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McSorley's Old Ale House

McSorley's sells one thing, its own ale, in two colours, light and dark, two small mugs at a time. It has done so since before the Civil War, and sees no reason to change.

What it is
Ale house
Opened
1854, by its own account
Area
East Village
Nearest museum
Whitney Museum of American Art, 2.0 km

New York this week

    What McSorley's Old Ale House is known for

    1. The walls

      Every inch is covered in yellowed photographs, newspaper pages and oddments, among them a pair of Houdini's handcuffs locked to the bar rail. Nothing has been taken down since 1910.

    2. The wishbones

      A row of dusty wishbones hangs above the bar. The story is that young men going to the First World War hung them there, to take down when they came home. These are the ones left.

    3. The rules

      Be Good or Be Gone, says the sign. Women were not served until a court ordered it in 1970. The house still offers its old plate of cheese, crackers and raw onion.

    What to know

    • The oldest Irish saloon in the city
    • Only ale is served, light or dark, two mugs at a time
    • Women were admitted from 1970

    Where McSorley's Old Ale House is

    Address

    15 East 7th Street
    New York, NY 10003, United States

    Nearest station

    Astor Place (6) or 8th Street-NYU (R, W)

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.

    We were here before you were born

    John McSorley, an immigrant from Ireland, gave 1854 as the year he opened, and the house has always used it. Later research found the plot empty as late as 1861, and the argument has never been settled.

    The painter John Sloan made it the subject of several canvases before the First World War, and the poet E. E. Cummings wrote a poem about sitting in it. Abraham Lincoln is said to have had a drink here after speaking at the Cooper Union round the corner.

    McSorley's Old Ale House: common questions

    Where is McSorley's Old Ale House?
    At 15 East 7th Street, in East Village, New York. The nearest station is Astor Place (6) or 8th Street-NYU (R, W).
    Which museums and sights are near McSorley's Old Ale House?
    Whitney Museum of American Art is 2.0 km away, Empire State Building is 2.2 km away, The High Line is 2.5 km away. Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
    What is McSorley's Old Ale House known for?
    The walls, The wishbones, The rules. The oldest Irish saloon in New York: sawdust on the floor, two kinds of ale and nothing else, and walls that have not been touched since 1910.
    When did McSorley's Old Ale House open?
    In 1854, by its own account. The oldest Irish saloon in the city.

    What visitors say about McSorley's Old Ale House

    Rating from Google

    4.7

    8,989 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 7 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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