The Wild West wasn’t just about dusty trails and showdowns at high noon. Saloons were the beating heart of frontier towns, serving as everything from social clubs to courtrooms to makeshift hospitals.
These establishments weren’t the fancy cocktail lounges we know today—they were rough-and-tumble watering holes where cowboys, miners, gamblers, and outlaws rubbed elbows over whiskey that could strip paint. Some of these legendary establishments are still standing, preserved as reminders of a time when the West was truly wild.
Here’s a list of 17 historic saloons that helped define the American frontier.
Long Branch Saloon
The Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas, became one of the most famous drinking establishments in the Old West, partly because of the TV show ‘Gunsmoke’ that made it a household name. The original saloon opened in 1874 and quickly became the preferred hangout for law enforcement officers like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, both of whom worked as deputies in Dodge City.
The building burned down in 1885, but a replica now stands on Front Street, giving visitors a taste of what frontier nightlife looked like when cattle drives ruled the plains.
Crystal Palace Saloon
Tombstone, Arizona’s Crystal Palace, opened in 1879 and survived the town’s most violent years, including the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The saloon catered to a slightly more upscale crowd than your average watering hole, featuring ornate mirrors, a mahogany bar, and even a small stage for entertainment.
Today, it still serves drinks at the same location, making it one of the oldest continuously operating saloons in Arizona and a must-visit for anyone chasing frontier history.
Bird Cage Theatre
The Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone was much more than a mere saloon—it was a melting pot of a theater, a brothel, and a gambling den all in one. The New York Times hailed it as ‘the most wicked and wildest nightplace between Basin Street and Barbary Coast’ in 1881 and 1889.
The structure is still standing with more than 140 bullets piercing through its walls and ceiling, which is proof that sometimes the disputes were settled with lead rather than words.
Bucket Of Blood Saloon
Virginia City, Nevada’s Bucket of Blood Saloon earned its grim name from the violent fights that regularly broke out inside its walls during the silver mining boom of the 1860s. The wooden floorboards were supposedly stained so badly with blood that they had to be replaced multiple times.
The saloon still operates today, serving drinks in a building that feels frozen in time, complete with creaky floors and old mining tools hanging on the walls.
Oriental Saloon
The Oriental Saloon in Tombstone was considered the fanciest gambling hall in town during the 1880s. Wyatt Earp worked there as a dealer and part-owner, making a comfortable living dealing faro while keeping an eye on the rougher elements of the community.
The original building no longer stands, but modern Tombstone has recreated the establishment to give tourists a glimpse into where fortunes were won and lost on the turn of a card.
Palace Restaurant And Saloon
Prescott, Arizona’s Palace Restaurant and Saloon has been pouring drinks since 1877, making it Arizona’s oldest continuously operating frontier saloon. The building survived multiple fires that destroyed much of downtown Prescott, and its iconic Brunswick bar was shipped around Cape Horn from the East Coast.
Legendary figures like Doc Holliday and Virgil Earp drank here, and the carved wooden bar is still the centerpiece of the establishment today.
Jersey Lilly Saloon
Judge Roy Bean operated the Jersey Lilly Saloon in Langtry, Texas, as both a courthouse and drinking establishment, famously calling himself ‘The Law West of the Pecos.’ He named the saloon after the English actress Lillie Langtry, whom he admired from afar but never actually met.
Bean dispensed rough justice from behind the bar, sometimes holding court while simultaneously serving whiskey, blurring the line between legal proceedings and happy hour in ways that would horrify modern judges.
Saloon No. 10
Deadwood, South Dakota’s Saloon No. 10, gained infamy as the place where Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back while playing poker in 1876. Hickok was holding a pair of aces and a pair of eights when he died, a combination now known as the ‘dead man’s hand’ in poker circles.
The original building burned down in 1879, but the current Saloon No. 10 operates on the same site and recreates the shooting multiple times daily for tourists.
White Elephant Saloon
Fort Worth’s White Elephant Saloon opened in 1884 and quickly became the city’s most notorious gambling hall. In 1887, the establishment witnessed a fatal shootout between lawman and gunfighter Luke Short and former marshal Jim Courtright, cementing its reputation as a dangerous place where disputes could turn deadly in seconds.
