Discover Historic Boston Bars

Combine your love of history with tasty Boston brew

Want to see where the Sons of Liberty plotted the American Revolution?  Visit these historic Boston bars and taverns where Bostonians still gather today.

Historic Boston bars, pubs, and taverns may be exactly what you want to explore if you long to follow in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers - and enjoy some refreshment at the same time.  You'll even find one that morphs into a popular Boston dance club at night.

Yes, Boston's Patriots loved their brew and hatched some of their best revolutionary plots while quenching their thirst in the historic Boston bars and taverns that you can still visit today. 

The taverns like to claim that they fueled the fervor behind the revolt against British rule . . . and there does appear to be some truth to that.  Most of them also claim to be the oldest in some way . . . and these claims also seem to be true, depending on how you slice and dice the meaning of "oldest."

So if you're visiting Boston and want to tell your friends and colleagues back home that you toured historic sites and saw with your own eyes where the Sons of Liberty planned the American Revolution, these historic watering holes should be on your "must visit" list. 

Who knows, you might sit in the very same spot where Paul Revere or George Washington raised a glass.

And if anyone back home raises an eyebrow, just point out that back in the old days - the 1600s - Puritan men, women, and children quaffed beer all day long. 

Based on their experience in England, Puritans believed that drinking water was unsafe (and maybe it was back then) - so beer is what everyone drank back in the 1600s.  No wonder you'll still find so many Boston bars today!  

So, time for a tour through history . . . seen through the lens of historic Boston bars.

Green Dragon Tavern

The Green Dragon Tavern dates back to 1654, and is the oldest historic Boston bar from that perspective.

Of course, the original wasn't exactly in the same location where you'll find it today, although it was nearby. . . the tavern moved around a few times back in the early days. 

The original building no longer exists, although you can see a small sketch of it on the wall. 

But no matter.  Paul Revere talks in his memoirs about meetings that he and the other Sons of Liberty - Samuel Adams, John Adams, Dr. Joseph Warren, and others held here. 

When they began to worry that the Redcoats were going to march to Concord to look for munitions, this is where they met to organize an eavesdropping operation so that they could overhear British plans. 

In fact, the Sons of Liberty met here so often that the Green Dragon came to be called the "Headquarters of the American Revolution."  Later, in 1788, the Patriots met in this pub to draw up a resolution to support the Federal Constitution.

So when you stop by this historic Boston bar for a brew, you're truly following the footsteps of American history.

The Green Dragon is now owned by the Somers Family, which started its first Irish pub (Mr. Dooley's Boston Tavern) back in the 1950s and now owns several others.  Under their ownership, the Green Dragon has taken on more of an Irish flavor, and is warm and welcoming.

In case you're wondering if the Green Dragon is now just a tourist spot, capitalizing on its historic past, it's not.  I've actually seldom seen any tourists there at all, perhaps since it's on a small side street - almost an alley - despite being almost next to Faneuil Hall / Quincy Marketplace.

The time of day that you're there also will impact your experience.  Late at night, the entire area around Faneuil Hall / Banknorth Garden / Downtown / Waterfront gets very lively due to all of the bars, restaurants, dance clubs, and other nightspots. Especially on the weekends, hoards of college and university students, young professionals, Boston visitors, and locals are out enjoying themselves. 

The Green Dragon, which is fairly small, can get fairly noisy once it fills up.  If high decibels and high energy vibes are not your cup of tea, so to speak, you'll enjoy yourself more if you go earlier in the day - or at least before around 10pm.  If you do like things hopping, stop by around 11-ish.

During the day, sunshine pours in through the large windows, and you'll understand why the Patriots found this popular Boston bar such a great place to hang out, drink, and plot.

In addition to the usual bar food, the Green Dragon has a full kitchen and serves quite a good lunch and dinner.  The chowder, salads, and sandwiches are all great.  So are the steaks, and also the lobster if it's on the menu. 

