McSorley's Old Ale House, Historic Irish bar in East Village, United States.
McSorley's Old Ale House is a bar in the East Village that has kept its 19th-century interior nearly unchanged. Sawdust covers the floor while the walls hold old photographs, newspaper clippings, and personal items left by customers over more than a century.
The establishment opened in 1854 and became the oldest continuously operating bar in New York. During Prohibition it sold non-alcoholic beer to stay open, and it admitted women only after a court ruling in 1970.
The bar's walls display wishbones left by World War I soldiers before deployment, with unreturned soldiers' bones remaining covered in decades of dust.
The bar accepts only cash and serves two kinds of house-made beer, light or dark, along with simple food. The space can get crowded, especially on weekends, so plan enough time to drink at your own pace and take in the surroundings.
Above the bar hang dozens of wishbones left by soldiers before World War I. The bones of those who never returned stayed on the wall and have since disappeared under a layer of dust.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
