06/10/2026
SWIMMING IN DRINKING WATER, or, Paved Road All the Way!
The “Golden Plunge” burst out of the gate almost 100 years ago, on February 2, 1927, with a grand opening attended by thousands. The full-page ad in the Rocky Mountain News was accompanied by a rare photo of the indoor swimming pool and described the new attraction in glowing terms - congratulatory ads by other Golden businesses, happy to support a new magnet bringing visitors to town, spilled over onto adjoining pages.
The mysterious “Plunge”, on the site of today’s Buffalo Rose saloon, was billed as the second-largest indoor pool in the state. With dimensions of 30x100 feet, its water depth ranged from 3 to 8 feet. The highlighting of mandatory warm showers, sourced by filtered and chlorinated local drinking water, and private lockers emphasizes the concerns of the day about sanitation. (Both gentlemen and ladies could only get to the pool through the shower room).
The pool was popular for a number of years but was out of business by WWII. The empty structure is still there, though, under its successors.
