Demolition underway at Boulder’s beloved Dark Horse

BOULDER — Demolition crews were busy Thursday tearing down the World Famous Dark Horse bar, a beloved Boulder watering hole for five decades before closing in March to make way for a mixed-use development. 

While Dark Horse regulars lamented the loss on social media, it may not be long before patrons can once again watch a University of Colorado Buffalos while sipping a Coors Light surrounded by walls chockfull of tchotchkes. Dark Horse is reportedly planning to ride again in a yet-to-be-announced location in Louisville.  

The Williams family, which owns the Dark Horse property, is demolishing the building at 2922 Baseline Road  — along with a handful of others nearby — to build hundreds of student-oriented apartments and nearly 60,000 square feet of commercial space as part of its Williams Village II redevelopment project.

The Dark Horse building got a brief reprieve from demolition in late 2025, after Williams Family Cos. and Boulder city officials worked out a snag in the redevelopment’s permitting process that would have otherwise seen the bar razed before the start of 2026.

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