A Brief History Of Union Oyster House America's Oldest Operating Restaurant

The doors to Union Oyster House opened in 1826, over 190 years ago. While there are many historic eateries in America, Union Oyster is the oldest operating restaurant in the nation. The building is a National Historic Landmark located on Union Street in Boston.

The origin of ye olde Union Oyster House

Historians believe that the Union Oyster House building was built in 1704. Prior to being a restaurant, the building was Hopestill Capen’s dress goods store. After that, in 1771, Isiah Thomas published his newspaper The Massachusetts Spy – the oldest newspaper in the United States – in the building. And in 1826, the structure became the Atwood & Bacon Oyster House.

The owners of the Atwood & Bacon House created the signature semi-circular oyster bar that is still present today. That bar is where longtime customer Daniel Webster would sit to drink his usual brandy and water and eat a half a dozen oysters on a daily basis. By 1916, the Atwood & Bacon Oyster House was commonly known as the Union Oyster House.

Other famous patrons of the restaurant include the Kennedy family. Indeed, the restaurant dedicated JFK’s favorite booth – located in the upstairs dining room – as “The Kennedy Booth” in his honor.

Fun fact: The toothpick was popularized in America thanks to the Union Oyster House.

The Union Oyster House today

The Union Oyster House serves traditional New England food – oysters, lobsters, clams, baked beans, steak, and chicken – just as it did years ago. Stop by for raw oysters at the famous semi-circular bar or sit at “The Kennedy Booth” and revel in the restaurant’s rich history.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.