Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House
Pinos Altos, New Mexico · Civil War & Reconstruction · Est. 1863 · Open today
Since 1863
The Buckhorn was established in the 1860s (the saloon's own site says 1863, while some lists say 1860) in the gold-mining camp of Pinos Altos, roughly 7,000 feet up in the mountains near the Gila National Forest, serving the hundreds of miners drawn by the 1860 gold strike. Its adobe walls are 18 inches thick, reportedly built with defense in mind after the 1861 Battle of Pinos Altos, when Cochise joined about 400 of Mangas Coloradas's Chiricahua warriors in attacking the town. The saloon was abandoned for a time in the early 1900s before being revived, and drinks are still poured across its original Brunswick bar. The adjoining 19th-century Opera House hosts live music and performances, and today the Buckhorn operates as a steakhouse and saloon under chef and proprietor Thomas Bock.
Its adobe walls were built 18 inches thick partly for defense — the town had survived the 1861 Battle of Pinos Altos, when Cochise and Mangas Coloradas led hundreds of Chiricahua Apache warriors against the mining camp.
What to order: Hand-cut steaks in the saloon, with drinks still served across the original 19th-century Brunswick bar and live music in the adjoining Opera House.
How solid is the claim?
New Mexico’s oldest bar — the evidence
Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House in Pinos Altos is our featured pick for the oldest bar in New Mexico, with a claimed founding year of 1863. Widely billed as the oldest saloon in New Mexico and 'the oldest saloon in the Southwest' (American Cowboy, National Trust, Atlas Obscura). The saloon's own site says 'Established 1863,' so 1863 is used here (some third-party lists round to 1860, the year of the gold strike). The National Trust notes it was abandoned for a time in the early 1900s, so operation is not strictly continuous. Its main rival for the state's oldest drinking establishment, Santa Fe's El Farol, closed permanently in April 2026, leaving no stronger active claimant.
Competing Claims
Other New Mexico establishments with a stake in the title:
Sources
- 1. The Buckhorn Saloon And Opera House, Established 1863 (official site)
- 2. Buckhorn Saloon & Opera House | The Oldest Saloon in the Southwest — American Cowboy
- 3. The Buckhorn Saloon & Opera House in Pinos Altos, New Mexico — National Trust for Historic Preservation
- 4. Canyon Road landmark restaurant and bar El Farol has closed its doors — Santa Fe New Mexican
- 5. The Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House in Pinos Altos — Atlas Obscura