1900. 200 Gregory St.
In claiming to be Colorado's oldest establishment of its type, the Palace traces its ancestry to a demolished 1860s saloon on the same site. A classic storefront adorns this tiny, old-time saloon with matching front and back bars decorated by Corinthian pilasters and egg-and-dart cornice trim. Richard Hicks painted the frilly, mock-Victorian wall murals with trompe-l'oeil genitalia. The pine floor is worn white, the brass footrail is shiny with use, and the seats have been contoured by regulars. From the barstools old-timers squinted at the daily changes in gold and silver prices scribbled on a chalkboard. Nowadays gamblers, also struck with gold fever, stare into slot machines.