Buena Vista, CO: Main Street with an abundance of character
April 2023: Buena Vista (population 2,855*) is a lovely mountain town in Chaffee county. We were drawn by the nearby Princeton Hot Springs as well as stories of their historic downtown revitalization efforts and Eddyline Brewery, their local microbrewery. We found a all of that and a whole lot more!
Buena Vista – A Brief history
The Arkansas River Valley was first settled in 1864 by European settlers drawn to the area by the plentiful water to support agriculture. Buena Vista is the Spanish term for “good view”, due to the beautiful Collegiate Peaks to the west and the Arkansas River to the east. The town, incorporation in 1879, was briefly the county seat (1880-1928) before the title moved to nearby Salida. It remained an important stagecoach and later railroad stop through the turn of the century, carrying travelers, speculators and miners. Many of the existing buildings of Buena Vista date back to the 1880s and 90s.
Located in central Chaffee County, roughly midway between Salida and Leadville, Buena Vista has an elevation of nearly 8000 ft.
Downtown vibe / walkability
We began our visit on West Main Street, where we found 2 of our favorite types of stores – a local yarn shop and a local book store! Both are located in actual old houses, with all sorts of character and creative displays.
Of course, all that shopping made us thirsty! Heading 2 blocks further east on Main Street, we found Eddyline Brewery. Being a beautiful day, we were able to enjoy a snack on their back patio, although they also have open-air covered seating and indoor seating as well. Nearby is the popular Cloud City Toystore with both new and vintage toys. We didn’t stop in but think it looks pretty cool – as others do as well, given the positive reviews on google maps.
Across Main Street from Eddyline Brewery is Mc Phelemy Park with a big lake at its center, lots of shady trees, a playground, a cool statue cut from a tree trunk, and a historic train car to commemorate the days of old where Buena Vista was an important train stop.
Historic Main Street
Continuing along Main Street to the east (after crossing Hwy 24) is where you find the historic downtown of Buena Vista – and it has a lot to offer! Just to call out a few…
- Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce – Google Maps – The Chamber of Commerce building is historic and triangular shaped – what a clever design to make a small building look big!
- Crave BV – Google Maps – a pizza place in a beautifully restored old building
- Deerhammer Distillery – Google Maps – we tried a sampling of their product; super tasty! plus we enjoyed the covered patio. They also have an outdoor and indoor space as well. Bring your dog and meet some friends!
- The Trailhead – Google Maps and Simple Eatery & Spoon It Up – Google Maps – are co-located in the same historic building that used to be the State Highway Department! Very cool vibe inside and big outdoor space to enjoy a snack.
- The Village – Google Maps and Louie’s Ice Cream Shop – Google Maps – are also co-located in the same historic building and also have a cool outdoor space to enjoy a snack. We thought their fire escape was pretty slick – made of bicycles?!
- House Rock Kitchen – Google Maps – we ate lunch at this restaurant; casual and good food – we enjoyed their outdoor patio.
- Buena Vista Heritage Museum – Google Maps – this museum is temporarily closed as of our visit, but we give it a shout out anyways because we like its mamoth statue and see that it gets high praise on its google reviews.
BV Chamber of Commerce 
The Inn and Crave BV 
Deerhammer Distillery 
Deerhammer Distillery 
Deerhammer Distillery 
Deerhammer Distillery 
House Rock Kitchen 
The Village – Home Good Store 
The Village – fire escape 
Mural 
BV Roastery Cafe 
House Rock Kitchen outdoor patio 
House Rock Kitchen 
House Rock Kitchen 
Not the old Hwy Department! 
Hwy Dept bldg: half Outdoor Store … 
… and half Frozen Yogurt shop! 
Simple Eatery & Spoon It Up patio 
Various shops 
Food Truck
More to Explore!
After enjoying downtown Buena Vista, we drove about two blocks south and west of downtown and were fascinated by a little neighborhood that appeared to be new construction, but had the architectural vibe of the historic downtown itself with a mix of density housing and even more businesses. Very clever! Not inexpensive, mind you, as we realized when we looked at real-estate prices. But very visually very appealing.
Eager to learn more about this beautifully restored and dynamic downtown, we checked online. Below are some of the visitor focused websites we found.
Future link to smalltownresearch website.
