Antonito, CO: 6 Cool and Unique Things to Discover!
Antonito, Colorado
2020 population: 647*
November 2024: On a road trip weekend to visit Chaco Canyon in NM, we stopped by the small town of Antonio which is perhaps best known as the eastern terminus of the steam powered Cumbres & Toltec Scenic train which runs westwards to Chama, New Mexico. We discovered several cool and unique things about Antonio – keep reading to learn more!
Antonito (in Spanish Antoñito) lies just six miles north of the New Mexico state line. It is located in Conejos County which is located in the San Luis Valley near the southern border of Colorado along U.S. Highway 285.
Antonio – A Brief History
Antonito began life as a sheep herding camp known as San Antonio Junction, referring to its proximity to the Conejos and San Antonio rivers. When the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad built its line south from Alamosa, the town was renamed Antonito and became an important town on the railroad line. the first train pulled into Antonito the evening of March 27, 1880. The San Antonio, Colorado, post office moved north to Antonito on January 24, 1881, and the Town of Antonito was incorporated on December 29, 1889.
There are currently no major industries located in Antonito, but the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has one terminus in Antonito bringing train enthusiast visitors to the area. The C&TS also has maintenance facilities and rail yard in the town.
In 2015, a Colorado State Highway project rebuilt the stretch of Highway 285 that runs through town. The new highway has helped beautify the downtown area and improve traffic flow.
Today, the city has a number of unique buildings, including a historic Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad depot, one of only a few lava rock depots still existing in the United States. Currently in a state of disrepair, a grant to restore the building is in the works. Cano’s Castle, a folk-art home constructed by a local resident, attracts attention from tourists and local residents alike.
Pop culture trivia: Several scenes from the prologue of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were filmed in and around Antonito, including scenes depicting the Jones family home. This century-old home is currently used as a bed and breakfast – see below how you can stay!
small town vibe
6 cool and unique things we found in Antonio!
This town is known for its access to the very cool C&T Scenic train, but we enjoyed learning there is much more to this historic train town!
#1. Home of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad!
Antonio is the Colorado end of the C&TS railroad line. Back a few years ago, we traveled during peak fall colors on this train and LOVED it! We can thank the states of Colorado and New Mexico, who jointly purchased the track and line-side structures from Antonito to Chama, enabling this amazing experience. See their website for tickets and more information: Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad | Experience the Authentic West!
Our most recent visit was off season, so only involved a brief stop by the golden colored Visitors building. However, we definitely recommend this all-day experience to anyone who likes trains and beautiful scenery!
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is a National Historic Landmark. At 64-miles in length, it is the longest, the highest and most authentic steam railroad in North America, traveling through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Rocky Mountain West.
Owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico, the train crosses state borders 11 times, zigzagging along canyon walls, burrowing through two tunnels, and steaming over 137-foot Cascade Trestle. All trains steam along through deep forests of aspens and evergreens, across high plains filled with wildflowers, and through a rocky gorge of remarkable geologic formations. Deer, antelope, elk, fox, eagles and even bear are frequently spotted on this family friendly, off-the grid adventure.
#2. Active main street businesses!
Antonio has several blocks of Main Street (Hwy 285 through town), lined with historic buildings, many with businesses. Our visit in November was outside of the train tourism window, but still active with local activity on a Sunday afternoon.
- Lowe’s Market – Google Maps – we stopped here for snacks; great bakery!
- Chavez Southwest Market – Google Maps – popular Mexican Grocery store, according to google maps; it gets great reviews for its product offerings, which includes food items and antique collectables.
- Dutch Mill Cafe – Google Maps – popular local restaurant on Main Street
- Dos Hermanas Mexican/American Steakhouse – Google Maps – popular local restaurant on Main Street
- 1911 Steam train Hotel – Google Maps – historic hotel, available for visitors to the C&TS train
- Golden Nugget Nite Club – Google Maps – a historical landmark, this former Opera House turned Night Club has an lively local history, shared in this K99.com article.
- S.P.M.D.T.U. Concilio Superior – Google Maps – categorized as a historical landmark on google maps; the building is beautifully restored on the outside. One reviewer provided insight to its purpose “Formed in 1900 by the Hispanic Community to fight discrimination and provide equity for all people. A historical designation to a community still in operation for communities in the southwest.”
#3. Cano’s Castle
We have seen this unique “Castle” written up in travel guides before, so it was fun to see it in person! It did not appear to be open to visitors, but worth a drive by to admire the owner’s building ingenuity!
#4. Many Historic murals around town
There were a surprising number of historic murals in Antonio. We learned from a sign in the park (then found more information online) that the person responsible for most of them was a local artist! See the Wikipedia website linked below for a listing of his murals around town and further afield.
Fred F. Haberlein was an American muralist, painter, and sculptor. He grew up at Conejos Ranch, a guest ranch in Conejos County, Colorado. He studied sculpture and printmaking in college, but he was best known for his murals throughout the western United States, predominantly in Colorado. He lived near Glenwood Springs, Colorado and died in 2018.
Haberlein was twice nominated for the Colorado Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. He taught art classes at Colorado Mountain College for eighteen years. His first mural was rendered in Oracle, AZ in 1977, and he completed over 130 murals since then. A Native American friend gave him the name "Lightning Heart," which he used professionally. Haberlein completed more single-handed murals than any other U.S. artist. (source: Wikipedia)
#5. You can stay at the home featured in an Indiana Jones movie!
i have to admit that we did not realize it during our visit, but my online research later indicated that Antonio and the surrounding area was used in a couple of scenes in the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie. His childhood home depicted in the movie is still standing, and available as a B&B… how cool is that!
#6. The nearby village of Conejos has a beautiful historic church and much history
We could see a 3-story church to the northwest of Antonio, so we drove the short distance to check it out and found ourselves in the very(!) small village of Conejos (pop.46*), the only unincorporated county seat in Colorado! It was fun to look around at the interesting mix of old and new buildings. The beautifully maintained historic church is called Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, known as “the oldest church in Colorado” and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Conejos County, Colorado.
Outside the church we saw a structure: “El Santuario de los Pobladores is a sacred labyrinth which embodies the Mysteries of the Rosary of the Roman Catholic Faith. To be installed on land leased from the Diocese of Pueblo, El Santuario is not only a sanctuary, but a shrine, a special place for meditation, and an invitation to prayer and the deepening of one’s Faith“
The village of Conejos boasts the oldest church in Colorado. Conejos County continues to be an ever-changing melting pot of cultures and perspectives. Although Guadalupe is considered the first established settlement (1851) in the county, other villages were being created at the same time. Guadalupe held the county seat until 1863 when its new neighbor, the town of Conejos, was established on the south side of the Conejos River.
Soon townspeople built a beautiful church and a large stone, three-story courthouse. The courthouse was in use until 1980 when, sadly, it burned to the ground. On the first year anniversary of the tragic fire, a brand new courthouse was built on the same site. Today, the town of Conejos still holds the county seat. (source: conejosvacation.com/cities-history)
More to Explore!
Organizations that support Community in Antonio
- Town of Antonito – Official Website – future website to access town government services
- Home | Conejos County – county website to access county services
- Home – Conejos County Tourism – x
- eTravel Brochure – pdf to print or use in electronic form
- Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad | Experience the Authentic West! – commercial website for C&TS Railroad
- Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad | A Non-Profit – Learn more about the volunteer team that has made the C&T railroad a reality… a giant THANK YOU to this team!
