Culture and Heritage in Colorado Springs Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region is filled with attractions, activities, museums, visitor centers and more that tell the story of our areas rich heritage and cultural roots. The following is just a sampling of some of our area's finest spots for visitors seeking an experience that will not only be entertaining, but educational. Buckskin Joes Frontier Town and Railway Where fun memories are made! Since 1958, this "Little Train with the Big View" has been treating visitors to the fantastic scenery that surrounds the Royal Gorge Region and the very best view of the Royal Gorge available anywhere. Shopoholics will love browsing through the huge gift shop at the railway depot. Watch and head for cover when gunfights explode to life daily on the streets of this authentic frontier town. Buffalo Burgers, sarsaparilla and unique gifts create the ultimate western experience for all guests. Get a taste of what traveling was like back in the 1800's... Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad A 45-minute trip through the gold mining district, an exciting journey on the Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad, is a scenic adventure into yesteryear.... backward in time to the lusty pioneer days of railroading during its greatest era. It is a spectacular trip of beautiful colors and fascinating experiences... the old steam engine with its pillaring smoke, sounds of steam and working steel... all the effects familiar to the hardy miners who rode the Midland Terminal roadbed when Cripple Creek District's population approached over 50,000. The Cripple Creek and Victor Railroad departs from the old Midland Terminal Depot, located at the head of Bennett avenue in Cripple Creek. The locomotive is a 15 ton iron horse of the 0-4-0 type typical of the early day steam engines so important to the winning of the west. The track goes south out of Cripple Creek, past the old Midland Terminal Wye over a reconstructed trestle, past many historic mines and terminates near the deserted mining camp of Anaconda, then returns back to Cripple Creek. Flying W Ranch The Flying W Ranch is a working, mountain cattle ranch located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that has specialized in western food and entertainment since 1953. In our high season we entertain and serve dinner to over a thousand persons nightly. The Flying W has a winning combination of beautiful natural surroundings, an authentic old western town and mouth-watering food. When the Flying W Wranglers top the evening off with their outstanding western stage show we have an offering unsurpassed in Colorado. Garden of the Gods Trading Post Nestled at the Southwest corner of the Garden of the Gods Park lies the historic Garden of the Gods Trading Post. In the early 1920's Charles Strausenback built the Trading Post to resemble the homes of the Pueblo Indians. Since that time, the Trading Post has expanded 6 times to become Colorado's largest Trading Post. Native American jewelry, Navajo rugs, Sand paintings and Pueblo pottery can be found in the vast collection located in the Southwestern Art Gallery. Traditional Colorado gifts and souvenirs and the Balanced Rock Cafe complete with Buffalo burgers compliment the experience. Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center Imagine dramatic views, 300 foot towering sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snow-capped Pikes Peak and brilliant blue skies. That’s the view from the beautiful Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center terrace. Your visit to the Center will open up all the many secrets to the Garden of the Gods Park, a Registered National Natural Landmark of both scenic splendor and recreational opportunities. The geology, ecology and cultural history of the area spring to life through hands on exhibits and a 12-minute multi-media presentation. Enjoy café dining with an exceptional view and browse through the distinctive gift shops. Ghost Town Museum Turn your watch back 100 years and experience a true preservation of Colorado’s western past. Ghost Town Museum is a fun and historic look back at kind of old west town that used to dot this region during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. "An authentic ghost town" Selected by Mobile Travel Guide and Family Circle Magazine as one of the fifty-five special attractions of America. See the USA Travel Edition Recognition of Merit. Explore the boardwalk connecting the Blacksmith's Shop, Saloon, General and Merchants of Main Street, with the Livery Stable, and Victorian Home. Each is filled with thousands of fascinating artifacts. Ghost Town Museum delights young and old with lots of hands-on activities, including old time arcades, panning for real gold, and much more. Historic Manitou Springs The history of Manitou Springs is forever linked to its cold drinking springs. Members of the Ute, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Kiowa nations treated Manitou as neutral ground where all could find relief for their physical ailments without fear of attack. Today, several of the original springs that have been restored for public consumption are named in honor of Manitou's first settlers. The waters are available free to the public. Walking tours are held every summer and maps are available throughout the year for those who prefer to tour the springs at their own pace. Manitou Springs is on the National Register of Historic Districts. Many historic commercial buildings and the homes surrounding them have been restored. A thriving arts community continues to grow and prosper. There are more than a dozen galleries and studios in downtown, many run by the artists themselves. In addition to the galleries, the downtown area is packed with dozens of specialty shops, gift shops, clothing boutiques, and antique stores. Everyone is sure to find the "one of a kind" item that will always remind them of a memorable adventure in Manitou Springs. Historic Royal Gorge Route Railroad Experience everything the Royal Gorge has to offer with one ticket. See