The Italian author Italo Calvino wrote, “The more enlightened our houses are, the more their walls ooze ghosts.” Along a similar vein, it comes as no surprise that one of Madison’s oldest and most storied bars, Mickey’s Tavern, located at 1524 Williamson St., is thought by many to be haunted.
Spooky reputation withstanding, many students have probably not heard of Mickey’s Tavern. It is not to be confused with Mickies Dairy Bar on Monroe Street, which serves damn good breakfasts that taste especially good after a crazy night out. Mickey’s Tavern serves up strong and cheap drinks in an environment some say is a gateway to another world.
Manager Brian Brech explains numerous encounters with the supernatural. “It is really strange,” he says, “but I’ve seen spirits in the basement and upstairs, and every so often things happen for no apparent reason.” The phenomenon includes machines randomly turning on, items misplaced and actual phantoms moving about.
“The one that really got to me is a ghost of an old man on all fours, struggling to get up — it was freaky,” Brech added. He firmly believes this image is of the original owner and namesake, Mickey Niebuhr, who passed away roughly five years ago.
The building was built in 1902 by Mickey’s grandfather, with a tavern on the first floor that remains today. Mickey himself lived in one of the apartments in the building. Legend has it that Mickey proclaimed that if he ever left the bar (or the building, for that matter), he would die. Although in his 90s, it was only one week after Mickey moved out that he met his death.
Certainly there is a high degree of coincidence in these tales. On the other hand, Mickey’s Tavern has a very intriguing history.
The bar’s first brush with notoriety came in 1910, when a member of the traveling Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show was murdered on the steel front porch entryway. Brian Brech explains, “The body was dragged away by carnies, it was never reported, and that was the end of that.”
Scandal aside, the bar is firmly entrenched in its ties with the past, a feature that is self-evident after spending any amount of time in the bar. The bar and back bar, for example, are in practically the same condition as when they were first installed in 1942.
One noticeable feature is the hundreds of vertical glass tubes in the back bar. These are illuminated by red neon lights and also feature the outline of a hunting dog’s head in two of the larger panels. As for the dogs’ exact purpose, nobody really knows.
The bar features roughly four different rooms, each with their own character, stuck in their own time warps. The furniture is colorful and kitschy, and a wide range of design styles from the 1940s to the 1970s are represented. The various ashtrays of different styles and shapes are interesting conversation pieces.
The clash of styles creates a funky flair. As one might expect, this atmosphere is a perfect environment for the hip and eclectic crowds of Willy Street.
Mickey’s is the quintessential neighborhood bar. It is a place where you could go every day for a drink or two, if you were so inclined. Given the fact that drinks are cheap, some people actually do come to Mickey’s on a daily basis.
Rail drinks are priced to go at $2.50 apiece. Brand-name mixed drinks are priced at about $2.75 to $3.50. Specials include frequent $1 bottle specials of Pabst or Rhinelander, $3.00 Long Island specials on Wednesday nights and $4.50 Huber pitchers on weekends. Weekends also feature $1 Jäger shots.
The specials can suit almost any budget and cover a variety of possibilities, but the most popular drink is Mickey’s Bloody Mary.
Made with a secret recipe, the Bloody Mary is served with a snit of beer for $4.50. The term snit refers to the 8-oz.beer that accompanies the drink.
Adding to Mickey’s ambiance is live music. Sunday nights are open mic, Catfish Stevens performs on Tuesdays, and Celtic music is featured on Wednesdays.
Few bars can match Mickey’s character. And who knows? Maybe you will become a believer in ghosts, too.
Bartime will rev it up for the Badger football game with some drinks at the Oakcrest Tavern at the Stadium. The Oakcrest is located at 1421 Regent St. and can be reached at 250-8989. Cheers!
