Rebuilt After the 1882 Fire — Tombstone's Continuously Operating Saloon with a Documented Earp-Era Attack
436 E. Allen St, Tombstone, AZ 85638
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Free to enter as a working bar and restaurant. Food and drink available.
Access
Limited Access
Historic building with period-era interior; uneven flooring in original sections
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1882 · Virgil Earp Ambush Site (Adjacent) · Longest Continuously Operating Saloon in Tombstone · 1882 Tombstone Fire Rebuild
The site at the corner of Allen and Fifth Streets has hosted a drinking establishment since 1879, when Swiss immigrant Godfrey Tribolet and German brew-master Bernhardt Wehrfritz opened the Golden Eagle Brewery. The operation competed directly with Tombstone's Oriental Saloon for the mining camp's substantial thirst.
The May 26, 1882, fire that swept through most of downtown Tombstone destroyed the Golden Eagle Brewery along with the Grand Hotel and dozens of other structures. The owners rebuilt quickly. The new structure — larger, two stories, and furnished with a central fountain surrounded by a goldfish pond — opened July 22, 1882, under the name Crystal Palace Saloon. Contemporaries described it as 'the finest saloon in the Territory.'
The Crystal Palace's most documented historical connection to the Earp era involves the December 28, 1881, ambush of Virgil Earp. Virgil was shot from an alley just outside the building while crossing Fifth Street, losing permanent use of his left arm. The ambush occurred two months after the O.K. Corral gunfight and was attributed by the Earps to the Cowboy faction led by Ike Clanton.
The saloon survived Prohibition by converting to a movie theater — it operated as the Crystal Theatre through the 1920s and 1940s — and was restored as a saloon following restoration work by Historic Tombstone Adventures in the 1960s. The original back bar and mirror, meticulously recreated during restoration, remain as the visual centerpiece of the main floor.
Sources
The Crystal Palace's paranormal reports are concentrated at two points: the far end of the bar facing the original mirror, and the upper floor used today for storage. The mirror generates the most distinctive claims — witnesses describe seeing period-dressed figures in the reflection that do not correspond to anyone in the room, including what one tour operator's documentation describes as a cowboy in a long dark coat standing at the bar's end, associated with the December 1881 ambush of Virgil Earp outside.
A second figure is described as a gambler — consistent in appearance with mid-1880s frontier dress — who appears in the back room during quiet hours, associated with accounts of cards moving or appearing in anomalous positions. The Crystal Palace's gambling reputation was well established in the Earp era; disputes at the tables regularly turned violent in the 1880s.
The upstairs storage area generates reports of a woman's laughter and the smell of rose perfume, independent of any confirmed historical death on the premises. Ghost tour operators attribute this to an unnamed woman killed in the building in the early 1880s, though the claim rests on oral tradition rather than documented records. The antique player piano on the main floor has been reported playing without mechanical explanation, though the venue has not confirmed this claim officially.
Notable Entities
The Crystal Palace has operated as a saloon on this site since reopening on July 22, 1882, following the Tombstone fire. The original back bar and antique mirror remain. Live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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