Silver State Sights: The Pioneer Saloon

(KOLO)
Published: Dec. 17, 2018 at 10:53 AM PST
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“The Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings is such an iconic piece of Nevada history,” said Bethany Drysdale of

. “It just looks very Nevada.”

Goodsprings is only about a half hour drive from the Las Vegas strip, which is why the

stays busy all week.

“It’s always packed,” Drysdale describes. “It’s a great biker bar. Anytime of day there are people in there talking to the bar tender.”

“When you walk through those doors it’s like going through a time warp,” said Jill Padovelc, who has been working there for the past five years. “’If you’re old, young, ride a bike, everyone who comes here they all mesh together and they all have a great time.”

The saloon opened in 1913, and has a bit of an old west history. In 1915, a man was shot dead after being caught cheating in a poker game, and the bullet holes can still be seen in the tin walls.

The saloon has received plenty of attention on television and in film.

“We actually get film crews out here at least once a week,“ says Padovclc.

The bar has been in a number of movies including "The Mexican," "Miss Congeniality 2" and "Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke."

It’s also known for a movie star spending time there back in 1942, waiting on his wife’s fate.

“Carol Lombard’s plane went down in the hills around there,” Drysdale explained. “Clark Gable waited at the bar for 3 days waiting to find out what happened to her.”

Lombard was killed in the plane crash, which just happened to take place near what appears to be a heart on the mountain.

The saloon hosts everything from birthdays to weddings to memorial services.