Historic Wyoming bars preserve the stories, architecture and frontier spirit of the Old West. Not in museum displays or behind velvet ropes, but in the worn wood of century-old bar tops, the bullet holes still visible in tin ceilings and the stories passed down by bartenders who've heard them all.

These aren't just places to grab a drink—they're time capsules of the frontier era, where outlaws once bellied up alongside cattle barons and where the Wild West spirit still pours freely. Whether you're tracing outlaw trails, chasing live music traditions or simply looking for an authentic Wyoming experience, these historic bars deliver.
 

Which Historic Wyoming Bars Should You Add to Your Trip? 

• Miners and Stockmen's Steakhouse and Spirits – Hartville (est. 1862) – Wyoming's oldest bar
• The Occidental Saloon – Buffalo (est. 1880) – Outlaw history and bullet holes
• Hotel Wolf Saloon – Saratoga (est. 1893) – Victorian charm with swinging doors
• Buckhorn Bar and Parlor – Laramie (est. 1900) – National Register of Historic Places
• The Irma Hotel Saloon – Cody (est. 1902) – Buffalo Bill's legendary bar
• The Mint Bar – Sheridan (est. 1907) – Celebrity photos and cowboy culture
• Shiloh Saloon (The Virginian) – Medicine Bow (est. 1911) – Frontier atmosphere at a rail crossroads
• Million Dollar Cowboy Bar – Jackson (est. 1937) – Saddle barstools and live music
• Stagecoach Bar – Wilson (est. 1942) – Sunday night 'church' tradition

1. Miners and Stockmen's Steakhouse and Spirits, Hartville

In the quaint town of Hartville, Miners and Stockmen's offers one of the most memorable bar stops in the state. Known as Wyoming's oldest bar, it is the kind of place that makes a road trip feel more like a discovery than an itinerary. The carved back bar is the star, but the town's remoteness adds its own atmosphere.

Location: 608 Main St 
What to Experience Today: Come for a steak, a whiskey and a look at the historic back bar that has become part of Wyoming legend. 
What's Nearby: Take the time to drive to the Oregon Trail Ruts near Guernsey. Walk through the wagon tracks that are a depth of five feet, creating some of the most spectacular ruts remaining along the entire length of the Oregon-California Trail.  

2. Occidental Saloon, Buffalo

Few historic Wyoming bars feel as transportive as the saloon inside the Historic Occidental Hotel. The barroom has been carefully preserved, and the original bullet holes still help tell the story of its rougher days. It is one of the best places in the state to feel the tension between elegance and outlaw lore.

Location: 18 N Main St 
What to Experience Today: Pull up to the long wooden bar, look up at the tin ceiling and see if you can spot the bullet holes.
What's Nearby: Spend time exploring downtown Buffalo’s historic storefronts, then tour the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum for exhibits on frontier life, outlaw history and Native American artifacts. From town, it’s an easy drive into the Bighorn Mountains for hiking, fishing, horseback riding, scenic overlooks and wildlife watching along the Cloud Peak Skyway.

3. Hotel Wolf, Saratoga

Hotel Wolf has anchored Saratoga since the 1890s, and it still works beautifully as both a historic place to stay and a place to gather. Originally opened in 1893 by German immigrants Max and Rose Wolf, the hotel is rumored to have hosted outlaws and still carries a reputation for ghost stories upstairs. The saloon atmosphere leans classic Wyoming, but the real appeal is how easy it is to build a full four-season stop around it. 

Location: 101 E Bridge Ave
What to Experience Today: Stop for dinner or a drink in the saloon, then settle into Saratoga's unhurried downtown pace.
What's Nearby: Discover things to do in Saratoga, from soaking in the free Hobo Hot Springs along the river to casting a line in the North Platte River, one of Wyoming’s top fly-fishing destinations. In warmer months, the nearby Snowy Range offers scenic drives, alpine lakes, hiking trails, camping and wildlife viewing, while winter brings snowmobiling and cross-country skiing just outside town.

4. Buckhorn Bar and Parlor, Laramie

Established in 1900, the Buckhorn Bar and Parlor brings a wilder side of Wyoming history into downtown Laramie. As the oldest bar in Laramie, the building's upstairs rooms once operated as a brothel until the 1950s. Today, the Buck still feels like a true local institution, with a rough-edged personality that suits a railroad-and-college town with plenty of stories to tell.

