1934
2000
A Bar Built on Bayfeild History
In 1934, as Prohibition came to an end, a grand bar and back bar were hauled across the frozen surface of Lake Superior and brought to their current home in downtown Bayfield.
The Bates family eventually purchased the property, and for decades the bar stood as a fixture of the community.In 2000, the space took a new life as an art studio and gallery under Mary H. Rice — the original bar remaining intact throughout, along with the tin ceilings, original light fixtures, and the bones of a building that refused to be ordinary.
Through every chapter, the 1930s character of the space endured. The woodwork. The ceilings. The feeling of stepping somewhere that knows exactly what it is.
OUR BEGINNINGS
2023
2025
A NEW OWNER
A SURGEON. A HOST. A NATURAL FIT.
When Bates Art Bar became available, Larry Munch recognized it immediately. As a practicing surgeon who had spent years hosting popup dinner events with wine pairings as a personal passion, he had long been looking for a space where that expertise could take root permanently.
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The Art Deco bar, original tin ceilings, and historic floors were in remarkable shape — restoring the 1930s atmosphere rather than replacing it was never a question. What the space needed was a kitchen and a vision.
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A new commercial kitchen and Art Deco-designed bathrooms were added — without disturbing what made the building worth saving in the first place.
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Finally, in 2025 Bates Art Bar re-opens to the public, earning a reputation for craft cocktails, wine, and housemade boards.
