There is this watering hole not far from Las Vegas where you can take a looksy back into history and the early 20th Century. Called by several names throughout the last 111 years including Goodsprings Café, Goodsprings General Store and even Ghost Town Café, the oldest saloon in Southern Nevada still has its original walls and ceiling made of pressed tin from a prefabricated kit erected by George Fayle.
When you walk through the doors you might even meet its keeper, Old Man Liver, who is about to fill us in on the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, NV.
Q: What can people expect when they adventure out to Goodsprings?
A: Goodsprings is a town of 200 people located about 45 minutes from Las Vegas, so it’s not exactly a ghost town. Friendly folks at 3,700-foot elevation, making it cooler than the Southern Nevada valley. It’s a different environment than you would find in Las Vegas. It’s the remnant of a once thriving mining town in Southern Nevada. In the early 1900’s, we were almost as big as Las Vegas. Goodsprings had a population of 800 and Vegas had around 1,000. But everyone would do their good shopping in Goodsprings because we had the finer clothing and confectionary stores and first modern hotel in Nevada. Today, the Pioneer Saloon and the General Store are the main businesses left standing here.
Q: What might a typical outing to Goodsprings look like?
A: In the next few years, we’ll see more and more commerce out here. The main way people find us is through ATV tours and such, since we’re located next to BLM land. If you’re coming to Goodsprings, you’re likely to come to the Pioneer Saloon and the General Store.
And for fans of the video game series Fallout, you might recognize Goodsprings as the starting location for the post-apocalyptic shoot-em-up game taking place in the year 2281, Fallout New Vegas. And if you look closely enough, you just may recognize a few of our locals around town as characters from the game. Literally every day we see fans of the Fallout video game and TV series visiting from all over the world. Each year in November, we put together a big cosplay event for fans of the series. It’s the only day each year that the Pioneer Saloon is open 24-hours.
Q: Tell us About Old Man Liver.
A: I’ve got a lot of stuff under the Old Man Liver brand. There’s a delicious whiskey with a smokey, oaky and spicy flavor; a popular golden ale brewed locally in Henderson, hot sauce, spice mix, books, music and beef jerky in addition to a line of greeting cards. You can pick up all the Old Man Liver products online or at the General Store.
Q: Pioneer Saloon has a long-storied history of celebrities visiting, as well as movies being shot there. Fill us in.
A: Yep, the Pioneer Saloon was established in 1913, making it one of the oldest saloons in Nevada. You might recognize the Saloon from a variety of movies including Miss Congeniality 2, The Mexican, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, among others. Famously, the Pioneer Saloon was where Clark Gable waited for three days for news of his wife, Carol Lombard’s tragic plane crash in the nearby Potosi Mountain in 1942.
A lot of films, music videos, TV shows, and paranormal investigations are frequently shot here. Most of the filming is done before or after hours, so we don’t infringe on the day-to-day business of the Saloon and General Store, since we have so many people visiting us each day to see the sites.
Q: Can people have a wedding at the Pioneer Saloon?
A: Absolutely! We do a handful of weddings here each year, and some folks want to get married by Old Man Liver, so I am licensed to officiate weddings. We also host receptions, parties and other gatherings here.
Q: What would you suggest as a must-see experience when visiting Southern Nevada?
A: Well, I may be a bit biased, but I highly recommend visiting the oldest Saloon! We also enjoy supporting the other local restaurants and cafes in the area.
If you’re in Las Vegas, we like to do our staycations downtown around Fremont Street. Drinks are stronger, cheaper… there’s cool things to see and do. When friends come to visit, we like to tell them to check out the Fremont district.
Visit the Oldest Saloon & Surrounding Area
Make your next Vegas event a historical experience. The Pioneer Saloon is available for group and private events. Reach out to Old Man Liver and his team here.
Approximate distance from The Strip.
35 Mins. 33.1 Mi.
Don’t miss these attractions along the way.
Take in some art at Seven Magic Mountains
Fuel up tour the displays inside the world’s largest Chevron station.
Stroll through the Goodsprings walking tour
Hike the Goodsprings Railroad Ridge Loop
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