If you want to get try some really, really good Boston Irish pub food, try something from the "Revolutionary Fare" part of the menu.  I'm partial to the Fish and Chips, but the Mixed Grill, Cottage and Shepherd Pies, and Bangers and Mash are also wonderful. 

Kids love the Battered Chicken that's served with fries and cole slaw.  Unless they're ravenously hungry, they can probably share one of the large servings, with a bite or 2 left for the deserving parent.

The Green Dragon sports a full bar, so you'll have an easy time finding something good to drink.

The Tavern features bands on most nights, except for Monday nights when comedians take the stage.  Shows start at various times, depending on the day of the week and the act.  There's occasionally a small cover charge.

Directions to Green Dragon Tavern: 11 Marshall Street (around the corner from Faneuil Hall, just off of Union St), Downtown Boston; Orange Line/Government Center; 617-367-0055; website

Warren Tavern

Located in nearby Charlestown, the Warren Tavern claims to be the oldest tavern in Massachusetts and the most famous watering hole in the United States.  Among Boston's historic bars and taverns, it is the oldest tavern still in its original building and location. 

The Warren Tavern was built in 1780, the first building to be erected in Charlestown after the British burned and razed the area during the Battle of Bunker Hill in June of 1775. 

The Tavern was built by Captain Eliphelet Newell, who fought at Bunker Hill and had been a close friend of Sons of Liberty leader and fervent Patriot, Dr. Joseph Warren, who was killed by the British at Bunker Hill.  Captain Newell named his tavern after his friend.

Paul Revere had also been a good friend of Dr. Warren, and he and other Patriots frequently met at the Warren Tavern for a few brews.  Revere often remarked that it was one of his favorite watering holes.  General George Washington also stopped by for "refreshments" while visiting a friend in Charlestown. 

On the outside, the Warren Tavern is a plain, almost nondescript Federal-style building.  But inside, the low beamed ceilings and the large fireplace make you feel as though you're stepping back into history - and in fact, you are.  Warren Tavern is one of the most historic Boston bars, even down to the beams in the ceilings, which were salvaged from old boats at nearby Charlestown Navy Yard - making the beams even older than the rest of the Tavern.

Even though the Tavern is close to the Charlestown part of the Freedom Trail and not far from Bunker Hill, you'll usually see mostly locals (or "Townies," as Charlestowners call themselves) and professionals who work nearby, with perhaps just a table or two of Boston visitors taking in the historic ambiance.

I must admit that despite having been there a number of times, I still feel awed by the idea that I'm perhaps sitting in the same spot where Paul Revere and George Washington sat 200+ years ago. 

The Tavern is larger than it appears from the outside, with two main rooms and a bar with stools clustered around the flat-screen TVs. 

Warren Tavern serves brunch, lunch, and dinner.  Aside from the breakfast-type items (which you can order until about 3pm), lunch and dinner menus include a nice selection of soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and a few entrees.

I must confess that I always order either the fabulous lobster roll or the excellent fish and chips - so I can't tell you first-hand about anything else.  The shepherd's pie, steak tips, and various sandwiches look great, and have their own fans. 

The Tavern has live music on a couple of nights each week.

Now that I think about it, I believe I'm due back for another lobster roll.

Directions to the Warren Tavern: 2 Pleasant Street (around the corner from Main St), Charlestown; 617-241-8142; Orange Line/North Station; website

Bell in Hand

Bell in Hand was built in 1795 and is America's oldest continuously operating tavern (not counting Prohibition, which shut down every bar in the U.S.).

However . . . 21st century fun definitely takes center stage over history. 

In fact, if you want to get a sense of being one of the most historic Boston bars, go early in the day because once the music starts, you won't be thinking about the Founding Fathers and Founding Mothers.

