Glur's Tavern in Columbus is our featured pick for the oldest bar in Nebraska, with a claimed founding year of 1876. Multiple independent sources — the National Register of Historic Places (listed 1975), the National Trust, state tourism, and Nebraska media — document continuous operation since 1876, including through Prohibition, and no rival claim within Nebraska was found. Its only caveat is regional framing: it is often called the second-oldest continuously operating tavern west of the Mississippi, after Breckenridge, Colorado's Gold Pan Saloon.

Claimed Founding

1876

Operating Status

Open today — Open and thriving: Nebraska Public Media profiled it in March 2025, and Yelp/Tripadvisor listings updated into June 2026 show daily service (roughly 11 a.m. to midnight, closed Sundays). Longtime owners Todd and Carrie Trofholz retired and sold the tavern to new local owners on August 2, 2024 after 32 years; it continues operating unchanged.

Verification

Verified

Last Reviewed

July 2026

Glur's Tavern

Since 1876

How solid is the claim?

Nebraska’s oldest bar — the evidence

Sources

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