Shooting Star Saloon is the oldest continually operating bar in the Beehive State, and it may even be the oldest west of the Mississippi. As you can imagine, a bar this old has a rich history and plenty of local lore, so it should be no surprise that it's supposedly haunted, too!
Shooting Star Saloon opened in Huntsville back in 1879. It's been serving cold beer and burgers ever since.
The bar even has some Mormon customers who stop by to enjoy an ice-cold root beer and the quirky ambiance.
Address: 7350 E. 200 S., Huntsville, UT 84317
The walls of the bar are covered with unique collectibles, antiques, and even the head of a Saint Bernard named Buck.
Buck was once a kind of mascot for the Shooting Star. The legend goes that he weighed 298 pounds and stood as tall as the bar at the shoulder. When he died in 1957, the owner had his head mounted on the wall so he could continue to keep an eye on the place.
The original cash register, used by the saloon's first owner, Holken Olsen, still sits on the counter behind the bar, though a more modern register holds the money nowadays.
The ghost of Holken Olsen might be one of the spirits that haunts the Shooting Star.
One of the employees once told a local newspaper reporter that she often came in to open up in the morning, only to find all the lights blazing away, though she was certain she'd turned them off the night before.
It's hard to miss the thousands of dollar bills that cover the ceiling of the saloon. The currency comes from countries all over the world.
The trend started when one of the saloon's regulars, nicknamed Whiskey Joe, started tacking dollar bills up as a down payment on his bar tab. Some think that he still haunts the bar, knocking items off the walls and playing pranks on patrons and staff.
The burgers at Shooting Star are absolutely delicious, and at least as legendary as the ghost stories. They're served with potato chips - not fries - and they're worth a drive to Huntsville all on their own.
Shooting Star has a decent selection of beer in bottles, cans, and on tap. Choose your favorite, then sit back, sip, and mingle with whoever is hanging out - whether they're alive...or long dead.
Shooting Star Saloon is for patrons 21 years and older. It's open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, till 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Have you visited Utah's oldest bar? We'd love to hear about your trip in the comments!
You can learn more about Shooting Star Saloon on its website and Facebook page. Read more about the pretty little town of Huntsville in our article here.
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