Bottoms Up! 12 Historical Buildings Converted into Bars that Ever

Calling all beer aficionados (or good time aficionados)! Enjoy exceptional craft brews surrounded by history in these beautiful, unique, old buildings that will offer a little character with craft beer! If there's one thing better than drinking craft beer, it's drinking craft beer in one of these locations*.

*At this time, we suggest our Happy Travelers check to see which local breweries are open and currently offering takeout, curbside pickup or delivery.

1. VAULT BREWING COMPANY

Yardley

Vault Brewing Company masterfully blends the old with the new in the 1889 former bank building it calls home. Sample the brewery’s delightful All Boats Rise DIPA or Summer Doldrums surrounded by remnants of the building’s past, including safe deposit boxes, 100+ year-old checks and deposit slips, and, of course, the original massive vault transformed into the ideal beer cellar.

2. BREAKER BREWING COMPANY

Wilkes-Barre

High on a hill at the former St. Joseph’s Monastery & School, the Breaker Brewing Company has breathed new life into the old school and church buildings. With operations in both buildings and an outdoor patio in between, the brewpub is the perfect place to take in the scenery and enjoy a glass of Olde, one of the brewpub’s signature creations.

3. PENN BREWERY

Pittsburgh

Housed in structures built by the E&O and Ober Bros. Breweries in the mid-1800s, Penn Brewery has kept the site’s brewing tradition alive and thriving. Enjoy the brewery’s award-winning Penn Pilsner in their beautifully restored buildings infused with 175 years of brewing tradition, where even the original stone lagering caves and tunnels have been preserved.

4. RUSTY RAIL BREWING COMPANY

Mifflinburg

From buggy seats and wooden auto bodies to bowling lanes and cabinetry, the former industrial building now housing the Rusty Rail Brewing Company has seen plenty of change the past 100+ years. Raise a glass of the brewery’s mighty tasty Cranberry Rye NEIPA or High King Ale and pay homage to the determined workers who once inhabited this amazing building.

5. THE BREWERIE AT UNION STATION

Erie

Restored to its former glory days when train travel reigned supreme, Erie’s former Union Station now bustles with traffic of a different kind. Enjoy German-inspired Railway Hefe Weizen beneath the beautifully restored and spectacular two-story, hexagonal rotunda or pay homage to the resident ghost with some Apparition Amber Ale.

6. CHURCH BREW WORKS

Pittsburgh

With its soaring ceilings and stunning stained-glass windows, the Church Brew Works welcomes one and all to enjoy some great food and award-winning craft beers. Grab a pew at the nearly 120-year-old former church to enjoy the spectacular atmosphere and a glass or two of Millennium Trippel , Pious Monk Dunkel, or Thunderhop IPA.

7. BUBE’S BREWERY

Mount Joy

While it’s the only "lager-era" brewery still in existence dating back to 1803, that alone makes it well worth the visit! Located within the original brewery’s icehouse, Bube’s microbrewery serves up a variety of handcrafted beers with the selection changing often so repeat visits are a must.

8. LANCASTER BREWING COMPANY

Lancaster

Back in the 1880s when the Edward McGovern Tobacco Warehouse was built, tobacco storage and processing was a major industry in Lancaster. This National Historic Site has a new lease on life as home to the Lancaster Brewing Company. Tour their operations, then enjoy some Shoo-Fly Pie Porter, Lancaster Lager, or perhaps a Double Chocolate Milk Stout.

9. WACKER BREWING COMPANY

Lancaster

Reincarnated by the great-grandson of one of the old company’s employees, treat yourself to the new Wacker Brewing Company’s authentic Kolsch, Dunkel or Pilsner-style beers now housed in a 100-year-old former tobacco warehouse that’s brimming with history and stories of its own.

10. BATTLEFIELD BREW WORKS & SPIRITS

Gettysburg

Quench your thirst with a finely crafted beer from the Battlefield Brew Works & Spirits. This former barn played a crucial role following the Battle of Gettysburg when it was pressed into service as the Confederate army’s largest field hospital. Today, visitors can enjoy a Smoking Barrel IPA, Red Bayonet Ale, or one of the brewery’s other finely crafted beer in the original, 1848 farmhouse.

11. NATIONAL MECHANICS

Philadelphia

While they don’t brew their own beer, they do serve up some tasty craft beers in a really cool setting. Designed by famed architect, William Strickland, the former bank building dates back to 1837. In its latest incarnation, the building has become one of Philadelphia’s favorite neighborhood bars and restaurants, with its selection of draft and bottle beers rotating daily.

12. THE CREAMERY

Kennett Square

On the grounds of the defunct Eastern Condensed Milk Company (founded in 1902) turned mushroom cannery, The Creamery has fast become the place to be and be seen in Kennett Square. It’s both a pop-up beer garden with a year-round presence with activities, food, and beverages geared to all ages. Wet your whistle with a dark stout, Belgian-style ale, lager, seasonal saison, or a double IPA. While there, take a peek at the recycled artifacts and artwork made by local artists.

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