Nevada's oldest continuously operating saloon, pouring drinks since 1853.
The Genoa Bar and Saloon opened its doors in 1853 as Livingston's Exchange, establishing itself as Nevada's oldest continuously operating tavern eleven years before Nevada even achieved statehood. Located in the historic Carson Valley, this legendary watering hole has survived fires, economic busts, and the dry years of Prohibition by briefly masquerading as a soda fountain. The exterior retains the weathered, rustic look of a classic mid-nineteenth-century frontier outpost, but the true treasure lies inside its wooden doors. The centerpiece of the saloon is the heavy mahogany bar counter, backed by a magnificent Diamond Dust Mirror that was manufactured in Glasgow, Scotland, in the 1840s. Shipped around Cape Horn to San Francisco and brought over the Sierra Nevada mountains by covered wagon, the mirror has left the building only three times, famously escaping destruction during the devastating Genoa Fire of 1910.
The walls and rafters of the saloon serve as an archive of frontier history and eccentric local lore. Hanging from the ceiling are the original oil lamps, which were converted to electricity at the turn of the century, save for a single red lamp that is still lit by hand every New Year's Eve. Among the cluttered collection of historic photographs, antique snowshoes, and vintage beer signs is an original 1865 wanted poster offering a reward for the capture of John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Over the decades, this room has hosted a remarkable roster of patrons, including Mark Twain, Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt, Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, and Johnny Cash. The saloon has also served as a backdrop for Hollywood, appearing in classic films like John Wayne's *The Shootist*, Clint Eastwood's *Honkytonk Man*, and the thriller *Misery*.
Perhaps the most famous piece of modern folklore in the bar involves actress Raquel Welch, who stopped in for a drink during the 1960s while filming in nearby Lake Tahoe. At the time, the ceiling was draped with hundreds of bras left behind by patrons over the years. Welch agreed to donate her own leopard-print brassiere on one strict condition: that all other underwear be taken down so hers could be displayed alone. The bartender complied, and today her dusty bra still dangles from a set of deer antlers on the wall next to her autographed photo. The rest of the historical lingerie collection was moved to an old iron bank safe near the pool table, where a strict house rule dictates that anyone who opens the door to sneak a peek must leave a lingerie donation of their own. Visitors can soak up this colorful history with a scratch-made Bloody Mary in hand, a legendary house specialty made from a recipe perfected by longtime bartender Peggy Casentini, while a classic wood-burning stove keeps the room warm through the cold mountain winters.
Order the scratch-made Bloody Mary, a legendary house specialty. Look up to spot the original red oil lamp (lit only on New Year's Eve) and the single, dusty black bra hanging from the deer antlers.
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