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 story
Jacob Kochevar finished raising this timber-frame saloon in 1891, using timber felled right out of the surrounding mountains and anchoring the floorboards directly onto tree stumps in the basement that still support the floor today. Before it settled into its present run as Crested Butte's oldest continuously operating watering hole, the building took turns operating as a brothel and briefly a bowling alley. Through every iteration, the hand-hewn structural timbers never changed.
The bar's favorite piece of hardware rests mounted right behind the taps: a revolver reportedly left behind by Butch Cassidy when he and the Wild Bunch rattled through town and forgot their sidearm on the way out. You won't find a notarized bill of sale proving the outlaw owned it, but nobody leaning against the mahogany seems particularly interested in debunking it either. It hangs in a low-slung room where decades of high-country winters have soaked deep into the wood.
Anchoring the quiet west end of Elk Avenue, Kochevar's functions as the town's offbeat living room. While Crested Butte morphed from a coal-mining outpost into a ski hub, this hall kept its low-lit, unpretentious streak intact, serving cold draft beers until two in the morning to off-duty lifties, long-time locals, and anyone who stumbles off the street looking for a dark corner and a game of shuffleboard.
What it's like
You step in off Elk Avenue into a room lit low enough to make every conversation feel slightly conspiratorial. The layout leans heavily into classic gaming hall territory, with pool tables, shuffleboard, and darts taking up most of the floor space while dogs snooze under the tables and locals crowd the bar. Doors open at 2 p.m. daily with no cover charge and zero reservation nonsense; show up before dusk if you want a chance at claiming the shuffleboard table before the night crowd fills the house.
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.
Pair it with
- Two-Story Outhouse — Take a short alley detour a block away to inspect one of Colorado's last surviving two-story mining-era privies before ducking into Kochevar's for a pint.
- Dogwood Cocktail Cabin — Trade Kochevar's loud shuffleboard energy and cold drafts for candlelit drinks in a nearby 1891 miner bunkhouse.
- Forest Queen Hotel — Pair Crested Butte's oldest operating saloon with another 1880s Victorian timber-frame survivor just down Elk Avenue.
- Crested Butte Cemetery — Spend the afternoon reading 19th-century miners' gravestones along Gothic Road before warming up under Kochevar's low timber beams.
Good to know
What is the story behind Butch Cassidy's gun?
Kochevar's is the self-proclaimed keeper of a revolver allegedly left behind by Butch Cassidy when he and the Wild Bunch passed through Crested Butte. It remains mounted behind the bar for patrons to inspect.
What games are available inside?
The hall is set up with pool tables, a shuffleboard table, and dart boards.
How do you get to Kochevar's from Grand Junction?
Crested Butte sits about 153 miles (roughly a three-hour drive) from Grand Junction. You can take US-50 through Gunnison year-round, or drive Kebler Pass Road in summer. Note that Kebler Pass closes in winter, typically from November through late May.
Does Kochevar's take reservations or allow dogs?
No reservations are accepted—seating is strictly walk-in with no cover charge. The bar opens at 2 p.m. daily with last call at 2 a.m., and dogs are welcome inside.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: uncovercolorado.com · travelcrestedbutte.com · milehighhappyhour.com · heycrestedbutte.com
last checked: 2026-06-11