Arizona’s Oldest Bar, Where Wyatt Earp & Other Legends Drank to the Wild West

The Palace Restaurant and Saloon, Prescott AZ

Most Old West saloons are long gone, but the Palace in Prescott has been pouring whiskey since Rutherford B. Hayes was president.

The original bar came by wagon train from the East Coast in the 1880s. Doc Holliday himself once played poker in the back room.

Here’s how this frontier dive became a state landmark.

Famous Wild West Patrons

Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, and Doc Holliday drank at the Palace in the late 1870s before moving to Tombstone. Virgil lived in Prescott with his wife Allie. He worked as Town Constable and owned a sawmill at nearby Thumb Butte.

Doc Holliday won $10,000 playing poker on Whiskey Row, equal to about $280,000 today. His time in Prescott wasn’t all good fortune.

Records show Holliday killed a man inside the Palace during a knife fight, an early sign of the violence that would later happen at the O.K. Corral.

The Famous Brunswick Bar

The Palace’s crown jewel is its Brunswick bar from the 1880s, built by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company.

Workers crafted this bar in New Jersey, then shipped it around South America’s Cape Horn to San Francisco. From there, pack mules carried it across rough country to Prescott.

The bar stretches 24 feet long, hand-carved from solid oak with fine details. Its polished cherry top and French plate glass mirrors show the fine craftsmanship of the time.

The Great Fire of 1900

On July 14, 1900, fire tore through Whiskey Row, threatening to destroy the Palace and everything in it.

As flames closed in, about 50 loyal patrons refused to let the Brunswick bar burn. They lifted the massive wooden bar and carried it across the street to the courthouse plaza.

This was no small task given the bar’s huge size and weight. The men fought through smoke and heat to save this piece of Prescott history.

Once safe in the plaza, these same men set up the bar and kept drinking while watching the fire consume their favorite saloon.

The Jennie Clark Murder

In 1884, the Palace saw a brutal crime when Jennie Clark, a 26-year-old female escort whose real name was Nellie Coyle, was beaten to death.

Her boyfriend Fred Glover, a gambler and opium user, attacked her during an argument at the bar. Nobody stepped in to help, and Jennie died from her injuries.

A jury quickly found Glover guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced him to hang.

Governor Frederick Tritle later changed his sentence to life in prison. The next governor, Oakes Murphy, reduced it further, and Glover walked free after just five years.

The 1901 Rebuilding

After the 1900 fire, owners spent $50,000 to rebuild the Palace bigger and better than before.

The new building opened in 1901 as The Palace Hotel and Bar. It now included a Chinese restaurant and barber shop to serve more customers.

Built as a two-story structure using gray granite, iron, and fancy pressed bricks, it measured 75 feet wide and 125 feet deep.

The front featured the Arizona Territory seal with a mountain lion and bear on either side, symbols of the frontier spirit that defined early Prescott.

Presidential Connection

In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Palace during his trip to Prescott.

He came to town to dedicate a statue honoring William “Bucky” O’Neil, a local hero Roosevelt knew personally.

O’Neil had been Prescott’s mayor before joining Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry unit in the Spanish-American War of 1898.

The statue honored O’Neil, who died fighting at San Juan Hill in Cuba. This monument still stands in the Prescott courthouse plaza, just across from the Palace.

Silver Screen History

The Palace hit the big screen in 1972 in the movie “Junior Bonner,” starring Steve McQueen as a rodeo rider coming home.

Director Sam Peckinpah filmed a wild bar fight inside the actual Palace, showing off its authentic western feel.

Other movies shot here include “Billy Jack” with Tom Laughlin and “Wanda Nevada” with Peter Fonda and young Brooke Shields.

A mural inside celebrates the “Junior Bonner” filming, letting customers enjoy a drink where Steve McQueen once stood during this classic western.

Haunted Reputation

Many believe ghosts haunt the Palace. Some say Jennie Clark’s spirit floats through the first floor, still angry about her murder.

Another ghost might be Mr. Nevins, who once owned Prescott’s funeral parlor until he lost it in a poker game with the sheriff. People feel his presence near card games.

Staff hear a ghost they call “Master Pastor,” who makes heavy boot sounds through the saloon.

These stories brought TV’s “Ghost Adventures” to film at the Palace in 2016. The crew claimed they found supernatural activity in the basement.

The 1996 Restoration

In 1996, owner Dave Michelson started a major project to return the Palace to its historic look.

Workers put back period features like swinging saloon doors, hardwood floors, and wooden wall panels called wainscoting.

They kept original elements like bullet holes in the metal ceiling, left from when cowboys fired guns during celebrations.

Visiting The Palace Restaurant and Saloon

You’ll find The Palace at 120 S. Montezuma Street on Prescott’s historic Whiskey Row.

Open daily from 11am to 10pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11am to 11pm Friday and Saturday. No entry fee to visit the bar area, but dinner reservations are recommended for the restaurant.

Enjoy monthly dinner theater shows for $55 including meal and performance. Don’t miss live music on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

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