EMIGRANT — The Old Saloon has been a staple in the Paradise Valley community for over 120 years—whether it’s dancing, singing, or just having a cold beer.

"Some of my favorite memories are just being able to drink a cold beer outside and look at Emigrant Peak," says Brett Evje, one of the current owners of The Old Saloon.

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Brett's family has been in the valley for five generations, first homesteading in the Gardiner area.

"We bought The Old Saloon in 2016, me and a couple friends, with basically the goal of preserving and maintaining what we loved about the Old Saloon," he says.

The Old Saloon first opened in 1902, to serve the rail line that passed through Paradise Valley on its way to Yellowstone National Park—the perfect pit stop for a weary traveler.

Evje says, "It started as a hobby. We certainly didn’t intend—it was just going to be a place we could make sure we could go and still have a cold beer when we wanted to."

Since taking over the saloon, they’ve made many updates to the property, including a music venue that welcomes over 1,500 people for every show—a nod to the saloon’s long history of providing entertainment to the valley.

Evje says, "They had Saturday night dances, and my grandpa always told me about Saturday night dances at The Old Saloon. And that’s what I wanted to bring back and what was really the start of the music part for me."

He says his expertise within the restaurant business, as well as the venue’s success, adds to the legacy of the saloon.

"We’re pretty proud of that. It’s not easy to do for a little roadside bar in the middle of nowhere. It's important to me as a Montanan to be able to put my stamp on something as historical as this," says Evje.

With the thrills of good music and business, it was a hard choice putting the saloon up for sale.

"In early November I had some health things that really became an impetus for me to think about what I'm doing in my life. And I realized it was time for me to pass the torch to someone who could really take it to the next level," says Evje.

His ideal buyer is someone who understands and respects the history of the Old Saloon.

"And will respect the staff that we have and respect the amazing people that we have in this valley—who are really the ones who carry this through," Evje says.

"At the end of the day, it’s the people who sit at this bar every single day that have made the Old Saloon what it is," he adds.