Location: 114 East Ivinson Avenue
What to Experience Today: Order a drink, take in the vintage atmosphere and visit the Parlor open on Friday and Saturday nights.
What's Nearby: Spend time exploring historic downtown Laramie, where you’ll find restored brick storefronts, local breweries, the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site and public art scattered throughout the city center. Near the University of Wyoming campus, visitors can stop at the University of Wyoming Art Museum or the Geological Museum, home to towering dinosaur skeletons. Just outside town, Vedauwoo’s massive granite rock formations offer hiking, climbing, camping and some of the most recognizable scenery in southeastern Wyoming, while Medicine Bow National Forest adds alpine lakes, scenic drives and year-round outdoor recreation.

5. Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel & Restaurant, Cody

Built by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody in 1902, the Irma remains one of Wyoming's signature historic stops. Its best-known feature is the cherrywood back bar, a gift from Queen Victoria after Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show performed in England. It is a landmark that still feels lively rather than frozen in time.

Location: 1192 Sheridan Ave
What to Experience Today: See the famous back bar, linger over a meal or drink and spend time on the porch that still anchors downtown Cody.
What's Nearby: Pair your visit with time at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a massive five-museum complex covering Western art, Plains Indian history, firearms, natural history and Buffalo Bill Cody himself. Downtown Cody is easy to explore on foot, with historic storefronts, local shops, rodeo culture and nightly summer gunfight reenactments. From there, the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway leads west toward Yellowstone National Park, passing through dramatic cliffs, mountain tunnels and some of the most scenic stretches of highway in the state.

6. The Mint Bar, Sheridan

For many travelers, The Mint is exactly what comes to mind when they picture a classic Wyoming bar. Open since 1907, it has long been a downtown meeting place for ranchers, locals and visitors passing through northeast Wyoming. The walls carry decades of personality, and the room still feels rooted in Sheridan's working-West identity.

Location: 151 N Main St
What to Experience Today: Order a drink, take in the photo-covered walls and settle into one of Wyoming's legendary gathering spots.
What’s Nearby: Spend time walking downtown Sheridan, where historic buildings house breweries, Western outfitters and galleries showcasing regional artists. Don’t miss the Brinton Museum just south of town, known for its impressive collection of Western and Native American art set against the backdrop of the Bighorn foothills. The historic Sheridan Inn, once connected to Buffalo Bill Cody, and Trail End State Historic Site are also worth a stop. Sheridan also makes a great basecamp for exploring the Bighorn region, with scenic drives, hiking trails, fishing spots, horseback riding and mountain overlooks along the Bighorn Scenic Byway.

7. Shiloh Saloon at the Virginian Hotel, Medicine Bow

If you want a bar stop that feels tied to Wyoming's rail and ranch history, Medicine Bow belongs on the map. The Virginian Hotel is a National Historic Landmark, and its Shiloh Saloon adds another dose of frontier atmosphere to a town that still feels set apart from the rush.

Location: 404 Lincoln Hwy
What to Experience Today: Step inside for a drink and absorb the sense of an old travel crossroads that has not lost its character.
What’s Nearby: Take time to explore the historic hotel itself, from its old saloon and vintage architecture to the stories tied to early railroad and ranching days in southern Wyoming. From Medicine Bow, it’s an easy drive west to Rawlins for museums, breweries, and classic Wyoming high desert scenery. You can also pair the stop with a drive through the Seminoe Mountains or stretches of the Continental Divide Trail country, where wide-open basins, wild horses and dramatic rock formations give this part of Wyoming its rugged feel.

8. Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Jackson

Not every iconic Wyoming bar dates to the 1800s. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar earns its place for its unmistakable Western identity and statewide name recognition. Saddle barstools, live music and a town-square address make it one of the most recognizable watering holes in Wyoming.

Location: 25 N Cache St
What to Experience Today: Sit on a saddle stool, catch live music and enjoy a lively contrast to Jackson's mountain polish.
What's Nearby: Spend time around Jackson Town Square, known for its famous elk antler arches, art galleries, Western boutiques and lively restaurants and bars. In winter, the nearby National Elk Refuge offers sleigh rides through thousands of migrating elk gathered along the valley floor. Just north of town, Grand Teton National Park adds hiking, wildlife viewing, scenic float trips, mountain lakes and some of the most photographed peaks in the American West.

