Palace Saloon - Fernandina Beach, FL

I found myself in Fernandina Beach, Florida recently for a doctors appointment. As someone who loves history, I had heard that Florida’s oldest bar was here and decided to check it out. So I put in the address for Palace Saloon into my GPS and drove there after my appointment. After driving around in circles for 15 minutes, I finally found a parking spot that wasn’t too far of a walk. I was greeted by a wooden pirate statue at the doubled door entrance with the words “Floridas Oldest Bar” on the window above the doors. Upon entry you see the mosaic tiled floors, the yellow and red checkered tin ceiling tiles, beautifully painted murals, and the ornately carved mahogany bar. For those who are interested in more than just a drink, there are a few cases of historical artifacts and memorabilia to look at as well.

I learned that that the building was originally built in 1878 and turned into a bar in 1903. For those keeping track, that was before prohibition!  Palace Saloon managed to survive through prohibition though and is still a fun place to gather with locals and tourists in the area nearly 100 years later. The drink prices were fair and typical, the service was fine, and they were setting up for live music when I was leaving to head back home. If you are in the area and enjoy historical places, I would definitely recommend checking it out, even if it’s just for a drink or 2. 

Check out the short video I made below: 

https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdSLv8Hn/

Or

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CaGf8cYJ8wL/?utm_medium=copy_link