Is This 180-Year-Old Bar the Oldest in Indiana?

Evansville, Indiana has had a pretty interesting history, from its formation back in the early 1800s to its contributions to World War II in the 1940s. Some of this history is still on display today, including architecture, monuments, and the LST 325. Evansville has had some rather historic watering holes through the years, too, some of which are still in business to this day.

What is the Oldest Bar in Evansville?

Disclaimer: This is simply the information I found. I'm no historian, but as far as I can tell, this info is accurate. If you think I'm wrong, or if you know of a bar that is older, by all means, let me know.

According to my research (I'm using that term loosely), the Hilltop Inn is the oldest bar in Evansville - in fact, it is just one year younger than the oldest bar in the entire state. The Hilltop is almost as old as the city itself - it opened 25 years after Evansville was given its name. Here is a little more of the Hilltop's history, courtesy of GenealogyTrails.com...

For a number of reasons, its longevity being one, and a peculiar menu item being another, the Hilltop Inn has received quite a bit of publicity over the years. Below are a few of the more notable examples...

• January 1, 2004: Hilltop is featured on the front page of the Chicago Tribune.
• March 26, 2004: ASAHI TV in Tokyo Japan sends a news crew to the Hilltop for a story.
• April 23, 2006: Food Network star Alton Brown shows up at the Hilltop to film an episode for his series Feastin' On Asphalt.
• The Hilltop appeared in the 2008 edition of "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" 2008.