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The Tombs

Restaurant information
Established	July 23, 1962; 61 years ago (1962-07-23)
Owner(s)	Clyde's Restaurant Group
Previous owner(s)	Richard McCooey
Street address	1226 36th Street NW
City	Washington, D.C.
Postal/ZIP Code	20007
Country	United States
Coordinates	38°54′22″N 77°04′14″W / 38.906035°N 77.070443°W / 38.906035; -77.070443
Website	www.tombs.com

The Tombs is a restaurant and bar located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It was opened on July 23, 1962,^[1] by restaurateur and Georgetown University graduate Richard McCooey as the below ground bar or rathskeller for his restaurant 1789.^[2] The Tombs is a popular destination for Georgetown University students and alumni, and has been ranked as one of the best college bars in America.^[3]^[4] It is well known for its collegiate rowing-themed interior design, as well as the 99 days club, a competition in which Georgetown seniors aim to eat or drink at the club for all of the final three and a half months of the school year.^[5] In 1962, McCooey established the tradition of regular "Chimes Nights" where Georgetown's all-male a capella group, the Georgetown Chimes, would perform in the pub, inspired by the Whiffenpoofs' weekly performances at Yale's local establishment Mory's. The Chimes Night tradition continues.^[6]^[7] The restaurant was named after a fictional establishment mentioned in the poem "Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town" by T. S. Eliot.

The Tombs was purchased by Clyde's Restaurant Group in 1985.^[8]

The Tombs has been used as a location in two movies set at Georgetown. One scene in The Exorcist, where Father Karras tells a fellow priest over dinner that he may be losing his faith, was filmed there.^[9] In 1985's St. Elmo's Fire, The Tombs serves as the movie's titular bar.^[10]

References

^ Mahoney, Kevin G.; Corallo, Mark C. (1990). "The Social Traditions and Institutions at Georgetown University in the Twentieth Century". In Durkin, Joseph (ed.). Swift Potomac's Lovely Daughter: Two Centuries at Georgetown through Students' Eyes (PDF). Washington, D.C., U.S.: Georgetown University Press. p. 231. ISBN 0878405011.
^ "Our History". The Tombs. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
^ Hunt, Kristin. "The 32 Best College Bars in America". Thrillist. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
^ Stanger, Melissa; Robinson, Melia; Browning, Lauren (April 6, 2015). "The 40 best college bars in America". Business Insider. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
^ Sietsema, Tom (September 9, 2022). "The Tombs in Georgetown is a classic college tavern with elevated pub grub". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
^ Del Sesto, Cristina (October 18, 1992). "CHIME TIME". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
^ O'Neill, Paul R.; Smith, Bennie L. (2020). Georgetown University. Arcadia Publishing. p. 121. ISBN 1467104663.
^ Sun, Lena H. (August 1, 1988). "Clyde's a Recipe for Success". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
^ Paschall, Valerie (October 31, 2013). "Mapping the Filming Locations of The Exorcist". Curbed. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
^ Baker, Kathryn (September 15, 2017). "Beneath The Tombs: A Rich Art History". The Hoya. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University. Retrieved July 20, 2023.