Entry No. 190 — the Denver file — filed under: saloon
The Legendary Silver Dollar Saloon
Pouring since 1879, back when it was the Board of Trade and Doc Holliday dealt cards up front — his piano is still in the back room. Staff greet Hervey Lyle's face in the back-bar mirror by name. Ask nicely and someone will show you the glass case under the bar: a dead girl's shoes, the one who died in the tunnels below and still shoves people on the basement stairs. Paranormal teams count eight resident ghosts, and the hidden Prohibition door is still there.
The story
Opened in 1879 as the Board of Trade Saloon, this Harrison Avenue watering hole was pouring liquor before Leadville had paved streets or electricity. In the 1880s, Doc Holliday dealt cards near the front window before famously shooting an ex-policeman across the street—and his original upright piano still sits tucked into the back room. The white oak and mahogany counter, backed by a diamond-dust mirror shipped from St. Louis by train and covered wagon, remains the room's centerpiece.
The structure holds physical relics from the town's darker chapters. A trapdoor behind the bar marks where bartenders dropped bootleg bottles out of sight when Prohibition inspectors walked through the door, while a rope dangles from the ceiling rafters—the actual noose used in Leadville's last public hanging. Beneath the bar counter, a small glass case holds a pair of child-sized leather shoes worn by a girl who died in the now-sealed burlesque tunnels running under the floorboards.
Paranormal investigation teams have tallied eight distinct resident ghosts, but Hervey Lyle is the one the staff know by name. Lyle died when his appendix burst during a party in the back room, and his face still appears in the back-bar mirror so consistently that employees greet him when starting a shift. Ask whoever is working to point out the glass display case under the bar, but keep your balance if you head near the basement stairs—the ghost in the tunnels is known to give visitors a nudge.
What it's like
Stepping off Harrison Avenue channels you straight through a heavy wooden windbreak partition—a 19th-century privacy screen built to keep sub-zero mountain wind out and stop respectable women on the sidewalk from peering inside. Inside, the atmosphere is straightforward and heavy with original woodwork, attracting a mix of local miners, 14er hikers, and curious travelers. Because Leadville sits at 10,152 feet above sea level, thin air amplifies alcohol's effects, making one drink land like two. Pace yourself with water, visit on a weeknight for a stool along the original mahogany bar, and walk a few doors down Harrison Avenue afterward to see the Tabor Opera House.
The move: Split a whiskey at the original mahogany bar, ask the bartender to show you the shoes in the glass case, then say hi to Hervey in the mirror.
📍 Before you go The entrance windbreak partition — originally built so respectable women could not see inside — still funnels you through the front door. Free street parking along Harrison Avenue is usually easy outside race and festival weekends. Leadville sits above 10,100 feet, so one drink lands like two; hydrate and pace yourself. The Tabor Opera House is a few doors down Harrison, an easy pairing before or after.
- 📍 Leadville
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 315 Harrison Ave, Leadville, CO 80461
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- House With the Eye Museum — Walk one block down Harrison Avenue to see the 1879 building featuring a stained-glass all-seeing eye built into its gable that sparked a century of local curse rumors.
- Interlaken Resort Ruins & Dexter Cabin — Drive 12 miles south to Twin Lakes to explore the abandoned resort ruins and summer cabin built in the 1880s by Leadville mining millionaire James Dexter.
- Minturn Saloon — Take the pass northwest to visit a historic 1901 bar whose 1830s back bar was salvaged from an old Leadville brothel before being moved by rail.
- Comanche Drive-In Theatre — Head 30 miles south to Buena Vista after dark to catch a film at the highest-elevation drive-in cinema in the United States.
Good to know
Where is Doc Holliday’s piano located?
Doc Holliday's original upright piano is kept in the back room of the saloon, where he played between card games in the late 1800s.
What is the story behind the shoes under the bar counter?
The glass case under the bar displays shoes belonging to a little girl who died in the defunct tunnel system beneath the building, whose spirit is said to haunt the basement.
Why is there a wooden partition inside the front entrance?
The entrance windbreak was built in the late 19th century to block harsh high-altitude winds and prevent passersby on the street from looking inside at saloon patrons.
How does Leadville's elevation affect drinking at the saloon?
At 10,152 feet above sea level, lower oxygen levels cause alcohol to take effect faster, effectively doubling the impact of each drink.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · uncovercolorado.com · cpr.org · historynet.com
last checked: 2026-06-11