In the same way that Parisians may rarely visit the Louvre or New Yorkers deem the Empire State Building essential to the cityscape but rarely visiting its observation deck, far too many Rocky Mountain locals miss the attractions that helped earn our state its “Colorful Colorado” nickname.
Whether you’re a history buff, entertaining out-of- town guests, in need of educational kids activities, or you just want a change of scenery, any one of these nine nearby attractions is a must-see.
A. Denver Mint
Tours are free at this federal coin factory housed in a turn-of-the-century building and responsible for producing roughly half of the U.S. coins in circulation. Tours review the history and technology behind the minting process. Considering the waning popularity of cash over “plastic,” it may be worthwhile to see the Denver Mint before a day when coins become obsolete.
Barb Gibson, executive director of this historic park 4 miles from downtown Denver on the banks of Cherry Creek, says roughly 50,000 people visit the site each year. They come for special events like “An Affair of the Heart,” a recent program about Franklin D. Roosevelt. They also turn up to survey the area’s oldest structure still standing on its original location, along with “Living History Days” on the second Sunday of each month, in which costumed docents sew, quilt, cook and blacksmith much in the same way they would have 150 years ago.
It’s easy to zip past Belmar Park coming or going on Wadsworth Boulevard without noticing its Vail museum displays 11,000 items related to winter sports. ( Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum ) historic structures housing thousands of artifacts highlighting the history of Denver’s western suburbs. The site includes a 1920s country school, an art-deco-style salon, a 1930s farmhouse, and the White Way Grill, a classic midcentury diner. “Most of the things represent various decades,” says Rhetta Shead with the city of Lakewood. “It’s a cool way to step back in time.”
True suds lovers may balk at the fact that this state with numerous award-winning breweries is perhaps most known around the world for Coors, thanks to the brand’s longstanding NFL and NASCAR sponsorships and the now defunct commercials lauding its “pure Rocky Mountain spring water.” Although the Golden brewery is now officially MillerCoors and produces other Miller products, including High Life and Genuine Draft, the historic site has operated for more than a century and is still among the largest of its kind in the world. Come for the nostalgia, stay for the free tastings.
Even people who have visited before will find something new at this museum alongside the gravesite of one of the West’s most famous forefathers. Late last year, the museum opened its largest permanent exhibit to date, “The Buffalo Bill Story.” It details the life of William Cody, a.k.a. Buffalo Bill, through newly uncovered research and artifacts, like a theatrical dinner jacket that sat in the props collection of the Denver Center Theater Company for years until someone noticed Buffalo Bill’s authentic signature on the label. “Buffalo Bill was not just a guy who dressed in buckskins,” says museum director Steve Friesen. “He was quite the natty dresser.” There are also such historic curiosities in the collection as Sitting Bull’s bow and arrows, and costumes from its namesake’s “Wild West Show.”
City Hall in this tiny Victorian town, founded by prospectors and surrounded by mountains once littered with mines, is housed in an early 1900s schoolhouse. The town’s convenient proximity — 45 minutes west of Denver — paired with its quaint shops and restaurants and the opportunity to tour either a historical mine, the Argo Gold Mine and Mill, or a working mine, the Phoenix Mine , make it a great one-day getaway.
G. Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame
Trying to cultivate the perfect retro-chic look for the slopes? Glean inspiration from the old-school sweaters and cardigans that are among the more than “11,000 artifacts, photographs, posters, pieces of equipment and clothing representing more than 130 years of sports history in Colorado,” according to Erica Garcia Lloyd, curator of collections and public programming. The museum represents all Colorado ski areas, hosts functions including a weekly speaker series, and has a fun and affordable gift shop.
This jaw-dropping mountain attraction is referred to as a “geo-venture” because a visit to Cave of the Winds combines geology and adventurism. The cave is actually a series of rooms featuring dramatic stalagmites created millions of years ago during and after the era when the land that is now Colorado was under a vast sea. Today, the cave’s website includes a historical video and a downloadable Podcast about the Colorado Springs area for cave visitors to listen to on their way there.
The authentic Old West buildings on the site of this Gold Rush-themed “town” and museum include tens of thousands of everyday objects used by Coloradans a century ago. “You just get the idea of turning your watch back 100 years and being in an Old West town,” says Dave Harris, the general manager of this 56-year- old, family-owned attraction. Warm-weather gold panning from a series of sandy troughs around the grounds is by far the biggest draw. “Just like during the Gold Rush,” Harris says, “some people leave with nothing. Other people walk away with at least the price of admission” in gold.
-By Elana Jefferson
What have we missed? What destinations are quintessentially Colorado?
Author: Mile High Mamas
