10 12 Lounge
Clarkdale, AZ Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
Check out the red neon outside the 10-12 Lounge, located in Clarkdale near Cottonwood. The old sign proudly advertises “Package Liquors,” just in case anyone was worried there might not be enough liquor available inside. That glowing script makes this one fine-looking little tavern along Main Street.
The lounge opened in 1959 and has remained in the same location ever since. Its unusual name came directly from the operating hours. The doors opened at 10:00 in the morning and closed at midnight, or 12:00. Put those two numbers together and there it is. Sometimes the simplest name is the easiest one to remember.
Early photo listings often place the lounge in Cottonwood, which is understandable since the two communities nearly blend together along the same road. The building is actually within Clarkdale, a short distance northwest of downtown Cottonwood.
10 12 Lounge
Clarkdale, AZ Photo courtesy M.C. Morrissey
The old neighborhood bar eventually received a complete rebuild. The rustic interior was replaced with leather booths, a polished back bar, televisions, and other modern improvements. Through all the construction, the owners made sure the familiar red neon sign stayed right where it belonged.
Check out the way the different fonts on this sign merge together.
10 12 Lounge
Clarkdale, AZ Photo courtesy Tony Craig
There is no full kitchen inside the lounge, but that does not mean anyone has to drink on an empty stomach. Customers can order food from the neighboring Boathouse Grill and have it delivered directly to their tables. The back patio also stays useful throughout the year with cooling fans during the Arizona summer and heaters when the desert nights turn cold.
UPDATE: Here's a more recent photo of the 10-12 Lounge in Clarkdale. Many thanks to Tony Craig for photo. 08-13
UPDATE: The 10-12 Lounge remains open from 10:00 a.m. until midnight with cocktails, live music, Monday karaoke, and a large shaded patio. The vintage neon sign continues glowing above Main Street, although package liquor is no longer the main attraction. 08-26
Sultana Bar
Williams, AZ Photo courtesy Jodey Elsner
Here’s the “World Famous” Sultana Bar along Route 66 in Williams. The weathered neon sign advertises cocktails and package goods, complete with a glowing martini glass hanging over the sidewalk. “World famous” may be doing a little work there, but this is certainly one of the better-known old saloons in northern Arizona.
The Sultana officially opened in 1912, although some older histories give 1906 as the date. Either way, it was serving railroad workers, ranchers, and loggers long before Route 66 came through Williams in 1926. The bar is also credited with holding one of Arizona’s oldest continuously operated liquor licenses.
Sultana Bar sign close-up
Williams, AZ Photo courtesy Tim Hewett
The place comes with a few stories beneath the floorboards. Tunnels under the building were reportedly used by Chinese railroad workers during the early 20th century opium trade. When Prohibition arrived, the same passages are said to have been used for hiding bootleg liquor. Apparently, a good tunnel can change with the times.
An interior passage once connected the bar with a neighboring theater showing silent movies. The former theater now serves as an event space, while the saloon keeps its hardwood floors, pressed-tin ceiling, pool tables, stuffed cougar, and thousands of dollar bills attached to the walls.
Sultana Bar
Williams, AZ Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Like any century-old Western saloon, the Sultana has picked up a few ghost stories. Employees and visitors have reported footsteps after closing, sudden cold spots, and shadowy figures near the bar. Perhaps a few longtime customers never quite found their way to the door.
UPDATE: Here's another shot of this sign calling out "package goods" and "cocktails." This sign is found off of Route 66 in the Entrance to the Grand Canyon town of Williams, AZ. Many thanks to Paul Bauke for info. 08-06
UPDATE: The Sultana Bar opened in 1912. Word is the bar holds the record of holding the longest continuous liquor license in the state of Arizona. The building once housed a silent movie theatre and a billiards hall. The Sultana is also said to be haunted by former patrons of the bar. 06-23
UPDATE: The Sultana Bar remains open along Route 66 with cocktails, live music, pool tables, and plenty of old Williams character. The neon martini glass still glows outside, and the “World Famous” claim continues doing its job. 08-26
Cotton's Wonder Bar
Casa Grande, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The colorful marquee outside Cotton’s Wonder Bar is something of a wonder itself. Neon, package goods, and refrigerated beer all compete for space on the sign. Thankfully, those package goods were kept cold. Warm beer would not have been much of a roadside attraction.
The Wonder Bar was established by Carr “Uncle” McNatt in 1934, following an earlier drinking establishment he operated called the Gilt Edge Saloon. The first Wonder Bar was located inside Casa Grande’s San Carlos Hotel rather than at this familiar downtown storefront.
McNatt moved the business into its present building on West Second Street in 1940. It later became known as Cotton’s Wonder Bar, although the exact story behind the Cotton name has been difficult to pin down.
UPDATE: Now operating simply as the Wonder Bar, the tavern remains open every day of the year. Its vintage neon sign still stands in its original spot above Second Street and has not been moved to the Casa Grande Neon Sign Park. 08-26
The Blackcat
Seligman, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out The Black Cat along Route 66 in Seligman. The big arched sign and black cat silhouette make this old tavern easy to recognize among the town’s colorful collection of highway businesses.
The Black Cat opened in 1936, serving railroad workers, locals, and Route 66 travelers. Its original wooden building was later destroyed by fire, and the tavern was rebuilt with sturdy concrete blocks in 1963.
During the late 1980s, the Black Cat became one of the local gathering places for business owners working to bring attention back to bypassed Route 66. Those preservation efforts helped turn Seligman into one of the Mother Road’s best-known stops.
Inside are a pressed-tin ceiling, pool table, old beer signs, historic photographs, license plates, and currency left behind by travelers. There is plenty to look at while having a cold one.
UPDATE: The Black Cat remains open as a neighborhood tavern and Route 66 watering hole. Its familiar roadside sign and black cat mascot continue greeting travelers in downtown Seligman. 08-26
10 12 Lounge
10 12 Lounge
Sultana Bar
Here’s the “World Famous” Sultana Bar along Route 66 in Williams. The weathered neon sign advertises cocktails and package goods, complete with a glowing martini glass hanging over the sidewalk. “World famous” may be doing a little work there, but this is certainly one of the better-known old saloons in northern Arizona.
Sultana Bar sign close-up
Sultana Bar
Cotton's Wonder Bar
The Blackcat
