Crested Butte: The Most Enchanted Town In Colorado

Crested Butte, Colorado is widely known as a winter wonderland for skiers.

But it’s not the world class skiing that attracts House Crazy Sarah.

No, sillies, it’s all the pristinely preserved historic homes and Victorian store fronts that make her swoon!

Now there are a lot of enchanted towns in Colorado. But when it comes to scenic winter Victorian era buildings, Crested Butte is one of the best!

Affectionately known as “The Butte” by locals, the town has a year round population of only 1,700. The elevation of Crested Butte, however, is 8,909 feet above sea level.

In Colorado, they don’t post population signs as you are driving into towns, rather, the state posts the elevation of the towns. The higher the better. It’s all about the elevation in Colorado, baby!

Crested Butte has the most adorable old buildings painted in a myriad of bright colors…

Below is the Crested Butte historic City Hall which dates back to 1883.

Here it is on a sunny winter’s day:

The town is also dotted with historic log cabins; and many of them now serve as business locations like the quaint Soupçon:

And look at this sweet little coffee shop:

Not all of the homes in Crested Butte are true Victorian era. Some are modern-built but made to fit in with the historic architecture.

Many of the original Victorian homes are now also being used as businesses.

Then, there are just some really well preserved little Victorian cottages, cozy under feet of snow.

As you might imagine, Christmas is a magical time in Crested Butte.

Quaint, colorful Victorian cottages in the falling snow… what’s not to love?

Apart from the numerous downhill ski runs, the town is crisscrossed with Nordic ski routes.

If you are wondering what the colorful flags are on many of the houses, they are Tibetan Prayer flags. The tradition of hanging prayer flags originated in the Himalayas. They are used to bless the surrounding country and mountains and have become both a trendy fad in Colorado and also a political statement – FREE TIBET!

Although it is known today for world class skiing, in the 1860s and 1870s Crested Butte was home to silver and coal mines.

Fun fact: Crested Butte has been named the most haunted ski town in America by several different sources.

Another fun fact: in 2014 Bud Light took over the town of Crested Butte for a long weekend to film promotional material and renamed it “Whatever, USA”. True story!