Historic Banks Beautifully Transformed Into Hotels, Restaurants, and More

With the rise of mobile banking, many bank buildings — including some architectural gems — have been repurposed into restaurants, hotels, bars, shops, breweries, and even arcades. Many retain their original 19th and 20th century design, with the financial institutions' vaults converted into spaces where visitors can sit and soak in the history. Take a look at some of the coolest bank conversions throughout the nation, from a spa to libraries and more. Do you have a converted bank near you? Tell us about it in the comments.

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New York City

This restaurant and cocktail bar is in the Trinity Building in the Financial District, with dining and a mahogany bar inside 35-ton vault doors that date back to 1904. Handcrafted leather seating banquettes from Ireland fill the space between thick steel pillars, and the dining room showcases a brass chandelier from its former days.

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Charleston, South Carolina

Once a 1920s bank, this seafood eatery is an oyster bar and Southern seafood hall considered among the city's best. The spacious dining room is outfitted with white tile and wood accents. Try the crispy oyster slider, which comes on freshly baked Hawaiian rolls.

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Kansas City, Missouri

In addition to nine branches, the city has a main library that in 1999 took over a century-old First National Bank Building. It's filled with marble columns, moldings, and bronze doors, has a grand lobby from 1906 with a 34-foot ceiling and skylights, and its reading rooms are modeled after those from the early 20th century. The old vault showcases films in partnership with local foundations.

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New Market, Alabama

This two-bed, one-bathroom home in a historic downtown strip was a 1926 bank that's been renovated to include modern appliances such as a laundry room, full kitchen, smart TVs, and more. Historic remnants can be seen throughout, from the front entrance and vault to the original tin ceilings that line the dining room. It sleeps four and starts at $151 a night.

Los Angeles

An abandoned bank has been transformed into the state's largest bookstore and record shop, with more than 250,000 new and used books over multiple floors with whimsical displays, hidden vaults, and even a book-laden labyrinth. Original marble pillars and high ceilings remain, while the bank's grand atrium is a welcoming entrance. The top floor also has art galleries.

Related: 20 of the Coolest Bookstores in America

Bartlett, Texas

This expansive rental was once the Bartlett National Bank, which opened in 1904 and operated until the 1930s. It has been restored to maintain many of its elements, including two vaults serving as a pantry and wine cellar, a teller station converted into a kitchen, and former offices converted into two bedrooms. The lobby is now a living room with a queen bed, a sofa bed, and couch where you can gaze at the ornate ceilings. It sleeps seven and starts at $234 a night, rentable from Vrbo or Airbnb.

Springfield, Vermont 

Housed in the 1908 Bank Block Building, this art shop showcases work from 125 artists in addition to rotating exhibits and a gift shop selling handcrafted work. It offers workshops to the public from calligraphy classes to painting, bracelet making, and painting sessions. The original vault remains, inviting you to explore local art in an unusual space.

Bennington, Vermont

For $765,000, you can buy this renovated bank building. Its two stories include four bedrooms and two bathrooms in a nearly 3,000-square-foot residence atop a 3,700-square-foot commercial space. There vintage features such as brass chandeliers, moldings, ceiling medallions, marble flooring, a marble teller counter, and three working vaults remain. The home and commercial space come together but have separate entrances.

Tipp City, Ohio 

This cafe offers European fare in a cozy setting — the dining room is in a bank vault — with fun decor such as a fireplace and a hostess stand brought in from Provence, France. The desserts here are a can't-miss: Carrot cake slices weigh almost a pound, with five layers of cake between white chocolate-cream cheese frosting.

Detroit

This speakeasy is behind a coffee shop in Detroit's Financial District, seating patrons in a former bank vault dating back 100 years. The team at Shelby spent two years restoring the space to keep details that showcase its history, then opened in 2021 to serve sustainable cocktails with ingredients ranging from apricot-infused bourbon and carrot to spiced pear liqueur and thai peppers.

Washington, D.C. 

This five-star hotel is in the Riggs National Bank Building, which opened in 1891 and became known as the "bank of presidents" thanks to the 23 presidents who did business here, from Lincoln to Eisenhower. Recognized this year as the area's top hotel by Travel + Leisure, it has 181 guest rooms and suites designed to resemble private safety boxes; there's a bar in the vault. It's across from the National Portrait Gallery, 2 miles from the Lincoln Memorial, and less than five minutes by foot from the Metro.