the Royal Gorge Bridge hanging over 1,000 feet above the train, the raging Arkansas River, wildlife and scenery only seen by train. Welcome aboard the Historic Royal Gorge Route Railroad. We're glad you're here and you'll be happy to know that when you purchase your train ticket, you will be treated to what has been called "the most scenic train ride in North America." Watch Eagles, Blue Heron, and Red Tailed Hawks soar through the canyon. Our passengers spot the majestic Big Horn Sheep, eagles soaring, and mule deer in the gorge daily. No cages here, just wildlife in their natural surroundings. Iron Springs Melodrama Theatre "Colorado's Fun Melodrama" For more than 45 years, the Iron Springs Melodrama Dinner Theater has provided the Pikes Peak Region with an evening of hilarious comedy and quality entertainment. The evening begins with a family-style dinner with the melodrama immediately following (audience participation is strongly encouraged). After the melodrama, a foot-stomping sing-along and vaudeville olio full of song, dance and comedy continues the fun throughout the evening. Manitou Cliff Dwellings The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is a rare historical treasure. Preserved under a protective red sandstone overhang, authentic Anasazi cliff dwellings, built more than 700 years ago, await you here. There are no "Do Not Touch" signs. You are free to touch and even go inside these fascinating architectural remnants of an American Indian culture that roamed the Four Corners area of the Southwest from 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1300. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is located in Manitou Springs, Colorado, at the foot of Pikes Peak, the mountain that provided the inspiration for the writing of, America the Beautiful. The dwellings are open seven days a week, year round, except for Christmas Day and Thanksgiving. Next to the cliff dwellings is a three-story Pueblo-style building that houses the Anasazi museum and a Southwestern gift shop. This structure was faithfully designed and constructed in the architectural style of the Pueblo Indians, descendants of the Anasazi.Our outdoor archaeological and natural history preserve includes reproductions of a stone mesa-top building and an Anasazi baking oven. A nature walk with well-labeled native flowers, herbs, trees and other plants connects the cliff dwellings and the Pueblo structure. Miramont Castle Miramont Castle was constructed in 1895 as a private home for Father Jean Baptist Francolon, a French born Catholic priest. The castle features nine styles of architecture ranging from English Tudor to Byzantine and all crafted from locally quarried greenstone and yellow pine framing. Today Miramont is a museum dedicated to preserving the Victorian heritage of Manitou Springs and the Pikes Peak region. Miramont Castle is conveniently located just off Ruxton Avenue between the Pikes Peak Cog Railway Depot and the historic downtown shopping district. Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine After over fifty years of conducting public mine tours, this country's only 1,000 foot vertical shaft gold mine tour just got bigger and better as an adventure never to be forgotten by visitors descending the earth to explore the underground mine workings of the 1890’s hard rock gold miner. Visitors can expect to encounter many new improvements as they explore the overlapping evolution of all four mining phases used to extract gold from the Mollie Kathleen Mine. They will witness the operation of numerous pieces of air powered gold mining equipment from drifter drills, tuggers, slushers, stoper drills, jack leg drills, rocker shovel mucking machines, and even an early 1900s air powered steam hoist that is believed to be the smallest steam hoist ever manufactured. In a newly opened tour area of the mine, visitors will stand on the 1,000 foot level and gaze upward into the Queen Bess stope that extends 700 feet to the Mollie Kathleen 400 foot level, as they learn the life of the stope-rat miner. This coming season, visitors will ride aboard the last air powered Tram-Air Locomotive manufactured in Cripple Creek, Colorado, traveling the same century old mine rail that miners rode with shipments of gold ore, as they explore several gold vein structures of the Mollie Kathleen Mine that reveal how gold veins appear in their natural state. Pikes Peak - America's Mountain The most visited mountain in North America and the second most visited mountain in the world behind Japan's Mount Fuji, Pikes Peak forms a stunning backdrop for Colorado Springs and the Garden of the Gods. At an altitude of 14,110 feet above sea level, Pikes Peak is the 31st highest peak out of 54 Colorado peaks. It is the farthest east of the big peaks in the Rocky Mountain chain, which contributed to its early fame among explorers, pioneers and immigrants and made it the symbol of the 1859 Gold Rush to Colorado with the slogan, "Pikes Peak or Bust". Over a half million people reach the summit house every year by the Pikes Peak Highway, Barr Trail or the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. The 19-mile Pikes Peak Highway, paved part of the way, is open year round, weather permitting. Barr Trail is the longest of any trails leading to the top of the 54 mountains in Colorado that are over 14,000 feet, and offers the greatest base-to-summit elevation gain in the state: 7,400 feet. About 15,000 people a year attempt to climb Pikes Peak on foot. The 13-mile trail begins at the base of Pikes Peak in Manitou Springs. The 8.9 mile cog railroad typically operates April through December. Pikes Peak Heritage Center at Cripple Creek In the late 1800s, thousands of fortune-seekers made their way to Pikes Peak. Gold had been discovered, and that discovery started the country’s last great gold rush. Now, more than a century later, visitors to the region can make their own discoveries at the newest member of Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association, the Pikes Peak Heritage Center at Cripple Creek. This new state-of-the-art interpretive center