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Where Everybody Still Knows Your Name

May 22, 2014

The last episode of Cheers aired in 1993, but if you’re still missing it, here are a few Norm-worthy Cheers bars you can visit in real life.

CheersCheers Beacon Hill, Boston

This Boston pub first opened as the Bull & Finch in 1969 and its exterior “played” Cheers during the show’s 11-season run—it was renamed Cheers Beacon Hill in 2003. The interior doesn’t look much like the bar on TV, but it does have a gift shop and a gigantic burger on the menu named Norm. In 2009, owner Thomas A. Kershaw courted controversy by firing Eddie Doyle, a beloved bartender that had worked there since 1974. It led to such outcry that a nearby city square was named in Doyle’s honor.

Cheers Faneuil Hall, Boston

Kershaw also owns this Cheers-themed eatery, which includes a nearly exact replica of the bar from TV. Several show props are also on display, including Sam Malone’s Red Sox jacket, Cliff’s mailman uniform, and Lilith’s “Eco-podi” outfit. The eatery also hosts live music and other performances several times a week, although most locals consider it a tourist trap. (It’s also got the Norm burger.)

Cheers airport bars

The immense popularity of the sitcom led to a small franchise of 15 Cheers-themed bars in airports located around the world. They featured replicas of the bar, in addition to two animatronic barflies named “Hank” and “Bob” that were clearly based on Norm and Cliff. They were programmed to have a funny, pre-recorded conversation every few minutes. Actors George Wendt and John Ratzenberger, who played the characters on the show, weren¹t amused by having their likenesses used without their permission—they sued, and settled out of court.