Salem, Massachusetts 

At home in the more-than-200-year-old Salem Savings Bank, which opened in 1818, Ledger sticks to its history by serving dishes and drinks that use cooking techniques from the 19th century. Selections include a raw bar, cold entrees such as a peach and tomato salad and a fig toast with sheep milk ricotta, as well as pastas, mains such as a smoked duck breast with duck-fat potatoes, and hot appetizers such as popovers served with beef drippings and roasted garlic honey butter.

Martinsburg, West Virginia 

A wide array of used, out-of-print and antique books from every genre populates the five rooms of Bank Books, and a dedicated team can custom-order what's not on the shelves. One of the rooms houses the 101-year-old bank's hidden vault and a collection of antique books.

Columbus, Indiana 

This award-winning coffee shop in downtown Columbus has two locations — one inside the former Irwin Union Bank at Eastbrook Plaza. The owners removed the covering that once masked the bank's original floors to showcase bright green slate tiles, and they created an open space with a vault that now functions as a kid's play space. Beyond such drinks as a cinnamon maple cold foam cold brew and cinnamon pumpkin chai, it offers top-notch scones, breakfast sandwiches, and sweets including maple pancake loafs.

Johnson City, Tennessee 

Sleep in the vault of a former bank from Capone's days — it has its own code-locked entrance — at this Airbnb. The restored space, for up to four people starting at $100 nightly, has features including hardwood floors, exposed brick, a gas fireplace in the living room, and large arched windows showcasing surrounding mountain and city scenery.

Winchester, Virginia 

Housed in the Union Bank Building from 1878, this 50-foot-high British pub maintains the architecture of its former Victorian days while hosting more 40 beers on tap and an extensive selection of European craft beers and wines. Traditional U.K. fare is most popular here, from fish and chips to bangers and mash, though there are also burgers, salmon and strip streak, and salads. There is also an ax-throwing range at Union Jack for some stress relief before or after eating.

Ridgewood, New Jersey 

Felina has transformed a former bank into a restaurant and events venue. The restaurant focuses on Italian fare, using local ingredients for its dinner and Sunday brunch menu. Its wine list is award-winning and a grand ballroom includes marble columns, soaring ceilings, brass and marble elements, the original vault, and a floating chandelier sculpture that set the scene for events.

San Diego

When the San Diego Trust & Savings Bank Building went up in 1927, it was the tallest structure in the city. Designed by architect William Templeton Johnson, who built much locally in the early 20th century, it features 32-foot ceilings with intricate stenciling and a lobby surrounded by 35 columns incorporating 19 types of marble from across the globe. These structures still stand in this Marriott hotel, in addition to the safety deposit room and its 47,000-pound vault doors that serve as a meeting space.

Yardley, Pennsylvania 

This brewery in a former 1800s bank offers a speakeasy atmosphere and a rotating, seasonal selection of beers — from a sweet potato ale to one with notes of guava, mango, and apricot. Come to enjoy pork belly fries, hand-crafted cocktails, and live jazz.

Oberlin, Kansas 

Formerly the Bank of Oberlin, this historic building is now a bed and breakfast where each room offers signature decor and a storied past. Take the Judge's Chamber Suite, named after a courthouse that shared the space, with its Victorian wallpaper from Sweden and stained-glass bathroom fixtures. The Teller Room restaurant, lined with pine windows and gas-style lighting, serves coffees, small bites, and desserts.

Tuscola, Illinois 

One of the largest privately owned exhibition spaces in the area at more than 12,000 square feet, this gallery is owned and operated by 60 artists. Affordable jewelry, paintings, ceramics, glasswork, woodwork, and more is the focus in a shop with a name that comes from the large vault behind the front counter, where classes and free events are held throughout the year.

Morristown, New Jersey 

This arcade has 110 classic games, from Pac-Mac and Space Invaders to pinball machines with "Lord of the Rings" and "Star Trek" themes and even an original Nintendo 64 console on  which you can play games such as Donkey Kong. Play is charged by time increments, such as $10 for 30 minutes, $13 for an hour, $20 for two hours, and $25 for five hours.