Jimmy Wilson, Boston's last Town Crier, built Bell in Hand after he retired from town crying - um, shouting out the town's news - and of course, "Bell in Hand" refers to the bell that he used to carry around while on the job.  He reported on all the big events of his time - the Boston Tea Party, the Declaration of Independence, the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Defeat of the British. 

The Bell in Hand has occupied its current very attractive building since 1844.  Its first spot was roughly where Boston City Hall is located today.  You can see one of the original signs with a hand holding a bell in Boston's Old City Hall, near the Benjamin Franklin Statue on the Freedom Trail.

Early Bell in Hand patrons included Daniel Webster and Paul Revere (who lived to a ripe old age and seems to have frequented every Boston bar for miles around during his lifetime). 

But . . . if you're imagining that they were quaffing down pints of ale, not so!  

Jimmy Wilson didn't believe in "hard stuff" (no doubt he'd seen more than his share of alcohol-fueled street brawls such as the one that led to the Boston Massacre during his Town Crier stint), so the Bell in Hand served only Smith's Philadelphia Cream Ale until 1919. 

Hmm . . . does Bell in Hand still technically qualify as a Boston bar during its first century?

Those days are long past.  In addition to being one of the oldest Bostons bars, Bell in Hand features live music plus DJs every night of the week.  Tuesdays spotlight karaoke music.  You can even try some trivia on Mondays.

With 2 floors, 5 bars, and large plasma TVs, Bell in Hand is one of the hottest nightspots in the Faneuil Hall area.  Expect to pay a cover charge on after a certain point on most nights, when this historic bar morphs into a popular Boston dance club that attracts lots of college students and a mostly 21-to-30-something crowd.

Bell in Hand also offers full restaurant service for lunch and dinner.  If you want to experience the historical ambiance rather than the dance vibes, come for lunch, afternoon drinks and appetizers, or dinner. 

The menu has all of the typical pub food favorites - nachos, spicy fried calamari with marinara sauce, nice salads, delicious clam chowder, burgers, and sandwiches, plus a few entrees.  My kids love the coconut shrimp and crabcakes.  Burgers here are also great, as is the fried fish sandwich. 

Directions to Bell in Hand:  45-55 Union Street, 1 block from Faneuil Hall on the Freedom Trail, Downtown Boston; 617-227-2098; Orange Line/Government Center; website

Union Oyster House

In the "who's the oldest" competition, the Union Oyster House's claim to fame is being the oldest restaurant in Boston and the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the U.S. 

Unlike other historic Boston bars known best for their beverages, Union Oyster House is known best for its oyster bar  . . .

More about Union Oyster House

Map showing historic Boston bars and pubs

Insider tip - plus bonus Boston pub crawl tour itinerary

Interested in going on a Historic Boston Pub Crawl?  For some Boston visitors, this is the ultimate Boston tourism adventure - a memorable evening of absorbing a little history and having a lot of fun. 

Although you'll see commercially offered Boston Pub Crawl Tours, you can easily do this tour on your own, since 3 of the 4 of Boston's historic barss are within a couple of blocks of each other. 

Just follow this Boston Historic Pub Crawl Tour Itinerary:

1. Start your evening at Union Oyster House around 7pm.  Wash down a half dozen oysters with the brew, crisp white wine, or other beverage of your choice.  Still hungry?  Have a cup of the fabulous fish chowder.
2. Go next door to Bell in Hand.  It's probably about 8:30 by now.  Order the beverage of your choice and a burger.  Now it's about 10pm.  Check out the DJs and the music.  The bar's getting crowded and much louder.  Stay as long as your ears can stand it.
3. Walk around the corner to the Green Dragon Tavern.  Appreciate the relative quiet.  Order one more drink and a steak, medium rare.  Listen to the music for awhile longer, and then head back to your hotel.  Appreciate the compact size of Downtown Boston.  Wonder why the Puritans couldn't have laid out straighter streets while they were at it. 

Photo of beer in "Insider Tip" section is courtesy of Steve Woods, and copyright 2007 Steve Woods.