People from in and around Boston trickled into the “Cheers” pub in Beacon Hill Tuesday night. Tourists came to visit. Some locals made it a point to go, after learning about the death of actor George Wendt earlier in the day.

Wendt, 76, played the wry, burly everyman “Norm,” on the hit NBC sitcom “Cheers.” For 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, Norm would perch atop a corner stool, nursing a beer and trading barbs with the rest of the pub’s regulars.

Wendt passed peacefully at home, his family said.

“George did a really great job of bringing Norm to life and it’s truly a sadness,” said Metrowest resident Steff Coronella, who said she came to the bar because she was close by and “because it just felt right.”

“He is an icon, a legend, and we’re here to say ‘cheers’ to Norm’s last call,” she said.

The fictitious televised pub’s exterior golden-lit sign was a fixture in the opening credits of the show, though few interior scenes were actually filmed inside. When the show’s creators scouted the country seeking inspiration for the show, which takes place entirely inside the “Cheers” bar, they picked the iconic sub-ground Boston sports bar, according to the pub’s website.

Originally the Bull & Finch, the site’s real-life pub was re-named “Cheers” in 2002.

Despite that myth separating reality and imagination, walls at the dark wood-paneled Beacon Hill institution are lined with “Cheers” memorabilia — including a poster of the ensemble cast for the show’s finale on May 20, 1993.

Patrons munched on burgers and fries, and small groups congregated around the bar as two bartenders poured draft beer and cleared glass mugs off the tables with efficiency. Visitors hailed from California, Texas and Michigan — and a couple from the U.K.

“When I first started working here, I actually had never watched the show but I would see people running here and say, ‘Norm! Where’s Norm’s seat at!’ ” said Frank Irizarry, the bar’s host who was helping patrons to their tables Tuesday. “I didn’t know who Norm was and it was kind of funny to me at the time.”

The 24-year-old has since become a “Cheers” fan — though he’s only into Episode 7 of the series’ 270-plus-episode catalogue — and is now squarely in Norm fandom.

“I totally get like the whole idea behind Norm,” Irizarry said. “That dude had a larger than life personality and just his presence on the TV show — he made ‘Cheers.’ Like Ted Danson is cool and all, Woody Harrelson [too], but most people come here when they wanted to hear about Norm.”

Bar staff had set up a small shrine to the late actor at the corner of the bar. It featured a vase of flowers, a photo of the actor and a glass mug topped with beer — in this case, a Sam Adams lager.

“Thank you for all the laughs,” the sign read.

South End resident John Snyder, who walked over to pay tribute to the actor, said he expected there to be a long line to get in — but he had no problem finding a seat at the bar. He ordered a light beer, though they didn’t carry his Bud Light.

“I know he was a beer drinker like I am. Major beer drinker,” Snyder, 68, said of the character. “It’s sad to hear that he died at such a young age.”

Myles Heger, who made the roughly half-hour drive from East Bridgewater when he heard about Wendt’s passing, sat at the bar. The 34-year-old said he got into “Cheers” again during lockdown over the pandemic and has watched every episode.

“Norm was one of the best,” he said. “Many bar regulars from many bars all around the country are gonna live on because of Norm.”

Norm also had a way of making an exit. George Wendt passed away Tuesday, exactly 32 years after the Cheers finale.

This segment aired on May 21, 2025.