The saloon closed during Prohibition but was faithfully reconstructed in 1997, complete with period furnishings and a recreation of the original mahogany bar.
Big Nose Kate’s Saloon
Named after Doc Holliday’s fiery companion, Big Nose Kate’s Saloon in Tombstone occupies the former Grand Hotel building from 1880. Kate Elder, who earned her unfortunate nickname from contemporaries, was known for her volatile relationship with the tubercular dentist-turned-gunfighter.
The building served various purposes over the years before becoming a saloon again in 1970, and it’s now filled with period artifacts and photographs from Tombstone’s violent heyday.
Occidental Saloon
Buffalo, Wyoming’s Occidental Saloon has been serving drinks since 1880, when the town was a rough supply point for ranches and the U.S. Cavalry stationed at nearby Fort McKinney. The saloon’s 23-foot-long cherry wood bar was hauled by oxen from the railroad in Nebraska, and Theodore Roosevelt, Butch Cassidy, and Calamity Jane all reportedly drank there.
The building still operates as a hotel and saloon, maintaining much of its original Victorian-era charm.
Silver Dollar Saloon
The Silver Dollar Saloon in Leadville, Colorado, was one of the prominent places during the 1880s silver boom when people became rich and poor within the blink of an eye. The original bar was said to have more than 350 silver dollars lying under its surface; however, the majority of them were taken out by desperate workers during the hard times.
The town of Leadville was visited by the infamous Doc Holliday, who played cards here and there before going to Tombstone, thus making the bars of Leadville the hotspot of Wild West stories.
Irma Hotel And Saloon
Buffalo Bill Cody built the Irma Hotel in Cody, Wyoming, in 1902 and named it after his daughter. The saloon featured a spectacular cherrywood bar that Queen Victoria supposedly gifted to Cody, though historians debate this claim.
The establishment served as a luxurious stopover for tourists heading to Yellowstone National Park and remains operational today, complete with period furnishings and daily summer shootout reenactments.
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
Jackson, Wyoming’s Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, opened in 1937, making it a relative newcomer compared to other establishments on this list. What makes it memorable are the saddles that serve as barstools and the thousands of silver dollars embedded in the bar top and woodwork.
While it postdates the classic Wild West era, the bar captures the spirit of frontier Wyoming and has become an iconic western watering hole in its own right.
Gold Dust Saloon
The Gold Dust Saloon operated in Deadwood during the Black Hills gold rush of the 1870s, when the mining camp swelled with fortune seekers. Deadwood had dozens of saloons packed onto its muddy main street, and establishments like the Gold Dust competed fiercely for customers flush with gold nuggets.
While the original building is long gone, modern Deadwood has recreated several period saloons that capture the atmosphere of those wild days.
Piper’s Opera House Bar
Virginia City, Nevada’s Piper’s Opera House Bar included a saloon alongside its main theater when it opened in 1863. The establishment hosted some of the West’s finest entertainment, with performers like Mark Twain, John Philip Sousa, and Buffalo Bill appearing on stage.
At the same time, audience members could grab drinks during intermission. The building burned down twice and was rebuilt each time, demonstrating the frontier communities’ determination to maintain their culture alongside the rougher aspects of mining camp life.
Buffalo Bar
The Buffalo Bar in Buffalo, Wyoming, competed with the Occidental Saloon for cowboy business during the town’s cattle-driving heyday. Wyoming’s open range attracted massive herds and the cowboys who drove them, creating demand for establishments where ranch hands could blow off steam after months on the trail.
While less famous than some establishments on this list, places like the Buffalo Bar were the norm rather than the exception, serving as community centers in isolated frontier towns scattered across the West.
The Legacy Of Frontier Drinking
These saloons weren’t just places to drink—they functioned as banks, post offices, courtrooms, and social centers in communities that often lacked formal institutions. The myths we have about the Wild West often center on these establishments because they truly were where history happened, from famous gunfights to business deals that shaped entire territories.
Today, whether preserved as museums or still serving cold beer, these buildings connect us to a time when the American frontier was being settled one drink at a time.
More From Travel Pug
- Underrated Italian Towns That Beat the Tourist Crowds
- Las Vegas Tourist Traps to Skip
- Prettiest Towns in Every US State
- 18 passport-free countries for Americans
- Signs Your Cruise Is Not Worth The Cost
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.