United States Tourism

COLORADO'S HISTORIC TREASURES

We've compiled an outstanding group of historic sites, which we believe will provide you with memorable experiences. Visitors can indulge in the glittering-gold of Colorado’s precious ore history, treat their children to a taste of early 1900s living on the open prairie, or even catch a show at historic and talent-filled fine arts centers. In Colorado, our past permeates every corner of the state, and it’s yours to enjoy.

Denver Area
The Black American West Museum and Five Points Neighborhood – This museum pays homage to black pioneers, and chronicles their often-overlooked contributions to building the Western frontier. Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton all laid down smokin’ jazz licks at this historic neighborhood’s venues. Jack Kerouac even gave homage to Five Points in his generation-defining novel, On The Road.

Colorado State Capitol – Colorado’s state capitol is built with one of the most precious stones around. Do you know what it is?

Molly Brown House – The most famous person to survive the Titanic hailed from Denver, Colorado. Tour her opulent home and learn about her passion for philanthropy.

Wings Over the Rockies Museum – Aircraft spanning the years are on display at this family-friendly airplane museum. Most of the planes are housed in a 1930s airplane hangar once used by the military. See also displays on the history of flight, the Air National Guard and the President Eisenhower Room Exhibit.

Front Range Region
Bucyrus 50-B Steam Shovel – It once partook in one of the greatest engineering feats of modern times, the construction of the Panama Canal. Only a handful of these machines still exist, and the tiny mountain town of Nederland just so happens to have one of the few.

Central City Opera House –Ornate, nostalgic and remarkably preserved, the Central City Opera House is a beloved bastion of performing arts in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

Colorado Chautauqua – Take a respite filled with tranquility, nature, intellectual stimulation and maybe even a live concert, at Colorado’s very own Chautaqua.

Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District – Maps of Colorado are dotted with mining boomtowns that added the trademark glitter to Colorado’s gold and silver industry. Georgetown and Silver Plume are two of the most renowned.

Old Fort Collins/Cache la Poudre National Heritage Area –Running through a landscape memorialized in James A Michener’s novel, Centennial, the nationally designated Wild and Scenic River, the Cache la Poudre is the lifeblood of historic Fort Collins and the outlying Cache la Poudre National Heritage Area.

South Central Region
Air Force Academy Chapel – One of the most recognizable structures in Colorado is the Air Force Academy Chapel. Tour this multi-denominational sanctuary and relish in the bizarrely beautiful architecture representative of airplane propellers and wings.

Fine Arts Center of Colorado Springs – Located in the heart of Colorado Springs, this Art Deco gem continues to serve the community with flourishing arts programs and performances.

Town of San Luis – Established in 1851, Colorado’s oldest town is a mosaic of history, Hispano culture and religious significance.

Town of Leadville –This National Historic Landmark District was once Colorado's second largest city. Situated at a lofty 10,152 feet above sea level, Leadville is also the highest incorporated city in North America.

Southwest Region
Chimney Rock Archaeological Area – Displaying the Ancestral Puebloan's interaction with the earth and the cosmos, this significant and intriguing archaeological site truly possesses a timeless aura.

Galloping Goose #5 – Necessity meets practicality on the railroads in Dolores. The part car, part train, part whatchamacallit is perfect for both those that are intrigued by railroads and those that gravitate to the slightly bizarre.

Mesa Verde National Park – Mesa Verde holds the distinction of being the first national park in the United States to be set aside for preserving the works of humankind.

Town of Silverton – With a thriving National Historic Landmark District at its core — and the option of arriving via narrow gauge train, a high country four-wheel trail or historic highway — this legendary mining town of the San Juan Mountains is pure vintage.

Ute Mountain Tribal Park – Follow a trained Ute Indian guide through the rugged backcountry and into an important piece of the region’s Ancestral Puebloan and Ute history.

Northwest Region
Canyon Pintado – Spanish for “Painted Canyon,” and named for the Fremont Indian rock art that adorns the walls of this canyon, Canyon Pintado has history carved and painted onto stone.

Howelsen Hill – This is hallowed ground for Olympic athletes. After all, it has fostered more of them than any other ski area in North America. A feat achieved in part by the fact that it is the longest continually running ski resort in the state.

Town of Meeker – Teddy Roosevelt spent some of his time in this historic town hunting and trying to get away from it all — if only for a while. The neighborly-feel that brought President Roosevelt to town is still drawing visitors today.

Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts Camp – “All the world is a stage,” and Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts Camp teaches people to act in it. As the oldest continuously operating performing arts camp in the country, the arts camp has molded a wealth of burgeoning talent.

Southeast Region
Bent’s Old Fort – Before there was a gold rush, there was a fur rush, and Bent’s Old Fort served as the focal point as trappers, traders and settlers established commerce in Colorado.

Town of Boggsville – See an authentic and abandoned plains settlement that has provided key insights to archeologists about life on the prairie in the mid-1800s.

El Pueblo Museum – Tour a keystone fort of the Wild West. Learn about the birth of the fort and its ultimate demise while walking amongst sections of its original walls.

Trinidad History Museum/El Corazón de Trinidad National Historic District – Between cattle barons, Santa Fe Trail voyagers and modern-day residents who wouldn’t let the community’s history fade away, Trinidad offers travelers a town filled with rich and compelling stories.

Northeast Region
Fort Garland Museum – A first-class frontier military fort constructed in 1858. Walk the grounds, walls and barracks for a glimpse into the era of romanticized frontier fighters.

Town of Fort Morgan – What could a landmark bridge, the Overland Trail and famed Big Band leader Glenn Miller have in common? Visit Fort Morgan and you’ll find out.

Hippodrome Theater – The Hippodrome is a still-functioning movie theater dating back to 1919. And after all this time, it still serves 25-cent candy, one-dollar popcorn and first-run movies.

Kit Carson County Carousel – A veritable zoo of carousel animals trot circles around a fully restored antique organ. For only 25 cents you can ride atop these delicately sculpted and magical creatures that are reminiscent of days gone by.