Entry No. 37 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: historic bar

Kochevar's Saloon & Gaming Hall

Jacob Kochevar finished building this timber-frame saloon in 1891 — the hand-hewn beams came from the surrounding forest, and the basement still holds the original tree stumps. Before it was a bar it was a brothel, and before that briefly a bowling alley, but the bones of the building have never changed. Today it anchors the west end of Elk Avenue as the oldest continuously operating bar in Crested Butte, with pool tables, shuffleboard, and darts filling a room lit low enough to make everything feel conspiratorial. The bar is also the self-proclaimed keeper of Butch Cassidy's revolver, reportedly left behind by accident when he and the Wild Bunch passed through town. Drinks pour until 2 a.m. and the crowd skews loudly local.

The move: Stake out a corner of the shuffleboard table early, order two cold beers from a bar that's been slinging them since the 1890s, and let the room's accumulated strangeness — the low timbers, the tall tales, the Butch Cassidy gun behind the bar — do the heavy lifting.

📍 Before you go No reservations — walk in, find a seat. Opens at 2 p.m. daily, last call at 2 a.m. The bar is dog-friendly. Crested Butte sits at 8,885 ft; the drive from Grand Junction (~153 miles, roughly 3 hours each way) crosses either US-50 through Gunnison year-round or the seasonal Kebler Pass road in summer. Kebler Pass closes in winter, typically November through late May — check CDOT conditions before going. No cover charge.

• 📍 Crested Butte
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 127 Elk Ave, Crested Butte, CO 81224

Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-11