Have you heard of the ghost town of St. Elmo? Well, me neither until I was staying nearby and found it in a quick Google search. While staged haunted houses, elaborate costumes, and overdone gore are great when it comes to getting some thrills and chills, if you prefer something a bit more — let's say, classic — you are going to want to visit this one of the best ghost towns in CO.

Located southwest of Buena Vista in Chaffee County lies the small ghost town of St. Elmo; a historic mining town that at one time housed a population of 2,000.

During its heyday, St. Elmo, CO was a bustling area and boasted not only 150 different mines (one of which recovered $60,000,000 worth of gold during its operation), but also schools, saloons, and stores.

Sadly, like most of Colorado's mining towns, once the gold dried up, people began to leave, leading to both the abandonment of the railroad (1925) and closure of the post office (1952). Luckily, there are some really great historic St. Elmo photos out there.

This is one of the best ghost towns in CO for many reasons, but namely because it it so well preserved. Despite it being deemed a ghost town, most of the original buildings are still intact, including the old Texaco gas station.

The Miner's Exchange General Store re-opens every summer for visiting tourists, too!

There is also a post office, one-room schoolhouse, and several homes within the ghost town of St. Elmo.

Like most ghost towns, St. Elmo, CO comes with its fair share of legends and alleged haunts, so make sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for former residents. One such resident is the infamous Annabelle, a native to St. Elmo who was known to be eccentric and at one time was committed for carrying a rifle around the old town.

As an 80s movies lover, I got a real kick out of this building.

Did I get the song stuck in your head? Whoops.

Some of the buildings are actually occupied by people.

And humans aren't the only residents roaming the streets!

Consider heading here yourself and taking your own St. Elmo photos. As per Legends of America, "to get to St. Elmo, from Buena Vista, take US 285 south to Nathrop, and then County Road 162 west for approximately 16 miles to St. Elmo."

Whether you believe it's haunted or not, one thing is for sure: St. Elmo is a gorgeous town to explore.

Have you ever been to the ghost town of St. Elmo, CO? What are some of your favorite St. Elmo photos? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below!

If you have the time, consider booking a hotel nearby so that you can explore the area more. See what Hotels.com has for accommodations around here.

For more amazing Colorado ghost towns, take this haunted Colorado ghost towns road trip.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/colorado/co-ghost-town-road-trip/