Cleveland

The Cleveland Trust bought these buildings in the 1900s and had architect George B. Post — who also designed the New York Stock Exchange Building — design what became its headquarters and the third-largest bank in the country. The massive vault on the ground floor was the largest in the state, at least upon its opening, and there were three more in the building. All have been restored and renovated to hold Vault, an upscale lounge with handcrafted cocktails and gourmet food.

Sacramento, California 

Head into what was once the D.O. Mills Bank Building and you'll find a large food hall with six kitchens over three stories serving cuisine from sushi and poke bowls to tacos, salads, and pizza. The bank's vault now hosts an award-winning taproom with 68 self-pour taps from local and international vendors, as well as wine, cider, and kombucha varieties. There are also two bars and event spaces to book.

Kinston, North Carolina 

The seven-room O'Neil Hotel in the city's former Banker's Corner retains much of the original Renaissance Revival architecture. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, its limestone facade includes hanging bracketed eaves and a steel staircase, while the interior includes four vaults, one with an intact 16-ton door. The lobby hosts an ornate plaster ceiling, while teller windows serve as sitting areas with the bank's original alarms — now disconnected — still under the seats. Each floor took a year to refurbish and complete, with the rooms in the former offices.

San Antonio

Schilo's is the city's oldest restaurant, operating for more than 100 years. It started as a saloon; when its German fare with a Texas twist took off, it became one of the area's most popular delis. It moved to its current location in a former currency exchange bank in 1942, with the vault now used as a walk-in cooler. During Prohibition, it began selling pure-sugar root beer that is still available by the mug, pitcher, or as a float with locally made ice cream. The menu features German breakfast and lunch staples, from potato pancakes and hot pretzels with spicy mustard to sausage platters and sauerkraut, as well as homestyle breakfast plates such as sweet cream pancakes and lunch bites including burgers with hand-cut fries.

El Paso Illinois 

A former bank, city hall, and printing press have been converted and restored into a modern Airbnb featuring two bedrooms, one with its own suite entrance and another with two beds. Eight can sleep here over two floors starting at $285 a night; an expansive living room leads to a private courtyard and an updated kitchen.

Philadelphia

Step into this hotel in the former Girard Trust Bank building and you'll see nods to its 1908 past with accents of bronze lining the space, original marble columns, and a vault that's used as a meeting room. Amenities include a spa and salon for massages, facials, and hair and makeup services, as well as a Latin-inspired restaurant with an extensive mezcal menu. Rooms come with superb views of downtown Philadelphia.

Baltimore

This 800-square-foot, second-floor apartment is in what used to be the Polish Bank in an area known as "Little Poland." It includes original vaulted ceilings and columned walls from the 1800s, one bedroom with a king bed and a living room with a queen size sleeper — sleeping four people total starting at $145 a night. It's within walking distance from local shops, restaurants, bars, and water taxis; popular stops such as Ekiben, serving steamed-bun sandwiches, are right across the street.

Somerville, Massachusetts 

Bloc operates a space that hosted banks — The Somerville National Bank, Shawmut Bank, and others — for more than 70 years. It offers locally sourced coffee selections such as lavender and maple lattes, in addition to breakfast bites, sandwiches, retail grocery items, and an extensive list of bakery goods, from lemon thyme almond muffins to maple and toasted oat scones. A massive vault door is swung open to reveal a cozy gathering space lined with wooden benches.

Cambridge, Massachusetts 

The Hourly is not only in what was previously the Second Cambridge Savings Bank Building — the vault now holds its wine collection — but sits on Dunster Street, known as a historic transit route for horse-drawn wagons headed for Boston. The seafood eatery showcases New England fish, from raw bar selections to hot meals such as lobster. In lieu of bread service, it serves house-made salt and vinegar chips, and there are departing gifts of taffy provided by a neighbor, Cabot's Candy, for every diner.

Brooklyn, New York

The Weylin event venue was once the Williamsburg Savings Bank, a prime example of Beaux-Arts architecture and one of George B. Post's earliest projects. It's noted for its 110-foot cast-iron dome, which stands on large stone arches and is surrounded by oval windows that shed abundant natural light indoors, illuminating the vaulted ceiling and its mural. The 1875 building is now used for events ranging from weddings and engagements to birthdays, galas, exhibitions, and more, with a bar within the antique vault.

