Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Nevada Virginia City Red Dog Saloon
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Red Dog Saloon

A Wild West saloon that helped define a generation of psychedelic rock.

Virginia City, Nevada

Added By
Jeremy Dunn
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The bar at the Red Dog.   Jeremy D / Atlas Obscura User
Red Dog stage   Jeremy D / Atlas Obscura User
Order up!   Jeremy D / Atlas Obscura User
The bar   Jeremy D / Atlas Obscura User
Red Dog posters   Jeremy D / Atlas Obscura User
The original Seed Poster in the upper-left corner   Jeremy D / Atlas Obscura User
Stage at the Red Dog   Jeremy D / Atlas Obscura User
Red Dog Saloon entrance   Jeremy D / Atlas Obscura User
Red Dog Saloon on C Street   Jeremy D / Atlas Obscura User
pizza stand inside Red Dog Saloon   Avoiding Regret
bicycle table   Avoiding Regret
View of the façade from across the street   Avoiding Regret
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
  SomePlaceCool / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Virginia City, Nevada, is well known for many things: the V&T railroad, prosperous silver mines, and as the place where Mark Twain began his writing career. One lesser-known fact about Virginia City is that it played an important role in the origins of psychedelic rock n' roll. 

By the mid-1960s, Virginia City's cheap rents attracted young, idealistic hippies in droves. In 1965, a group of friends purchased an old hotel and transformed it into the Red Dog Saloon. Chandler A. Laughlin III, a DJ better known by his nickname Travus T. Hipp, recruited bands in San Francisco, while artist Bill Ham developed a suitably trippy lightshow that could be projected onto the bar's wall. Before long, the place earned a reputation for its live shows, as well as the LSD and peyote that often accompanied them.

Among the bands who played at the Red Dog Saloon were The Charlatans, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Big Brother & The Holding Company, which would later go on to work with Janis Joplin. Known as The Red Dog Experience, this concert series lasted all summer long. The Experience would go on to be repeated for the next two summers. Some of the Red Dog cohorts took what they learned in Virginia City and went on to produce shows for the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Country Joe and the Fish, among many others. 

These days, the Red Dog Saloon is still a cornerstone of the community. In addition to a full bar, the Red Dog Saloon offers a variety of sandwiches, wings, and pizza. Live music is still on the lineup at the regular open mic nights. The walls of the saloon are festooned with posters from some of the many acts which have graced the stage over the years.

Related Tags

Bars Music History Rock And Roll Unique Restaurants & Bars

Know Before You Go

The bar hosts popular open mic nights every Wednesday, as well as a rotating roster of local bands. Check the website to see the lineup before you go.

Community Contributors

Added By

Jeremy D

Edited By

Avoiding Regret, breaingram, SomePlaceCool, pitch4d

  • Avoiding Regret
  • breaingram
  • SomePlaceCool
  • pitch4d

Published

January 11, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.furious.com/perfect/reddogsaloon.html
  • https://travelnevada.com/bars/red-dog-saloon/
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAaKz31Tf8I
Red Dog Saloon
76 N C Street
Virginia City, Nevada, 89440
United States
39.311792, -119.649358
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Silver Queen

Virginia City, Nevada

miles away

Piper's Opera House

Virginia City, Nevada

miles away

Ponderosa Saloon

Virginia City, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Virginia City

Virginia City

Nevada

Places 7
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Silver Queen

Virginia City, Nevada

miles away

Piper's Opera House

Virginia City, Nevada

miles away

Ponderosa Saloon

Virginia City, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Virginia City

Virginia City

Nevada

Places 7
Stories 2

Related Stories and Lists

8 Ghost Towns to Visit for Food and Spirits

List

By Sam Lin-Sommer

Related Places

  • The Rainbow Bar & Grill exterior.

    West Hollywood, California

    Rainbow Bar & Grill

    An Italian restaurant became a rock-and-roll hangout and the lair of the "Hollywood vampires."

  • Tallinn, Estonia

    KuKu Club

    An underground nightclub helped spark a "Singing Revolution."

  • Antwerp, Belgium

    Cafe Beveren

    This small corner bar is home to a rare 1930s dance organ that still plays tunes for one Euro.

  • Edna Nicole commands the room.

    Clarksdale, Mississippi

    Red’s

    Pay your respects at this juke joint founded by a blues legend of the Mississippi Delta.

  • Kent, England

    The Glimmer Twins

    Two members of the Rolling Stones frozen forever in bronze.

  • Nokishita711’s cocktails are made with custom infusions of unlikely ingredients.

    Kyoto, Japan

    Nokishita711

    Sip “liquid cuisine” made with meat, vegetables, and insects.

  • Should nighttime find you at Rosa’s Cantina, this is what it may look like.

    El Paso, Texas

    Rosa's Cantina

    One of El Paso's oldest dives may have inspired the classic Marty Robbins song.

  • Feel free to take photos, but don’t make a mess.

    San Diego, California

    Mick Jagger's Urinal

    The Gaslamp District's oldest bar sports a urinal marked with a golden plaque that was allegedly used by Mick Jagger.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.