Tours on foot are offering history buffs in Perth a unique way to learn about the past of the city's most treasured pubs and bars.

The Pubs, People and History Walk conducted by historian and author Eddie Marcus plans to open the doors to the underbelly of the state's drinking spots.

Mr Marcus said he wanted to get the general public interested in the stories the pubs had to tell.

"Pubs and hotels are fascinating buildings full of stories," he said.

"I like to explore the seedier side of history.

"The pubs, the prostitutes, the murders, and to show that Perth wasn't just a pipeline and a gold boom."

Mr Marcus said once the gold boom hit, pubs and hotels sprang up like daisies to cater for thirsty miners returning from the state's goldfields.

Yet in the 1920s many pubs closed down — one in three on average as part of a temperance movement.

By the 1980s beer barns were more popular than the corner local, but today there has been a return to the more intimate bars and hotels of times past.

"If you study the history of pubs you also study the history of architecture," Mr Marcus said.

"Too much history is presented in the same way."

The longest serving pub

One of the bars featured on the walking tour is The Games Sports Bar.

The bar, formerly known as The Aberdeen or The 'Deen, was known for being the longest, continually-serving pub, with the first beer poured back in 1886.

For a period of time it was named the Red Lion and was known as one of the most popular gay bars in Perth.

According to Mr Marcus, the key to the pub's longevity is simple.

"It's an amazing space, it's in a great location and just kept serving beer," he said.

The bar pre-dates the gold boom, and during the 1880s was at the heart of an industrial area and was popular with workers at the time.

The Great Western Hotel in the 1920s. ( Supplied: State Library of Western Australia )

The licensing rules were strict, with the taps turned off promptly at 6pm, but if you were a guest staying at the hotel you could continue to indulge until later in the evening.

Some locals tried to convince the local constabulary that they had a bed there for the night, when in reality they had homes just around the corner.

Mr Marcus hopes he can share the pub's stories in a way that keeps people asking questions about its past.

The tour is being held next Wednesday, November 16 and is free. Bookings can be made through Heritage Perth.