West Grove, Pennsylvania

Twelves Grill has had many historic landmarks within its space: The 1883 building has been a bank, post office, photography studio, lodge, printing company, and library, with the original bank vault still standing — now a dining room. The restaurant focuses on dishes incorporating fresh local ingredients; diners praise its cream of mushroom soup topped with crab and truffle oil, and portobello fries served with Sriracha aioli.

Scott, Louisiana

What was once the Bank of Scott, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is now a vacation rental near Lafayette that sleeps six starting at only $81 a night. It showcases original bank fixtures including wooden floors, a 15-foot ceiling, and a vault with 22-inch brick walls (now used as a kitchen).

Boston

A winner of Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards in 2022, The Langham hotel is in what was the Federal Reserve Bank; the building looks almost exactly like it did in its heyday. The bank's former grand hall is now an Italian restaurant, Grana. Amenities include a British-themed cocktail bar with New England inspiration, an outdoor patio serving craft cocktails, beer, and elevated pub fare, as well as a fitness center and heated indoor pool.

Houston, Texas

Part of Marriott's Autograph collection of independent hotels, Hotel Icon is a 135-room and 18-suite hotel in a bank site that went up in 1911. Neoclassical architectural elements from its former use remain, including large arched windows and towering columns, while some of the guest rooms come with antique claw-foot tubs. The pet-friendly property has been upgraded with modern amenities such as rain showers and whirlpools, though, as well as a restaurant serving Texas-inspired meals and a spa for booking facials and massages.

Menan, Idaho

Stepping into Teton House is like stepping back in time, thanks to vintage furniture, an antique bar, stone architecture and other elements from former days as Menan Bank. Its steakhouse is popular for bites such as wagyu tips and a tomahawk steak for two, while appetizers include hearty plates including nachos and bacon-wrapped jalapeños stuffed with chorizo and cream cheese. It has a range of beers on tap and seltzer flavors ranging from huckleberry and hazelnut to peach and passion fruit.

Guerneville, California

A collective retail and art gallery space with a bakery and ice cream, Guerneville Bank Club is in the former Bank of Guerneville building built in 1921. The vault is now a photo booth, and a nearby retail space showcases local and imported wines, microbrews, art, glassware, and gifts.

East Dennis, Massachusetts

The Ice Cream Smuggler is known for serving some of Cape Cod's best handmade ice cream: 27 flavors, four frozen yogurt variations, sherbets, sorbets, and vegan and sugar-free selections. In operation since 1979, it moved recently into a former Bank of America branch that is far from the grand image of architecturally significant buildings making up the rest of this list. But though the location is modest, flavors within range from apple pie to orange pineapple in a choice of sugar, cake, waffle, and chocolate-dipped cone or chocolate-dipped waffle bowls. The sundae here is legendary and has been featured on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate."

Holley, New York 

The only ice cream shop in town is inside the former First Niagara Bank, another more recent and modest structure, offering more than 20 flavors of hard ice cream as well as soft-serve, slushies, sundaes, and banana splits. The ATM area is used as an order window. Flavors range from traditional favorites to coffee ice cream with vanilla swirls and doughnut pieces, and there are dairy-free flavors made with almond milk. Look for specials such as cider doughnut sundaes.

Geyserville, California

Bannister Wines, making single vineyard wines since 1989, recently moved a tasting room and art gallery into a former bank from 1919. It offers by-appointment tastings that include wines, cheese, and charcuterie selections from neighbor Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria, or flights and wines by the glass. There's a dog-friendly patio too.

Mansfield, Ohio

Pamper yourself in a historic setting at Bankz Salon & Spa: a bank built in 1927 with marble teller stations and a vault that are incorporated into a wellness facility offering facials, nail services, hair treatments, massages, and more.

Los Angeles

This nightclub is in an old banking district — and inside the downtown's first bank. Built in 1914, the building includes a large vault that's been converted into a drinking den and safety deposit rooms that are now cozy spaces lined with tables and seating. Much else is custom, from the floor to the furniture and hand-painted ceilings. There's a stage and dance floor providing ample space for DJ'd events.