Historic Nutley is certainly picturesque: with the Third River Memorial Park cutting through town, charming Victorian homes, and mature trees on every corner, it’s an elegant and easy-going place. This is why an urban legend attached to a local bar is even more strange. The Old Canal Inn, located at 2 East Passaic Avenue, has been a part of the Nutley community for nearly 100 years. And it’s also home to one of the strangest ghost stories in town. Read on for more about this historic spot and its accompanying legend.
Photo Credit: Ali Coco
About the Old Canal Inn
Built in 1908, The Old Canal Inn is located at 2 East Passaic Avenue, just steps from the old Morris Canal. It’s become a local watering hole, where people come together for cold beer, pub food, and good vibes. It’s got an outdoor patio, an indoor casual dining room, and a huge selection of beers on tap, and head bartender Ali Coco says it’s become a staple for so many of the locals. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard new customers say that they’ve lived in the area of The Old Canal Inn for years and had never stepped foot inside,” she told The Montclair Girl. “They always arrive and leave impressed, truthfully.”
Read More: A List of North Jersey’s Most Haunted Places
Owner Mark Conca and his brothers made a point of paying homage to the history of the space, even including pictures of what the building has looked like through the years while making sure it’s been updated to accommodate modern comforts. “They kept the original bar top and built-in cabinets behind the bar that we use as extra storage for glasses,” Ali said. “The cabinets were refrigerators years ago. There’s a small piece of paper stapled to one of the cabinet doors saying the company that was used to service them.”
Photo Credit: Ali Coco
In 2014, the building suffered a huge fire in the kitchen that spread up to the rafters and dining room. The Conca brothers and their team used it as an opportunity to create a space with a big bar, stage, and tons of TVs that are perfect for Sunday football. But they kept all of the details that make The Old Canal Inn unique, from a train that runs on the ceiling to the relaxed ambiance.
Photo Credit: Ali Coco
“All new bars are the same,” Ali said. “They’re bright, way too big, and very loud. There’s something comforting about walking into a dive bar where the lights are low and everyone knows everyone.” Locals come to enjoy a few drinks and the food menu, which includes blackened steak bites, chicken quesadillas, and a corned beef Rueben – which features corned beef made by Conca that Ali says is to die for. But, many also come for the haunted legend.
The Legend of the Death Seat
“We get many questions weekly about the legend of the death seat,” Ali said. Urban tales suggest that two men fought at length over this seat at the bar, and both died from heart attacks ten days later. Then, in 1964, two different men sat on the chair. Both died of heart attacks three days later.
Today, the “death seat” at the end of the bar, closest to the front windows, is roped off and a skeleton sits perched upon it. But Conca and the team acknowledge the legend cheekily: When Death Seat Day is announced, guests can enjoy a limited edition burger, appropriately titled the Death Seat Burger.
For those who aren’t looking for haunted lore, The Old Canal Inn also has nightly events: Mondays are industry night, Tuesday is classic car night, Wednesdays are bingo and cigar night, Thursday night festivities alternate between trivia and karaoke, and weekend nights have a DJ, band, or private party in the dining room.
Photo Credit: Ali Coco
Sundays, however, bring about another piece of New Jersey history. “We hold a shuffleboard tournament on our regulation-size shuffleboard table,” Ali said. “We’re the only establishment within the town of Nutley that has any sort of table game. There was a law passed years ago saying no bars were allowed to have any table games in Nutley, but ours was already here so it was grandfathered in.”
See More: These Real-Life Hudson County Ghost Stories Will Freak You Out
Stepping into The Old Canal Inn is like walking into a museum of New Jersey’s history with all of your friends. Everyone is welcome and everyone’s happy to see you — just don’t go near that chair at the end of the bar.
