Tales of Colorado’s Wild West past often play out in movies through saloon shootouts and bank robberies, but did you know there are still places in existence where you can get a shot of whiskey with a chaser of local history?
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The state is home to some seriously old drinking establishments, several of which predate Colorado’s official statehood in 1876. And if those walls could talk, they’d tell of days operating as bordellos and speakeasies, of miners and notable names who visited, and yes, even of some shootouts that took place there.
When local historian Rick Gardner thinks about the oldest bars in Colorado, he usually thinks of three: The Buffalo Rose in Golden, an institution that originally opened under a different name in 1859 and has operated in some form or fashion ever since; the Peck House in Empire, which is the oldest physical building in Colorado, built in 1862, that was home to a saloon; and Denver’s Buckhorn Exchange, which opened in 1893 and acquired the state’s first liquor license post-Prohibition.
While all respectable in their own right, there are additional haunts along and beyond the Front Range still serving cold ones today — and some are said to be just that, haunted.
Here’s a toast to 11 of the oldest bars in Colorado.
The Buffalo Rose Saloon (Golden)
Located in the heart of downtown Golden, the buildings that house The Buffalo Rose events complex have roots that are as old as the city itself. The spot where the restaurant resides originally opened in 1859 as The International Bowling Saloon, so-named for Golden’s first sport, which was not done inside but out on the back lawn with three 70-foot lanes. Shortly after opening, the site saw two shootouts, in 1860 and 1868, respectively. The saloon underwent construction over subsequent decades as the area grew; the joint has been called The Buffalo Rose since 1981. Today, the business includes several additional historic buildings that comprise The Buffalo Rose Events Center, which is used for concerts and private parties. Each one has its own unique history worth celebrating. Perhaps most notable this year is the Golden Plunge indoor swimming pool, which was originally constructed around 1926 and still resides under the venue’s floor, empty of water of course.
The Gold Pan Saloon (Breckenridge)
When it debuted in 1861, the then-called Long’s Saloon was effectively a tent serving residents in the mining town of Breckenridge. The bar moved into a building in 1879, but it’s unclear exactly when its name changed to The Gold Pan Saloon. At times a speakeasy and a brothel, the bar used to have tunnels under the building that ran to the local courthouse. General manager Chris Butler says their purpose remains murky, but local lore is that they helped obscure high-ranking officials visiting for booze or perhaps other attractions in the rooms upstairs. Today, The Gold Pan Saloon also serves as a tasting room for Colorado’s own Carboy Winery.
The Mint Steakhouse (Silverthorne)
Opened in 1862, The Mint has survived many years as well as many moves. The bar was originally located in a mining village known as Kokomo (in present-day Leadville) under the moniker Jack Ryan’s Saloon. It was moved to both Frisco and Dillon before landing in its current home in Silverthorne sometime before 1961, as the Denver Water Board made way for the creation of the Dillon Reservoir. The Mint was at one time a bordello with six rooms upstairs, according to co-owner Tom Ricci, who purchased the business in 1984. During a remodel that year, a local woman on horseback stopped by to tell the new owners of the times she spent visiting The Mint with her father and visiting with “the girls” upstairs. “My wife asked her what she meant by the girls. She winked and said, ‘Missy, you know what I mean!’” Ricci recounted. Today, The Mint is known as a popular steakhouse.
My Brother’s Bar (Denver)
Located in Denver’s Highland neighborhood, My Brother’s Bar is famously regarded as the longest continually operating bar in the Mile High City. Originally called Highland House, the bar opened in 1873 and has been slinging beers in a no-frills atmosphere ever since. Its name changed many times, but it became My Brother’s Bar around 1970 after siblings Jim and Angelo Karagas purchased the business. Known as a hangout for Beat writers Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg, it’s endured as a favorite among locals for never having a sign or TVs and for only playing classical music.
The Silver Dollar Saloon (Leadville)
Step inside Leadville’s Silver Dollar Saloon and you join the ranks of legends like Doc Holliday, The Unsinkable Molly Brown and playwright/poet Oscar Wilde, who are said to have visited in the time since it opened in 1879. Originally called the Board of Trade, the bar had many names, going by M&O Saloon around the turn of the 20th century and then The Silver Dollar Saloon sometime in the 1930s, said CEO Eric Johns, whose family has owned it since 1943. He credits the bar’s longevity to its, shall we say, adaptability. “We operated as a speakeasy during Prohibition and again discreetly as a speakeasy during COVID,” Johns said.
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Ace Hi Tavern (Golden)
When it opened in 1879, the spot now known as Ace Hi Tavern in Golden was home to the Opera House Restaurant, serving patrons who attended the Golden Opera House. Unlike the bars on this list, however, the restaurant never served alcohol until after Prohibition ended. Throughout its history, the restaurant had more than 20 owners, Gardner said, the latest being in 1961, when it became Ace Hi Tavern, the now well-loved downtown dive.
J-Bar (Aspen)
Aspen’s Hotel Jerome and its signature J-Bar date back to 1889, when the town was a hotspot for silver mining. During Prohibition, J-Bar took the unique approach of converting into a soda fountain instead of a speakeasy. But locals could still come by and sneakily catch a buzz by ordering the “Aspen Crud,” a vanilla milkshake that came spiked with bourbon. Guests can still order the cocktail today.
The Creede Hotel & Restaurant (Creede)
Originally known as Zang’s Hotel, the Creede Hotel & Restaurant has been serving locals since it opened in 1892, the same year Creede was officially incorporated as a town. In addition to serving famous faces like actors John Wayne and Johnny Depp, the hotel is notoriously host to paranormal activity. Guests and staff have reportedly heard footsteps in empty hallways, seen glassware moving and doors slamming on their own, or experienced lights acting unusually. One recurring story involves a woman in period clothing being seen briefly in hallways or near staircases. Perhaps the spirits missed last call?
Monaghan’s Bar and Grill (Denver)
When founder Roy Monaghan decided to open a bar, he wanted to do so near Fort Logan, south of Denver, to be able to serve the soldiers there. And so Monaghan’s Saloon was born in 1892 in a wooden building, which was upgraded in 1901 to the brick structure the bar and grill currently calls home. Even after the Fort Logan base closed post-World War II, Monaghan’s continued serving locals. It’s rumored patrons included President Dwight Eisenhower and Alfred (sometimes spelled Alferd) Packer, known as the “Colorado Cannibal.”
The Buckhorn Exchange (Denver)
The Buckhorn Exchange has been proudly serving Denverites since 1893, when Henry H. “Shorty Scout” Zietz opened a saloon that catered to railroaders working across Osage Street at the Burnham Yards of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. (That’s why the spot was originally named the Rio Grande Exchange.) Famously, the restaurant obtained the first liquor license issued in Colorado post-Prohibition for $25. It is still displayed in the bar. The menu here harkens back to the Old West with a focus on wild game.
The New Sheridan Bar (Telluride)
Telluride’s original New Sheridan Hotel was built in 1891, only to be destroyed by a fire two years later. When it was rebuilt in 1895, it included the New Sheridan Bar to serve residents of the bustling mining town. Much of the aesthetic remains intact more than 100 years later, including the original wooden bar imported from Austria. Rumor has it that the bar utilized secret underground tunnels below the building during Prohibition so people could still get their fix. Locals affectionately call this watering hole “the old bar,” given its long history. Belly up and try the city of Telluride’s signature libation, the Flatliner, when you go.
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