Some of the world’s most famous pubs aren’t real, which doesn’t always diminish the desire to go there. Nor, in some cases, does it prohibit one from actually doing so.
Take “Cheers,” for example, the legendary Boston bar based on the iconic TV sitcom of the same name, which aired 275 episodes between 1982 and ’93 and made household names of such characters as owner Sam Malone, waitresses Diane and Carla, and regular patrons Cliff, Frasier, and “Norm.”
Though fictional, the bar was based on Boston’s famous neighbourhood watering holes and meant to be the embodiment of the idyllic hang-out where “everybody knows your name” as the theme song proclaimed.
More specifically, however, the show took its inspiration from an actual Beacon Street bar founded in 1969 – The Bull and Finch – though only the establishment’s exterior was used in the show, which was filmed on a Hollywood set.
Nevertheless, more than 3,000 visitors a day eventually flocked to the B&F to snap photos or order a drink at what had become the most famous bar in America. And when the show ended, owners officially changed the name to Cheers to avoid confusion, including the famous moniker, which retains the fictional pub’s claim of being established in 1895.
But while visitors could venture down the famous stairs and order themed drinks and purchase character bobbleheads and other paraphernalia at the gift shop, the interior did not match the show’s, and to that end, a spin-off “replica” bar was built at Quincey Market beside Faneuil Hall in 2001.
Today, the Original and Replica bars still attract countless visitors and are requisite stops on local walking and city sightseeing tours, as befits top-rated tourist sites in Boston.
The original still claims to be “an intimate neighborhood bar,” but concedes “Our neighbourhood has just gotten a little bigger!” The replica, meanwhile, boasts memorabilia from the film set and cardboard cut-outs of cast members, but takes pride in being “more than a museum,” including offering a patio for outdoor dining.
Located at 84 Beacon St. across from Boston’s Public Garden and in Quincy Market, respectively, both bars are open 11-2 a.m. every day except Christmas.
They may not know your name, but you can be sure, “they’re always glad you came.”
“Pub Crawl” is an ongoing series in which we reveal some of our favourite public houses, both at home and abroad – and, in the spirit of the establishment, invite you to share with us yours. Send suggestions to baginski@travelindustrytoday.com.