9. Stagecoach Bar, Wilson

A few miles from Jackson, Stagecoach Bar brings a more local, lived-in kind of history. Open since 1942, it has become a favorite post-adventure stop at the base of Teton Pass. The atmosphere is casual, the crowd is often a mix of locals and travelers and the live-music tradition remains part of its draw.

Location: 5755 W WY-22, west of Jackson near Teton Pass
What to Experience Today: Drop in after a day outside, grab a drink and, if timing works, catch one of the bar's long-running music nights.
What's Nearby: Drive or bike over Teton Pass for sweeping mountain views, then spend time exploring the broader Jackson area. Jackson Town Square offers galleries, restaurants, live music and classic Western atmosphere, while nearby Grand Teton National Park adds hiking trails, wildlife viewing, scenic float trips, alpine lakes and some of the most iconic mountain scenery in the country. In winter, the area also becomes a hub for skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing between Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee. 

How Can You Plan a Historic Wyoming Bar Road Trip?

Northeast Loop via the Bighorn Scenic Byway

Sheridan → Buffalo → Hartville
Start at The Mint in Sheridan, take in the Bighorn Mountains along US-14, then head south to the Occidental in Buffalo before finishing in Hartville at Miners and Stockmen’s.

Southern Wyoming Route via the Snowy Range Scenic Byway

Laramie → Medicine Bow → Saratoga
Begin at the Buckhorn in Laramie, drive west through the Snowy Range and high plains country, stop at the Shiloh Saloon in Medicine Bow, then end the night at Hotel Wolf in Saratoga.

Yellowstone Gateway via the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway

Cody → Yellowstone → Jackson
Kick things off at The Irma in Cody, follow the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway toward Yellowstone, then continue south to Jackson for the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and the Stagecoach.

Most of these bars stay open year-round, though the atmosphere changes with the seasons. Summer brings busy patios, road-trippers, and live music, while winter tends to be quieter, with more locals than tourists and a slower small-town pace.

What Should Travelers Know Before Visiting Historic Wyoming Bars? 

• Call ahead: Hours can vary, especially in smaller towns. Miners and Stockmen's is open Thursday–Sunday only.

• Respect the history: These are working bars, not museums. Buy a drink and listen to the stories.

• Designated driver: Wyoming's towns are spread out. Plan your route and designate a driver or book nearby lodging.

Frequently Asked Questions About Historic Wyoming Bars

What are some of the most historic bars in Wyoming?

Some of the most historic Wyoming bars include The Mint Bar in Sheridan, the Occidental Saloon in Buffalo, the Silver Saddle Saloon at The Irma in Cody, Hotel Wolf in Saratoga and Miners and Stockmen's in Hartville. Each offers a different look at Wyoming history, from cattle-town lore to railroad-era character.

What is the oldest bar in Wyoming?

Miners and Stockmen's Steakhouse and Spirits in Hartville is widely known as Wyoming's oldest bar. It is a popular stop for travelers interested in the state's mining history and small-town heritage.

Are historic Wyoming bars worth visiting in winter?

Yes. Historic Wyoming bars are a great year-round experience. In winter, they pair well with ski trips, hot springs visits, wildlife watching and scenic drives, offering a warm and memorable stop after time outdoors.

Can you build a Wyoming road trip around historic bars?

Yes. A Wyoming bar road trip can connect places like Sheridan, Buffalo, Cody, Jackson, Wilson, Saratoga, Hartville and Medicine Bow. Along the way, travelers can add museums, hot springs, mountain drives, historic hotels and nearby outdoor adventures.

Which historic Wyoming bars are closest to major attractions?

The Silver Saddle Saloon at The Irma is close to Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the route to Yellowstone National Park. Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and Stagecoach Bar pair well with Jackson, Grand Teton National Park and Teton Pass. The Occidental Saloon and The Mint Bar work well with downtown exploring and trips into the Bighorn Mountains.

What should travelers expect at historic Wyoming bars today?

Travelers can expect a mix of preserved history and present-day Wyoming hospitality. Some bars are known for original woodwork, back bars or old photos, while others offer live music, classic dining rooms or an easy place to connect a historic stop with a larger road trip.