Entry No. 10 — the Pueblo file — filed under: oddities
Indiana Jones Bed & Breakfast
“The circus train Indy scrambles across? Still steaming half a mile away.”
The two-story Victorian at Front and 5th is the house River Phoenix crashes into at the start of The Last Crusade, Cross of Coronado in hand — Spielberg shot young Indy's homecoming in the actual living and dining rooms, and the wooden Jones mailbox still stands out front. Built in 1888, it's now a three-room B&B run by a professional chef, stocked with autographed photos and a shelf of would-be grails. The circus train Indy scrambles across? The Cumbres & Toltec, still steaming from the depot half a mile away.
The story
In 1988, Steven Spielberg hauled a film crew into the San Luis Valley to shoot the prologue for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He needed an authentic frontier home where a young Indiana Jones—played by River Phoenix—could burst through the door, dodge his scoutmaster, and try to present the Cross of Coronado to his father. Spielberg picked an 1888 two-story Victorian sitting at Front Street and East 5th Avenue, built back when narrow-gauge rail made Antonito a key shipping terminal. They filmed the scene right inside the house's actual living and dining rooms.
Decades after the movie crew packed up, the home was converted into a three-room bed and breakfast. A replica of the wooden "Jones" mailbox sits at the curb, while the interior houses framed autographed photos and a shelf stocked with would-be grails. Because the owner is a professional chef, overnight guests get restaurant-grade breakfasts served in the very dining room where young Indy tried to show off his treasure. Half a mile up the road, locomotive No. 484—the steam engine painted as the "Pueblo & Chama R.R." for the film's circus train chase—still chugs out of the Cumbres & Toltec depot.
Maintaining century-old timber structures on the high-desert plains is an uphill fight, and in early 2025, Colorado Preservation Inc. officially added the house to its list of Colorado's Most Endangered Places. That gives a stay here a slight race-against-time edge. You are sleeping in the parlor where cinema history was staged, in a quiet railroad town where steam engines still whistle across the flats.
What it's like
If you just want a quick look, pull up to the corner of Front and 5th, step up to the curb, and take a picture with the wooden Jones mailbox for free anytime. Stepping inside to see the house and its film memorabilia is reserved for overnight guests, unless you manage to book a tour by appointment. The atmosphere is calm, intimate, and unmistakably small-town. Because there are only three guest rooms, spots fill fast on weekends when the Cumbres & Toltec steam train runs, so reserve early or visit mid-week.
The move: Book one of the three rooms, ride the Cumbres & Toltec from the depot half a mile up the road, then watch The Last Crusade together in the house where it was filmed before you sleep in it.
📍 Before you go The house sits at the corner of Front Street and East 5th Avenue on the south side of Antonito, just east of the rail line, with easy street parking. The exterior and the Jones mailbox are free to photograph from the sidewalk anytime; the interior and its memorabilia are for overnight guests, with tours by appointment otherwise. There are only three rooms, so book ahead — especially on weekends with special Cumbres & Toltec train runs. Pair it with a ride from the railroad depot half a mile north and a look at Cano's Castle, the beer-can towers a few blocks away.
- 📍 Antonito
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 502 Front St, Antonito, CO 81120 (northeast corner of Front St & E 5th Ave, just east of the tracks)
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Cano's Castle — It sits less than half a mile away in Antonito, making it easy to pair cinematic history with a massive castle made entirely of aluminum beer cans.
- Colorado Gators Reptile Park — Head 44 miles north up Highway 17 to move from movie lore to an accidental alligator sanctuary heated by artesian geothermal wells.
- UFO Watchtower — Drive 50 miles north into the valley floor to trade film props for a cosmic viewing platform built over local vortexes.
Good to know
Where is the Indiana Jones Bed & Breakfast?
It is located at 502 Front Street in Antonito, Colorado, at the northeast corner of Front Street and East 5th Avenue, just east of the train tracks.
Can I see inside without staying the night?
Interior access and memorabilia views are reserved for overnight guests, though non-guests can request tours by appointment in advance. The exterior and mailbox are free to view and photograph from the sidewalk.
Was the movie actually filmed inside this house?
Yes. Steven Spielberg filmed the interior homecoming scenes of young Indiana Jones in the actual living room and dining room of the home in 1988.
Where is the steam train from the movie?
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad depot is located half a mile north up Front Street. Engine No. 484, used during the circus train sequence in the movie, still runs on the line.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Roadside America · Atlas Obscura · colorado.com · alamosacitizen.com
last checked: 2026-06-11