White Elephant Saloon
This Old West Saloon was in Fort Worth Texas. Opened early 1884, in deluxe style. A Leap Year Grand Opening. Gave cause for invitations to local ladies!
The gambling room was upstairs. Those plying their luck included Wyatt Earp, Luke Short, Bat Masterson and Charles Coe.
On Main Street, between Third and Fourth. No longer though. Fire destroyed it in the 1890s. Walk to the Morris Building and reminisce: that’s where it once stood.
A more modern rebuild, and relocated in 1896: three blocks South on Main Street. Walk to the Winfree Building, between Ashton Hotel and Kress Buildings, where it was. Didn’t last, though. Closing with financial issues.

There’s a White Elephant Saloon in a different Fort Worth location today. A modern remake, no relation to the historic Old West saloon. White Elephant Details>
Orient Saloon
In Bisbee Arizona, a mining town Southeast of Tombstone AZ. The saloons predominated in Brewery Gulch. Its remnants, and other historic saloons remain today. Visit to recall those old times!!
One old west saloon of the era was the Orient Saloon. Among the 50 from those wild west saloon days. Its raucous status attracted many gamblers such as Dutch Kid, Charlie Bassett and Smiley Lewis. Wild times, for sure!

Express St. James

In Cimarron, New Mexico, this hotel/saloon attracted action. Many famous old West lawmen, gamblers and desperadoes spent time there. Buffalo Bill Cody and Black Jack Ketchum stopped in.
Built in 1872 by Abraham Lincoln’s personal chef. Today it’s part of Cimarron’s Historic District, on the National Register of Historic Places. Stay and have a drink at the bar. Look for all the bullet holes from Wild West gun-fighting days when you come by!
At 617 South Collison Avenue in Cimarron. Call them at (575) 376-2664
We Recommend This (Use this APP on All our Travels!) to Find Stays Near This Historic Area…
Booking.comMore Old West Saloons
You can “visit” many more Old West Saloons throughout Western states.
- Some have been restored.
- Some you have to use your imagination: Reminisce when seeing the sites they occupied
- Others have been reworked, updated. Yet still retaining some “Old West Saloon” look. They provide their histories with photographs and relics. In their decor, with Old West ambiance!
Still Here Today…
WYOMING
- The Occidental Hotel & Saloon – In Buffalo, at 10 N. Main St. Popular and sometimes wild, old west saloon. Bullet hole testimonials still there! Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid were guests. Calamity Jane and Buffalo Bill Cody were customers. The original 1880 bar-room was basic, but finely refurbished in 1908.
CALIFORNIA
- Buckhorn Saloon – North Fork, Sierra Nevada Foothills. Near Yosemite’s South entrance. Around since late 1800s. Started by Les Smith, at least 8 more owners through the years. Now refurbished and renewed. Nice menu too. Location of this old west saloon: 32992 Road 222. Details: (559) 877-8700

TEXAS
- Buckhorn Saloon – San Antonio, first opened 1881 on Dela Rosa St. Moved five times since, the last time just down from original. Has the first back-bar and its historic trappings. At 318 E. Houston Street.
COLORADO
- The Buckhorn Exchange – Denver, 1000 Osage Street, corner of 10th. Been there since opening November 17, 1893. Ton of history in its walls! No disappointment in the menu. Go upstairs: find the original 1857, German-made back-bar in the Victorian Lounge.
- The Board of the Trade – Now it’s The Silver Dollar Saloon in Leadville. Opening in 1879, at 315 Harrison Ave., West side of the road. The bar was shipped by covered wagon from St. Louis MO. Upstairs gambling rooms offered Faro and chuck-a-luck. During prohibition they endured! How?
- Stills outside town for liquor supply
- Trap doors under the bar hid evidence
- Private booths for customers
NEW MEXICO
- The Buckhorn Saloon – In the small historic village of Pinos Altos, just north of Silver City. 32 Main Street. The main bar’s origins to 1865. Original adobe walls still exist. Other newer features added on, like an expanded dining room. The bar and back bar by Brunswick-Balke-Calander Company were shipped by wagon. This Old West Saloon has plenty of atmosphere. Serving food and drinks!


