Bube’s Brewery: A Lager-Era Time Capsule in Mount Joy

Pronounced boo-bees, the name always makes first-time visitors giggle. But behind the laugh is a landmark unlike any other in America: a Civil War–era brewery, hotel, tavern, event space, and theater that has survived fire, Prohibition, and neglect, only to emerge as the only intact 19th-century lager-era brewery left in the United States and one of Lancaster County’s most iconic destinations.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Bube’s Brewery is the only intact 19th-century lager-era brewery in the United States. To step inside is to walk back through time, from the mustard-yellow doors to the catacomb cellars carved 43 feet underground.

The story begins with Alois Bube, born in Bavaria in 1851. Like many young Germans of his generation, he apprenticed in brewing before emigrating to America in 1869—joining a wave of immigrants that included names like Yuengling, Busch, Miller, and Coors. By 1876, he had purchased a modest brewery in Mount Joy.

Bube expanded rapidly. In 1889, he constructed the Central Hotel, a grand Italianate structure adjacent to the brewery, featuring pressed-metal cornices, arched windows, and a balcony overlooking Market Street. Below ground, he dug vast lagering vaults, where beer could be cold-aged in stone-lined chambers before being hoisted upstairs to wagons for delivery.

By the turn of the century, Bube’s Brewery was thriving. Its beer was renowned for being brewed with only malt, hops, and pure well water. Its equipment was considered state-of-the-art. And the family’s prosperity was such that even when Prohibition shuttered the brewery, the Bubes could afford to keep living in the property until the 1960s—leaving much of it untouched, a Victorian time capsule.

In 1893, a fire gutted the original mansard roof, which was replaced with a third story. Bube himself died suddenly in 1908 at the age of 57. His estate ran the brewery until 1914, when it was sold to John Hallgren, who closed it only three years later as Prohibition loomed.

After decades of dormancy and disrepair, the complex was rescued in 1982 by Sam Allen, who reimagined Bube’s as a hybrid of history, theater, and hospitality. Drawing inspiration from Penn State’s famed underground bars, Allen leaned into the building’s labyrinthine spaces and theatrical character.

In 2001, brewing returned at last. Today, a microbrewery in the original icehouse rotates six house beers, from German lagers to English pub ales and seasonal creations.

Explore the Levels of Bube’s

The Catacombs. Descend 43 feet into candlelit stone vaults once used for lagering beer. Massive barrels still line the walls. Today, it’s a fine-dining restaurant and home to theatrical “Feast” dinners where costumed actors turn dinner into a performance.

The Alois Barroom. Located in the historic hotel tavern, it retains its ornate woodwork and stenciled walls (minus the old spittoon trough). Murder mystery dinners are staged here, capitalizing on its moody Victorian atmosphere.

The Bottling Works Restaurant. Casual fare and live music fill this industrial space, once home to clattering bottling lines.

The Biergarten. Out back, where pigs and horses once lived, is now a shaded courtyard with a fire pit, bamboo grove, pool table, and giant chess set. Overhead, wisteria vines twist around the smokestack of the old steam engine that once powered the brewery.

The Hotel. Nine themed rooms await overnight guests. Options range from Arabian Nights to Victorian Princess to Jungle Suite.

Paranormal Reputation

With its age and preserved atmosphere, Bube’s has become one of Lancaster’s most storied haunted sites. Featured on SyFy’s Ghost Hunters in 2012 and hosting regular paranormal tours today, the brewery has built a reputation as a hotspot for spirits—though most guests are content with the liquid kind. If any brewery in America is haunted, it’s this one. Read more about Bube’s haunted history here.

Did You Know?

• Bube’s is the only surviving intact lager-era brewery in the U.S.
• The Central Hotel was the first building in Mount Joy with indoor plumbing and a flushing toilet.

Planning Your Visit

Bube’s Brewery is located at 102 N Market St, Mount Joy, PA 17552. From Bavarian immigrant dream to Victorian grandeur, Prohibition ruin to theatrical rebirth, Bube’s Brewery is a rare survivor. It is a living museum of American beer culture. Whether you come for a pint, a performance, or a stay in the themed hotel, Bube’s delivers one thing few places can: the feeling of stepping into history and still finding it alive. For menus, schedules, and upcoming events, visit bubesbrewery.com.

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Learn More

📖 Learn about more unique places like this when you step off the beaten path with Uncharted Lancaster: Field Guide to the Strange, Storied, and Hidden Places of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by Adam Zurn. This one-of-a-kind 239-page guidebook uncovers 56 fascinating sites, from the county’s very own fountain of youth to the oldest continuously operating short-line railroad in the western hemisphere.

Packed with history, local stories, and GPS locations, this book is your ticket to exploring the mysterious corners of Lancaster like never before. Whether you’re a lifelong local, a history buff, or just looking for a unique adventure, this field guide will spark your curiosity and send you exploring. Start your adventure here.

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