Palace Bar

Palace Bar. (Block 35; Lot 18). Historical records on this building are incomplete, but (it) is believed that it has alway housed an alcohol-related business. From 1915 to 1919, it was the home of the Kalispell Malting and Brewing Co. For most of its existence since then, it has been known as the Palace Bar, a typical small-town, Western watering hole. , In its early days, according to local lore, the building featured a brothel on the top floor. That time is long gone, and the place has had a succession of respectable owners over the years, including one-time member of the Whitefish City Council and an attorney who eventually was to become a district judge and later a federal magistrate. , Although the decor, like the bar itself, has never been pretentious, the Palace features a beautiful old wood backbar, said to have come up the Missouri River by steamer to Fort Benton, overland by wagon to Flathead Lake and up the lake to old Demersville, the Flathead Valley's original settlement. , In more recent times, the Palace became known for its games of skill and chance, most notably the mouse races. Live mice were auctioned off to bar patrons and were sent scurrying along 1-inch ropes stretched side-by-side on an 8-foot course. The winning pair... mouse and owner... were placed in a winner's circle and photographed together for posterity. The Palace, not much changed in nearly a century, remains a spot for local residents and tourists alike.