What pool halls have been out there the longest. The oldest one Ive been to I think is College Billiards in San Diego. Been there since the 60's I think. Just want to know where the old Classic joints are.
Old pool HALLS
- Thread starter maximillion
- Start date
azbicyclis85376
Banned
North Hollywood Billards in North Hollywood CA 
Several that come to mind, Bakers Pool Room in Tampa, Florida, used to be the oldest pool room on the East Coast. I'm not sure if it's still around. Florida posters may know. [Where is that Smorg when you need him? 
]
In Syracuse, there's a really cool old-timey pool room called Capps. When you walk in, there's a soda fountain on the left with swivel seats, and along the perimeter of the room, there are several dozen wooden lockers for the regulars to keep their cue stick.
In Pittsburgh, there's a place right on the corner owned by a player named Marino. There's movie seats or bus benches for seating, which are quite comfortable compared to the hard wooden stools. It's a nice place to sweat games for railbirds like me. The hours go by like minutes if you happen to come upon an action game. Quite comfortable.
In New Orleans, Louisiana: Sports Palace, where the living is easy, pool players paradise, an excellent room for any road player from the '70s! I've never been there, but I sure do feel like I know the place.
That pool hall where they shot "The Color of Money" in Chicago, "Chris's," (I think) has been around for a long time, too. Anybody who has seen the movie knows what that place looks like, not a lot of frills, but atmosphere galore.
Morgantown, West Virginia-Frank's Place. Even today, when walking in the joint, it's like taking a step back in time. Pool players welcome; action players beware!
Oldest bar with pool table in my neck of the woods (80-plus years): Hank Dietle's Tavern in Rockville, Maryland, "Surliness and flies, no charge," where I picked up my first cue stick and learned how to play pool. It's not a pool hall, but it's extinct. Even today, it still feels like walking into the home of an old friend!
Old-fashioned pool rooms are great. There aren't too many of them around, having been replaced with the modern-day billiard sports bars.
JAM
]In Syracuse, there's a really cool old-timey pool room called Capps. When you walk in, there's a soda fountain on the left with swivel seats, and along the perimeter of the room, there are several dozen wooden lockers for the regulars to keep their cue stick.
In Pittsburgh, there's a place right on the corner owned by a player named Marino. There's movie seats or bus benches for seating, which are quite comfortable compared to the hard wooden stools. It's a nice place to sweat games for railbirds like me. The hours go by like minutes if you happen to come upon an action game. Quite comfortable.
In New Orleans, Louisiana: Sports Palace, where the living is easy, pool players paradise, an excellent room for any road player from the '70s! I've never been there, but I sure do feel like I know the place.
That pool hall where they shot "The Color of Money" in Chicago, "Chris's," (I think) has been around for a long time, too. Anybody who has seen the movie knows what that place looks like, not a lot of frills, but atmosphere galore.
Morgantown, West Virginia-Frank's Place. Even today, when walking in the joint, it's like taking a step back in time. Pool players welcome; action players beware!
Oldest bar with pool table in my neck of the woods (80-plus years): Hank Dietle's Tavern in Rockville, Maryland, "Surliness and flies, no charge," where I picked up my first cue stick and learned how to play pool. It's not a pool hall, but it's extinct. Even today, it still feels like walking into the home of an old friend!
Old-fashioned pool rooms are great. There aren't too many of them around, having been replaced with the modern-day billiard sports bars.
JAM
Last edited:
The Hippodome, In Buffalo, NY might be the oldest anywhere in the States. It still has a couple of its original tables, as well as most of its spectator chairs, cue racks that match the original tables.
It was an early haunt for Danny Diliberto (now that makes it old
), who is from Buffalo.
IIRC, their original tables (only about two left) are something this:
http://www.brunswick-billiards.com/our_rich_history/antique_tables/kling_4_leg.html
It was an early haunt for Danny Diliberto (now that makes it old
), who is from Buffalo.IIRC, their original tables (only about two left) are something this:
http://www.brunswick-billiards.com/our_rich_history/antique_tables/kling_4_leg.html
Last edited:
There's a place in Chariton, Iowa (a small town about an hour southeast of Des Moines), that has been around for a looooong time---I'm guessing at least 60 to 75 years, maybe more. It's now called Sportsmens Lounge. It has three 9 footers and one snooker table---old Brunswicks, I believe. There aren't any big money games that I've heard of, but the atmosphere really takes one back to the old time days. I get down there about once a year and it seems my game comes to life there.
If only there were dozens of 'em like that.
Jeff Livingston
If only there were dozens of 'em like that.
