Winter, holiday movies that were filmed in Colorado

DENVER (KDVR) -- Colorado's Rocky Mountains and small-town charm make the Centennial State an excellent setting for winter holiday movies.

Colorado has been the setting for many movies, some that were actually filmed here and some that were inspired here. There is even a Christmas movie being filmed in Evergreen this winter.

One of the most famous holiday movies filmed in Colorado is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, for which many scenes were filmed in Breckenridge. In honor of the movie's 35th anniversary, Chevy Chase, who played Clark Griswold in the film, will be in Denver on Wednesday for a special screening and live conversation about the film at the Bellco Theatre.

Another notable film is Dumb and Dumber. Some scenes for this movie were filmed in Estes Park at the Stanley Hotel, but a lot of the movie was actually filmed in Utah, including scenes based in Aspen, Colorado that were actually filmed in Park City, Utah.

Here are some holiday movies that were filmed in Colorado, according to IMBd:

Holiday and Christmas movies filmed in Colorado:

• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
  • Breckenridge, Frisco
• Dumb and Dumber (1994)
  • Estes Park at the Stanley Hotel
• The Christmas Gift (1986)
  • Georgetown
• Elves (1988)
  • Colorado Springs
• Colorado Christmas (2023)
  • Shots in Denver, Estes Park, Rocky Mountains and more
• Winter in Vail (2020)
  • Mostly filmed in Alberta, Canada, but the last two days of filming took place in Vail, according to IMDb.
• Evergreen (2020)
  • Meeker
• The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation (2010)
  • Keystone Resort

Winter movies with Colorado connections:

There are a handful of movies that aren't particularly festive for the holidays but are fitting for the winter.

• Miracle (2004)
  • Filmed in Canada with settings based in Colorado Springs
• A Winter of Cyclists (2013)
  • Filmed in Boulder County
• Aspen Extreme (1993)
  • Partially filmed in Aspen
• Ice Castles (1978)
  • Partially filmed in Colorado Springs
• Cold Pursuit (2019)
  • Based in the fictional town of Kehoe, Colorado, filmed in Canada
• I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
  • Quick scene based in Red Cliff, Colorado, filmed in California and Canada
• Boxing Day (2012)
  • Based in Denver and the Rocky Mountains, filmed in London, England

Is 'Die Hard 2' a Christmas movie? It's connection to Colorado

Fans of Die Hard and its sequel are in an ongoing debate, undecided if the two movies are festive for Christmas.

Because part of both stories take place around Christmas, some argue that the holiday season is a good time to watch it. Others say that the first two Die Hard movies are year-round watches and would be just as good if set at any holiday other than Christmas.

Despite the mixed opinions, Die Hard has been ranked as one of the favorite Christmas movies in the U.S.

One thing is for sure, Colorado played a major role in the filming for Die Hard 2. Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs and Stapleton International Airport in Denver were some of the major filming locations for Die Hard 2. The movie also filmed in several other Colorado locations.