Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe

Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe is a dark, narrow bar tucked into a tiny alleyway off Columbus Avenue, easily identified by the eclectic and bizarre collection of curiosities that cover its walls and ceilings. Opened in nineteen sixty-eight by a merchant marine and bartender named Richard Simmons, the space was a sanctuary for sailors, poets, activists, and locals. Simmons, nicknamed Specs for his thick-lensed glasses, transformed the room into a living museum filled with items ranging from nautical relics and political posters to a full-sized mummy case near the piano.