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The Genoa Bar and Saloon has a sign that reads “Nevada’s Oldest Thirst Parlor.” There is no hyperbole here: The Genoa Saloon first opened in 1853—eleven years before Nevada was officially granted statehood and eight years before the start of the American Civil War. If our math is right, the saloon has been pouring drinks, including their legendary Bloody Marys, for over 170 years.
If the walls of Genoa Bar and Saloon could talk… they would probably first tell you about the epic story of the bar’s treasured Diamond Dust Mirror, that hangs on the back of the bar. The Diamond Dust Mirror began its journey from Glasgow, Scotland in the 1840s, arriving at the bar via covered wagon. Throughout its storied history, this mirror has left the saloon on only three occasions. The most recent was in 1910 when it just escaped destruction during the infamous Genoa Fire, which ravaged much of the town. Or perhaps those inviting walls would tell you (they’re quite the chatterboxes) how in the dry days of Prohibition, the saloon kept the lights on by masquerading as a soda fountain. Or how drunks back in the day would be sent to the cold storage cellar to “sleep it off.” There is certainly no dearth of fascinating stories here! Thanks walls.
The Diamond Dust Mirror has reflected back a number of very well-known faces such as Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, Carole Lombard, Lauren Bacall, John Wayne, Red Skelton, Clark Gable, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and John Denver… to name a few! Like many of these iconic patrons, the bar itself has quite an impressive film resume. Some films shot at the bar include “The Shootist” with John Wayne, “Charley Varrick” with Walter Mathau and Joe Don Baker, “Honky Tonk Man” with Clint Eastwood, or the iconic “Misery” with James Cann, Kathy Bates, Rob Reiner, and Richard Farnsworth.
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On the commercials end, in the mid-1980s, Coors Beer came to the bar to film a commercial. The locals who were extras didn’t like Coor’s, so they emptied their cans and filmed them with Budweiser before the director could say, “Action!”
In an 1884 advertisement for Genoa Bar and Saloon, its owner at the time wrote that he “would be pleased to have all my old friends call, and they would be treated in the most cordial manner.” Well, a lot has changed since then, but it seems that treating its patrons in “the most cordial manner” has remained one constant at the Genoa Bar and Saloon.
