If you think the best nightlife in Arizona is confined to the high-rises of downtown Phoenix, you’re missing the point entirely. I’m currently sitting at the Palace Restaurant and Saloon in Prescott, and honestly? It puts every modern speakeasy I’ve visited this year to shame. There’s something about a place that’s been doing its thing for 149 years that makes a drink taste just a little bit better.
According to reporting from azcentral.com (https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/2026/09/08/arizonas-oldest-bar/91556512007/), this spot opened in 1877 right on Whiskey Row. It’s not just a bar; it’s a survivor. When a massive fire tore through Whiskey Row in 1900, the patrons didn't just run for the door—they actually hauled the Brunswick-brand bar table out of the flames to save it. That’s the kind of dedication to the craft you just don't see anymore.
What really gets me is the guest list. Before they were immortalized in the movie Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, and Doc Holliday were just regulars here. The National Trust for Historic Preservation suggests that Holliday likely celebrated a big gambling win right at this very bar. It’s wild to think that the same space where I’m nursing a drink was once the stomping ground for the most famous outlaws in the West.
After the 1900 fire, the owner, Bob Brow, teamed up with Ben M. Belcher and Barney Smith to rebuild the space, incorporating a hotel, a barber shop, and a Chinese restaurant. It’s a testament to how Prescott—which served as the Territorial Capital from 1864 to 1867 and again starting in 1877—was the true center of the action.
Walking through the wooden interior today, with those classic drop-ceiling tiles, you feel like you’ve stepped onto a movie set. But it’s not a set. It’s the real deal. If you’re tired of the same neon-lit, overpriced scenes in the Valley, take the drive up to Prescott. It’s 149 years of history, and it’s still the best seat in the house.
Full details at [azcentral.com](https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/2026/09/08/arizonas-oldest-bar/91556512007/).
— Sloan Rivers
