Our Story
The building that Murph's calls home has been serving York for decades. In the 1960s it was Snyder's Ice Cream, then Frank's Steak Shop later that decade.
Art Murphy bought the place in 1972. It started as a beer-only spot called The Watering Hole before he got a full liquor license. On June 10, 1975, Murph's Study Hall opened.
In the early 1980s, Art's son Tom took over. In 2007 the bar sold to another local family. Pete and Tina bought it in 2017 and kept it family owned.
We closed during the 2020 shutdown like a lot of places did. The building got some work done while we were down. We reopened with the same bar people remembered.
Today we still run it the same way: good drinks, good music, and room for regulars.
A York Original
For more than fifty years, Murph's has been where York goes out.
First dates, birthdays, reunions, championship nights, college crowds, after-work crews, and weekends that ran long. A lot of people walked in years ago and now bring their kids.
We were early on trivia, music bingo, and black light parties in town. We still have one of the bigger dance floors around, happy hour specials all week, DJs on weekends, and bartenders who know your name if you stick around.
Murph's never chased trends. Cold drinks, fair prices, and a room full of people who want to be here. That has been enough.
Why people keep coming back
After work, before a night out, or just because it is Tuesday and you need out of the house. Pull up a stool. Most nights somebody you know is already here.
- Family owned and operated
- Serving York since 1975
- One of York's oldest bars still going
- One of the larger dance floors in town
- Happy hour specials all week
- Music bingo, trivia, DJs, and more
- Bartenders who know the regulars
- Food and drink specials
- Free parking
- On Jessop Place, near downtown and York College
What you will find here
A drink after work. Happy hour with friends. A Wednesday night for music bingo. A Saturday on the dance floor. Same bar, different nights. All of it 21 and up.
First visit or hundredth, you get a seat and a pour. That is the deal.
TODO: confirm names and dates with owner before treating public-source history as final (see content/CREATIVE-LIBERTIES.md).