The Lindell AC was Detroit’s original watering hole for athletes, entertainers, hometown heroes, blue and white-collar workers alike.
They would share stories with John and Jimmy Butsicaris while feasting on burgers, fries, and booze surrounded by wall to wall photographs and museum quality sports memorabilia. “Meet me at the Lindell!” was heard in the businesses throughout downtown Detroit for lunch and later in the evening for something to drink and good community.
After opening the bar with their father in 1949, the Butsicaris brothers started collecting photographs and game used artifacts on the advice of Yankee infielder Billy Martin in the mid 1950s. The bar soon become a favorite for visiting athletes and celebrities who stayed in the nearby hotels.
Before long, sports enthusiasts began frequenting the bar to rub elbows with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Muhammad Ali, local favorite Norm Cash, comedian Milton Berle and actress Jayne Mansfield.
The original closed after half a century in 2002, but the legend and community that came together around the Lindell continues today.
Relive the legend and celebrate the opening of our new exhibition Lindell AC: America's First Sports Bar at the Detroit Historical Museum on Saturday, March 16. More info here.