Jeff Livingston
drivermaker
Banned
Franklin's Sporting Goods in Aliquippa, PA originally opened as a combination bowling alley and pool room in the 1930's. The bowling alley is gone but the pool room is still in existence with the front part of the store used to sell bait, fishing tackle, sodas, candy, potato chips. It has wooden floors under the pool tables from the old bowling lanes, old wooden movie theatre seats for railbirds, and the original tables and one piece house cues from the 30's and 40's. It's like going into a time machine. I played there last summer. (and as a teenager from 1960 on)
Last edited:
OldHasBeen
Tom Ferry
JAM - Your bringing back Too Many Memories.
You mentioned Frank's Place in Morgantown, WV and I remember it well. Louie & I had some great games there. First he did the shooting & I was the Mgr. & Backer. Then I did the playing and he fell in love with a local damsel to keep himself entertained.
Ahh - THE SPORTS PALACE IN NAORLANS. I can smell the crawfish cooking as I write this. Back then I had a hard time getting any sleep. I never have done any drugs and there was way too much action to go to sleep. I would play at the Sports Palace all day and then go out to Airline Hwy & play all night.
I BBQ-ed a player named Calvin in Eldorado, AR one time (he was broke) and he knew I was headed to New Orleans. He got a new steakhorse and beat me to the Sports Palace 2 days later. I busted him again and found out later that he had never slept since Eldorado.
The fish, shrimp, crawfish, etc. that you ate in the Sports Palace was usually caught about 1 to 2 hours ago. I think the owner (who wore the worst green wig anyone has ever seen) owned the fishing boat and got it off and into the pot A.S.A.P.
It was also one of the hardest places to play as is was always soaking wet. If you had never played there and just came in for the first time, you usually lost. Buddy played some of his best while at the Sports Palace.
As far as the oldest Pool Hall in America – I think you would have to research all the little towns & bergs with the town squares to find it. There are so many throughout the east, south & midwest that I think it would be impossible.
TY & GL
You mentioned Frank's Place in Morgantown, WV and I remember it well. Louie & I had some great games there. First he did the shooting & I was the Mgr. & Backer. Then I did the playing and he fell in love with a local damsel to keep himself entertained.
Ahh - THE SPORTS PALACE IN NAORLANS. I can smell the crawfish cooking as I write this. Back then I had a hard time getting any sleep. I never have done any drugs and there was way too much action to go to sleep. I would play at the Sports Palace all day and then go out to Airline Hwy & play all night.
I BBQ-ed a player named Calvin in Eldorado, AR one time (he was broke) and he knew I was headed to New Orleans. He got a new steakhorse and beat me to the Sports Palace 2 days later. I busted him again and found out later that he had never slept since Eldorado.
The fish, shrimp, crawfish, etc. that you ate in the Sports Palace was usually caught about 1 to 2 hours ago. I think the owner (who wore the worst green wig anyone has ever seen) owned the fishing boat and got it off and into the pot A.S.A.P.
It was also one of the hardest places to play as is was always soaking wet. If you had never played there and just came in for the first time, you usually lost. Buddy played some of his best while at the Sports Palace.
As far as the oldest Pool Hall in America – I think you would have to research all the little towns & bergs with the town squares to find it. There are so many throughout the east, south & midwest that I think it would be impossible.
TY & GL
OldHasBeen said:
One might have more luck trying to track the arrival of the first tables. Surely they were European in origin, and would have been shipped in so there is somewhere to start the research. Based on my Canadian understanding of US history, I wouldn't think the first pool hall would be in the midwest, more likely in one of your original colonies and in a now large city, possibly in Boston, NY, Phil, Washington, etc.
Dave
The Jointed Cue in Sacramento has been around for quite a while. Nice place too. Great hamburgers, service and good tables. Dave, the owner, just re-finished that back room and he did a great job!! You can't beat the nostalgia of that place too. He has a bunch of old photos of players in their prime. There's a pic of Mike Massey that was taken a long time ago.
DDKoop said:
1942 is when the oldest pool hall in the States opened ? That just doesn't seem right, I thought it would be much older. And they suggest that a Barber Shop turned Pool Hall is a bit of a suprise ... but that was quite common around here (western Canada). In fact the largest pool equipment retailer here in Saskatoon (Gould Recreation) started out as a barber shop supplies dealer, and added pool stuff when they realized that their customers the barber shops, were heavily into pool as well. Now they do not sell barber supplies, only pool stuff (OK, they added darts and outdoor furniture, but no gel or combs anymore ...).
What does Shamos say on this topic ?
Dave
I don't know if its the oldest in the country, but Smith's Billiards in Springfield, MA is supposedly the longest continuously operating room in the country.
F
Fred Agnir
Guest
maximillion said:
Smith's Billiards in Springfield, MA was the longest continuously run pool hall in the country, founded in 1902. I don't know if it still has this distinction as the room changed ownership and may have actually close for a time.
Some of the tables that used to be in there just a few years ago in there were from a World's Fair in the early 1900's, including the few remaining commercial 10' pool tables.
Here's the new web site:
http://www.smithsbilliards.com/
Fred