NEVADA
- Genoa Bar & Saloon – Genoa, beautiful spot at the base of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, 10 miles South of Carson City. Visit 2282 Main Street. Call (775) 782-3870. Built in 1853, as “Livingston’s Exchange.” In 1884 Frank Fettic bought it. Then: “Fettic’s Exchange.” Many more owners since. Well known, attracting Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant, “Teddy” Roosevelt, Clark Gable, Cliff Robertson, Raquel Welch (left her bra behind!), Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings & Johnny Cash. Movie set for: “The Shootist” with John Wayne, “Till the River Runs Dry” with Ann-Margaret, “Honky Tonk Man” with Clint Eastwood.
- Santa Fe Club Saloon – In Goldfield, old mining town where Wyatt Earp & brother Virgil lived in the early 1900s. This combo saloon/motel opened in 1905. Drive off Hwy. 95, on N. 5th Ave. Be warned, turns into a dirt road! It has “off-the-wall” Old West charm, but modern comforts & cold drinks. Basic beer selection, though. They do have the hard stuff. South of Tonopah.
- Overland Saloon – In Fallon, about 60 miles East of Reno. In a historic hotel near downtown. Circa 1908. Local politician, 2nd owner, George Sherman, made it successful. Called the finest stay in town. New owner recently refurbished the rooms. There’s a Basque dining room and the saloon. Still have the old-style juke box!
- Old Globe Saloon – Carson City, 407 N. Curry St. 1/2 hour South of Reno & one hour West of Fallon. Oldest western saloon in town, but in some ways doesn’t reflect that. Attracts crowd of local regulars. Some history remnants on the walls. It’s been there since 1875, so I’d think it would somehow reflect that a little more. What do you think?
- J.T. Basque Bar & Dining Room – Wonderful, unique, historic place. 15 miles South of Carson City to Gardnerville. Hans Nelson moved this 1896 building from Virginia City NV! Beginning as a dining, saloon & hotel establishment. In 1955 the Jaunsaras & Trounday families purchased the business. The name became “J.T.” The owners’ initials, a French Basque operation. In 1960 the Lekumberry family bought The J.T., keeping the name. The whole building was restored, with historic Basque pioneer tradition
Re-Invented…
TEXAS
- Jersey Lilly Saloon – From the 1890s, named after English singer Lillian Langtry. Judge Roy Bean was a man of dubious law accountability. Set himself up as the law West of the Pecos in his saloon and courthouse. Proclaiming himself Justice of the Peace. In naming his saloon, it was forever established in history and folklore. Today it’s a Texas State Hwy. 90 rest-stop. Not far from the Rio Grande and the international border.

NEVADA
- Indian Maggie’s – 46 miles NE of Tonopah. From 1867 to about 1901 the building housed local newspaper: Belmont Courier. It now a part of Belmont Ghost Town>
- Union Hotel Saloon – In Dayton, about 15 miles East of Carson City. This old west saloon was a popular late 1800s & early 1900s hostelry. Among the state’s oldest buildings. Uninhabited for awhile, purchased June 2016 by newlyweds. They planned transforming it into their home, but needed a permit converting it from hotel to home. Had a 2-story outhouse, saloon and eight small rooms. They remodeled. Most rooms were only 8×8 ft. Some were transformed or merged. The saloon became their living room. Now private property, it’s their home.

Long Gone…
COLORADO
- Holy Moses Saloon – In Creede, a silver mining boom town near the source of the upper Rio Grande. Bob Ford, Bat Masterson and Soapy Smith owned saloons in town. Despite the name Holy Moses, their brothel housed soiled doves named the Mormon Queen, Poker Lulu Swain and Timberline. No need for a front door: it was open 24/7!


NEW MEXICO
- Buffalo Bar – In Silver City NM. Building and facade still there. But no hope of it ever reopening. The liquor license was sold to CVS! The building’s front had safety issues, and the iconic neon sign was removed. On Facebook they proudly claimed as a dive bar/lounge! Motto was” The Oldest, The Baddest, The Best.” It seemed popular in its day!


NEVADA
- Micca House Korral Bar – Building still standing, on the National Register of Historic Places. 40 miles North of Winnemucca. Built in the 1880s. Besides a saloon, it had a department store, post office, and a government office. Something like a Mall back then. At times had the town’s courthouse/jail, a doctor’s office, barber shop, dress shop, saddle shop, warehouse, brewery, chop house (Old West Steak House Restaurant), butcher shop, bakery, and a hotel. The bar’s been closed for ages! Currently privately owned.
References
1 Bailey, L.R. (1998) Tombstone from a woman’s point of view: The correspondence of Clara Spalding Brown July 7, 1880 to November 14, 1882. Compiled and edited by Bailey. Letter to San Diego Union Letter, July 7, 1880. Tucson AZ: Westernlore Press.
2 Tombstone Birdcage (2004-2020). Birdcage Theatre. Retrieved from tombstonebirdcage.com/
3 Underhill, L.E. (2012) Tombstone Arizona saloons 1879 – 1882. Gilbert AZ: Roan Horse Press.
4 Bailey, L.R. (2004). Too tough to die: The rise, fall and resurrection of a silver camp; 1878 to 1990. Tucson AZ: Westernlore Press.