Entry No. 156 — the Denver file — filed under: ritual-music
Buffalo Rose
The Buffalo Rose is genuinely Colorado's oldest bar, operating continuously since 1859, and its main venue sits above the preserved art deco "Golden Plunge" indoor pool built in 1928 — a real basement swimming pool with a documented ghost story about a young girl whose presence is still reported by staff. It's a live music venue, full restaurant, and bonafide piece of Colorado territorial history all under one haunted roof.
The move: Grab dinner and craft cocktails at the bar, then catch a live music set in the main room — standing directly above the old swimming pool — and ask your server about the ghost girl said to still run the stairs; the venue's eerie art deco bones make the story land especially hard in person.
📍 Before you go You'll find it in the heart of historic downtown Golden, under the grand marquee on Washington Avenue — the city's walkable main strip along Clear Creek. Two public parking garages sit within a block (between 11th and 13th Streets). The famous empty pool isn't a walk-in attraction; it lives beneath the event-room floor, down steep stairs behind the stage, so you're standing over it rather than touring it — ask staff. It's a working music venue, so big shows sell out and seating shifts by event; check the calendar ahead. Pair it with a creekside stroll or the nearby Coors brewery tour.
- 📍 Golden
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1119 Washington Ave, Golden, CO 80401
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Only In Your State · Yelp
last checked: 2026-06-07