What can we say about The Mint Bar that you haven’t already heard? This year will conclude The Mint Bar’s 116th year on Main Street in downtown Sheridan and what a legacy it has! The most recent owners, Monty and Wes Buckmaster owned the Mint Bar for 32 years and they helped keep the bar as true to history as when they bought it. Ryan and Stephanie Wagner recently purchased the historic establishment in 2022.

After talking with Kat Deeds, the general manager at the Mint Bar, there are a few fun things to share with you all that you may not know about the historic icon! Did you know that the brands burned into the wood beams were created by a man named Tuffy who was paid in whiskey to create the designs? The oldest photo hanging in the bar is from 1908 and is located above the elk on the wall. Speaking of photos, the photographs on the wall will never change, they are grandfathered into the purchase agreement of the bar. Kat loves the stories of the bar, the people, and the memories. She loves to chat with visitors about the history of the bar when asked and she enjoys sharing her knowledge. Neat fact: The famous neon has been lit since the 50s and has been voted one of the top neon signs in the country!

Not only has The Mint Bar been the location for numerous famous photoshoots (Boot Barn’s most recent catalog for one) and featured in multiple worldwide publications (Forbes, NY Times, and Playboy) the place holds so many tales that we can’t even begin to sum them up in one Spotlight. Among the hundreds of awesome facts about the bar, one of the most relevant ones to downtown Sheridan is that the building has only ever been The Mint Bar since the place went up in 1907.

Kat said, “Come to The Mint because the bar is as much a museum as a bar and a big part of our town’s history.” She suggests coming to The Mint Bar twice during your visit – once during the day so you can see everything and once at night to see the change in the atmosphere. “I love the bar for what it represents for itself and the history. I love that it brings people together.” Kat stated. “You see people meeting for the first time, so many love stories have started here. People come here to celebrate and to mourn. You get to meet people from all over the world! You never know who will walk in here.”