Entry No. 45 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: historic
Two-Story Outhouse
Tucked into the alley between Elk and Maroon Avenues, this hand-hewn wooden outhouse is one of Colorado's last two-story privies from the mining era. The engineering is grimly clever: Crested Butte's snowpack once routinely buried single-story outhouses, so builders stacked two chambers and offset the holes on each floor — upper seat positioned slightly further back than the lower — to keep things from going literally wrong between neighbors. A covered walkway connected the second story directly to the upper floor of the adjacent building, letting residents reach facilities without wading through chest-deep drifts. The structure, painted red, retains both doors and both chambers, and stands as the town's most quietly weird landmark inside a National Historic District that has been preserved since 1974.
The story
In late-19th-century Crested Butte, winter snowpack didn't just slow down foot traffic—it routinely buried ground-floor life. When six to ten feet of snow drifted against the buildings, a standard single-story outhouse became a subterranean icebox under solid snow. The local solution was grimly pragmatic: stack a second outhouse directly on top of the first, and bridge the second story straight to the adjacent building's upper floor with a covered walkway.
That arrangement raises an obvious logistical question, but the Victorian builders solved it with straightforward geometry. The seats were offset: the upper bench sat further back than the lower one, routing waste cleanly behind the downstairs compartment wall. The red-painted wooden structure tucked into the 311 Elk Avenue alley remains one of Colorado's last surviving two-story mining-era privies.
Preserved inside Crested Butte's National Historic District since 1974, the structure still retains both upper and lower doors, hand-hewn timbers, and its stacked dual-chamber design. The elevated catwalk is long gone, but the two stacked doors stand as a silent, surprisingly intact monument to high-altitude frontier survival.
What it's like
Walk down 3rd Street into the semi-private alley between Elk and Maroon Avenues. You'll actually get a clearer angle looking across from Maroon Avenue than from Elk itself. You can't step inside or open the doors—the outhouse is long retired—but you can walk right up to the weathered red timber facade to inspect the stacked exterior. Winter drifts make the alley sludgy and messy, so summer or autumn offer the cleanest footing.
The move: Wander old-town Crested Butte's Victorian blocks until you spot the red two-story privy lurking in the alley, then grab coffee on Elk Avenue and dissect the offset-hole engineering with your date. It's odd, free, and icebreaker-proof.
📍 Before you go Free outdoor viewing at any hour — no tickets, no hours, no gate. The structure sits in a semi-private alley and is easier to spot from Maroon Avenue looking across than from Elk Avenue itself. The Crested Butte Museum (4th and Elk) offers guided Elk Avenue walking tours Tuesday and Thursday, June through September ($20–$25), and the chamber's free self-guided brochure covers it as well. The outhouse is no longer in service but remains structurally intact. Snow can make the alley messy in winter; summer and fall offer the cleanest access.
- 📍 Crested Butte
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 311 Elk Ave alley (between Elk and Maroon Aves, on the east side of 3rd St), Crested Butte, CO 81224
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Dogwood Cocktail Cabin — Walk a few steps down the block to this 1891 miner's bunkhouse for craft drinks in a room from the exact same era.
- Kochevar's Saloon & Gaming Hall — Pair your alley detour with a drink inside this 1891 hand-hewn timber saloon just down the street.
- Crested Butte Cemetery — Head less than a mile north on Gothic Road to visit the pioneer cemetery where many of Crested Butte's early residents are buried.
Good to know
How did waste from the second story avoid the lower chamber?
The builders offset the holes. The upper seat was positioned further back than the lower seat, directing waste past the lower chamber's back wall.
Can you go inside or use the facilities?
No. The outhouse is no longer in service and entry is locked/closed, but it remains structurally intact for exterior viewing.
How much does it cost to visit?
It is completely free and sits in an open alley with 24/7 access.
Is there a guided tour option?
The Crested Butte Museum (located at 4th and Elk) offers guided Elk Avenue walking tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from June through September for $20–$25, or you can grab a free self-guided walking brochure from the chamber.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Roadside America · 999thepoint.com · jldr.com · crestedbuttemuseum.com · kekbfm.com
last checked: 2026-06-11