Which movies were filmed in Durango?
Nearly 30, by the count of the Durango Area Tourism Office, which lists every feature it knows of that shot "in and around" town since 1925 (fact sheet). The list skews toward Westerns, and it starts with a 1925 title. Here are thirteen of the better-known titles, with the office's years.
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 1949 | Colorado Territory |
| 1950 | Ticket to Tomahawk |
| 1956 | Around the World in 80 Days |
| 1963 | How the West Was Won |
| 1965 | The Sons of Katie Elder |
| 1969 | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid |
| 1969 | Downhill Racer |
| 1983 | National Lampoon's Vacation |
| 1991 | City Slickers |
| 1993 | Cliffhanger |
| 2000 | Nurse Betty |
| 2004 | The Prestige |
| 2012 | The Lone Ranger |
That is a sample. The office's full list also includes Viva Zapata, The Naked Spur, Run for Cover, Night Passage, Support Your Local Gunfighter, When Legends Die, Avalanche, The Tracker and The Claim, among others.
Why did Hollywood keep coming back?
Mostly because of a train. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad was nearly abandoned by 1947, and its history page says a determined staff saved it by promoting tourism. "Then Hollywood discovered Durango and the railroad," it adds. Over the next ten years came Ticket to Tomahawk, Across the Wide Missouri, Denver and Rio Grande, Viva Zapata and Around the World in 80 Days (Durango & Silverton).
The same page says the line earned National Historic Landmark status in the late 1960s, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid followed soon after. Not bad for a branch line that had nearly closed. The Four Corners Film Office adds that the narrow gauge line and the river canyon beside it have "featured prominently in many films," from classic Westerns of the 1950s and 1960s to Christopher Nolan's The Prestige (Four Corners Film Office).
The line itself has a long résumé. It reached Durango on August 5, 1881, finished the tracks to Silverton by July 1882, and was built to haul gold and silver ore, an estimated $300 million worth over the years, the railroad says. Its steam locomotives today date to 1923-25.
Local boosters have a nickname for all this. The tourism office's fact sheet calls Durango the "Hollywood of the Rockies."
Where can you see the movie side of Durango today?
Start with the train, which still runs year-round, as its history page notes. Then bunk down inside a film set. Each room at the Rochester Hotel takes its theme from a Western shot around Durango, and movie posters framed in marquee lights line the hallways, says the tourism office's listing. Built in 1892, it stands at 726 E. 2nd Ave. For more to do, try our attractions guide, which covers the train, the museums and other places worth a visit.
Curious about exact spots? The film office keeps a location gallery on its site. Its page also says several classic filming locations in the region can be reached by passenger car, though the driving brochure it points to centers on the town of Ridgway, not on Durango.
What about films shot elsewhere in Southwest Colorado?
The Four Corners Film Office keeps a wider list. For nearly 90 years, it says, more than 40 films have found locations in the region. Its roster of Southwest Colorado titles includes The Hateful Eight (2015) and Hostiles (2017), which belong to the broader region rather than to Durango's own list, so we did not count them here.
Who helps film crews today?
The Four Corners Film Office, whose listed address is 295 A Girard Street in Durango. It offers free help with locations, crews and logistics across Southwest Colorado. If you are a location scout, or just a movie buff with a question, start there. For more things to do in town, see our events calendar guide.