page_title: Neir's Tavern
section_title: Original operation
hierarchical_section_title: Neir's Tavern / History / Original operation
caption_attribution_description: English: Union Club House, 1873 Beers map of Woodhaven detail of Unionville, intersection of Snedeker (78thSt.) and 88th Ave.
context_page_description: Neir's Tavern is a bar located at 87-48 78th Street in the Woodhaven neighborhood of Queens, New York City. It is one of the oldest bars in the United States, having been in nearly continuous operation since 1829.
context_section_description: The bar was founded in 1829 and, according to the current owners, is one of the oldest bars in the country, having been in nearly continuous operation since 1829 (except during Prohibition), under various names such as Blue Pump Room, Old Abbey, Neir’s Social Hall, and Union Course Tavern. Local historians noted that it was during Prohibition that it became a speakeasy. The bar was founded near the Union Course racetrack (extant 1821–1888) and hosted many track patrons during the track's existence. The establishment was owned by the Neir family from 1898 to 1967, after which it went into decline and closed in 2009.  A various times in its history, it featured a ballroom, hotel rooms and a bowling alley.
caption: Union Race course detail
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