If you have ever visited one of Colorado’s 1,500+ ghost towns, you know that each one is more incredible than the last, thanks to each community’s fascinating history, empty buildings, and eeriness surrounding these once bustling towns. When it comes to the most unique Colorado ghost town, however, the title may just go to that of Buckskin Joe:
Like all great towns of its time, Buckskin Joe, Colorado, got its start thanks to the mining boom, and during its prime, housed everything from homes to a post office to hotels, banks, and stores.
History Colorado/92.3.10
Named for miner and claimant “Buckskin” Joe Higgenbottom, Buckskin Joe once enjoyed a population in the thousands, which, sadly, began to decline once the mines became dry.
History Colorado/86.296.5475
Originally located just west of Alma in Park County, the deserted Buckskin Joe was surprisingly resurrected in the 1950s when it was purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios art director Malcolm F. Brown and Royal Gorge Scenic Railway owner Don Tyner, who moved the buildings and re-created the town for films and, later, an amusement park.
History Colorado/88.526.87
Opened to the public in 1958, the Buckskin Joe theme park showcased 30 of the town’s original buildings, plus staged shootouts, a saloon and restaurant, horse-drawn trolley rides, and much more.
Plazak/Wikimedia Commons
During this time, dozens of Hollywood movies were also filmed at Buckskin Joe, including True Grit (starring John Wayne), The Dutchess and the Dirtwater Fox (with Goldie Hawn and George Segal), and Comes a Horseman (James Caan and Jane Fonda).
Plazak/Wikimedia Commons
In 2010, Buckskin Joe owner Greg Tabuteau placed the park for sale and sold it the following year to William Koch, who moved the buildings to his private Bear Ranch near Paonia.
Flickr/Tim Solley
Do you have memories of the colorful Buckskin Joe? Share them with us in the comments!
History Colorado/88.526.88
For even more of our favorite Centennial State ghost towns, you will want to take This Haunting Road Trip Through Colorado Ghost Towns Is One You Won’t Forget.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Buckskin Joe, CO 81212, USA
Like all great towns of its time, Buckskin Joe, Colorado, got its start thanks to the mining boom, and during its prime, housed everything from homes to a post office to hotels, banks, and stores.
History Colorado/92.3.10
Named for miner and claimant “Buckskin” Joe Higgenbottom, Buckskin Joe once enjoyed a population in the thousands, which, sadly, began to decline once the mines became dry.
History Colorado/86.296.5475
Originally located just west of Alma in Park County, the deserted Buckskin Joe was surprisingly resurrected in the 1950s when it was purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios art director Malcolm F. Brown and Royal Gorge Scenic Railway owner Don Tyner, who moved the buildings and re-created the town for films and, later, an amusement park.
History Colorado/88.526.87
Opened to the public in 1958, the Buckskin Joe theme park showcased 30 of the town’s original buildings, plus staged shootouts, a saloon and restaurant, horse-drawn trolley rides, and much more.
Plazak/Wikimedia Commons
During this time, dozens of Hollywood movies were also filmed at Buckskin Joe, including True Grit (starring John Wayne), The Dutchess and the Dirtwater Fox (with Goldie Hawn and George Segal), and Comes a Horseman (James Caan and Jane Fonda).
Plazak/Wikimedia Commons
In 2010, Buckskin Joe owner Greg Tabuteau placed the park for sale and sold it the following year to William Koch, who moved the buildings to his private Bear Ranch near Paonia.
Flickr/Tim Solley
Do you have memories of the colorful Buckskin Joe? Share them with us in the comments!
History Colorado/88.526.88
For even more of our favorite Centennial State ghost towns, you will want to take This Haunting Road Trip Through Colorado Ghost Towns Is One You Won’t Forget.
History Colorado/92.3.10
History Colorado/86.296.5475
History Colorado/88.526.87
Plazak/Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Tim Solley
History Colorado/88.526.88
