Tombstone's legendary 1882 saloon, rebuilt over the 1879 Golden Eagle Brewery where Wyatt Earp drank and Virgil Earp kept his office.
The Crystal Palace Saloon, standing on the northwest corner of Fifth and Allen streets, began its life in 1879 as the Golden Eagle Brewing Company. Built by Gus Tribolet, the original two-story adobe structure quickly became a social hub for Tombstone's early mining elite, but it was devastated by the catastrophic fire of May 1882 that swept through the business district. Undeterred, owner Benjamin Wehrfritz rebuilt the establishment, reopening it on July 22, 1882, under the name Crystal Palace. The newly christened saloon was designed to be one of the most elegant drinking, gambling, and dining halls in the Arizona Territory, contrasting sharply with the rougher watering holes frequented by common miners. During these booming years, the second floor housed the offices of prominent local figures, including Deputy U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp, attorney George W. Berry, and Dr. George E. Goodfellow, the famed surgeon who treated many of the town's gunshot victims.
The physical structure of the Crystal Palace underwent several dramatic transformations over the next century. In 1915, when Arizona enacted statewide prohibition five years ahead of the rest of the nation, the saloon was forced to adapt, transforming into a movie theater and later a curio shop. During a 1904 remodel, the second story was entirely removed, and by the 1930s, the covered arcade over the wooden sidewalk was also dismantled. Following the repeal of Prohibition, the venue reclaimed its identity as a saloon in August 1933, and that September it installed the very first neon sign on Allen Street, a simple one-word beacon reading "BEER". In 1943, the building even served a brief stint as the local Greyhound bus depot. It was not until a major restoration in May 1964 that the saloon was returned to its original 1882 grandeur. This restoration rebuilt the second story, reinstalled the covered sidewalk arcade, and added a massive, 45-foot-long mahogany back bar modeled meticulously after the original Brunswick-Balke-Collender design.
Today, the Crystal Palace Saloon operates as a fully functioning saloon and family-style restaurant, preserving its historical footprint while serving modern travelers. The interior features pressed tin ceilings, inlaid-patterned wood floors, and large Victorian ceiling lamps that replicate the late nineteenth-century aesthetic. Bartenders and servers dress in period-accurate attire, serving classic American pub fare, including burgers, steaks, and cold beers, while the 1993 film Tombstone plays on a continuous loop above the bar with the sound muted. Visitors can spot historical markers throughout the room, including an empty seat at the bar with a rubbed-out plaque reserved to honor deceased long-time patrons. Just outside the front doors, the intersection of Fifth and Allen remains a focal point of history, marking the spot where Virgil Earp was ambushed and permanently crippled by shotgun blasts on the night of December 28, 1881.
Look for the empty barstool with the rubbed-out plaque, which is permanently reserved to honor deceased regulars, and enjoy a cold draft beer under the massive 45-foot mahogany back bar.
Coffee & Craft — Roadside fuel stops curated by Basecamp West. The best coffee shops, craft breweries, diners, and eateries worth the detour on your next Western road trip.