that overlooks the town of Cripple Creek. Visitors to the Pikes Peak Heritage Center can learn about gold mining yesterday and today, geologic and human history, view displays that showcase the unique mountain environment, and learn about regional recreational activities and attractions. This 11,600-square-foot facility is built in a style that is reminiscent of historic Cripple Creek and features interactive displays that allow visitors to immerse themselves in the past glory days of this world-famous gold mining camp, when it was a rambunctious community of miners, ministers and madams. Other displays will showcase captivating historic photography, flora and fauna, the area’s world-class dinosaur discoveries and Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain. ProRodoe Hall of Fame Rodeo - America's original sport - is showcased at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Hall, established in 1979, is located adjacent to the National headquarters of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It's hard to miss the one and a half life size bronze of Casey Tibbs on Necktie in front of the museum. Rodeo's history from trail drives and ranch work is highlighted in a video presentation offered on the hour and half hour. Contemporary rodeo and the "road to a championship" is presented in a second video. The evolution of gear, equipment and clothing is explained in a guided tour of the Heritage Hall portion of the museum. Exhibits featuring memorabilia from 160+ inductees fill the Hall of Champions - everything from Joe Beaver's first saddle and boots to Descent's silver halters. A touch screen kiosk features highlights from last year's Wrangler National Finals and snips from each world champion. Every January the world champions are on hand to receive those gold buckles and to sign autographs for fans. United States Air Force Academy The staff and faculty of the U.S. Air Force Academy, in the interest of our future national security, molds our future leaders into outstanding young men and women into Air Force officers with knowledge, character, and discipline; motivated to lead the worlds’ greatest aerospace force in service to the nation. Before its graduates enter various flying and support specialties, the Academy trains them to be, first and foremost, Air Force officers. Of the more than 36,316 cadets that have graduated in 45 classes, more than 51 percent are still on active duty. During its history, the Academy has become a leader among undergraduate institutions. Thirty-three cadets have earned Rhodes Scholarships. Six cadets have accepted Marshall Scholarships. Ninety-two cadets have been accepted as Guggenheim Fellows. Seventy-five cadets have been selected as National Science Foundation Fellows. Thirty-two cadets have accepted Fulbright-Hays Scholarships. Ninety-four cadets have accepted scholarships to attend Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Thirty-six cadets have been selected as Hertz Fellows. And 619 cadets have entered medical school. Van Briggle Pottery Van Briggle Pottery, established in 1899, is one of the oldest active art potteries in the United States. Founded by Artus Van Briggle, of Holland Dutch descent, Van Briggle Pottery has been considered one of the great American art potteries for over a century. Artus came to Colorado Springs after years of training at distinguished potteries and art academies in the United States and in Europe. He and his wife Anne, also an accomplished artist, began a tradition of making fine pottery which quickly swept the western art world. Though gifted in many areas of artistic expression, it was in clay and glaze where their considerable talents flourished. Ultimately their Art Nouveau designs and satin mat glazes received the highest awards of the day. Numerous awards were conferred upon Van Briggle works by such juries as the Paris Salon, the Saint Louis Exhibition, the Lewis and Clark Centennial, and the Arts & Crafts Exhibition in Boston. Western Museum of Mining and Industry Explore Colorado's rich and colorful mining past. Find out what's happening in mining today at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry. The museum's 27-acre site includes four exhibit buildings, outdoor displays and a picnic area. This is a wonderful place to learn to pan for gold and to see how turn-of-the-century miners timbered, drilled, blasted, mucked and moved ore from the mine to the stamp mill, where ore was crushed and processed. If this is not enough, see the actual operation of its multi-ton steam engines, drills, hoists, locomotives, and other carefully restored mining machines. Daily tours, changing exhibits and monthly classes/activities for the whole family make this the “museum that works” and a place to visit often. The Western Museum of Mining and Industry is located at I-25 exit 156A, just east of the USAFA north gate.

Culture and Heritage in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region is filled with attractions, activities, museums, visitor centers and more that tell the story of our areas rich heritage and cultural roots. The following is just a sampling of some of our area's finest spots for visitors seeking an experience that will not only be entertaining, but educational.

Buckskin Joes Frontier Town and Railway
Where fun memories are made! Since 1958, this "Little Train with the Big View" has been treating visitors to the fantastic scenery that surrounds the Royal Gorge Region and the very best view of the Royal Gorge available anywhere. Shopoholics will love browsing through the huge gift shop at the railway depot. Watch and head for cover when gunfights explode to life daily on the streets of this authentic frontier town. Buffalo Burgers, sarsaparilla and unique gifts create the ultimate western experience for all guests. Get a taste of what traveling was like back in the 1800's...

Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad
A 45-minute trip through the gold mining district, an exciting journey on the Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad, is a scenic adventure into yesteryear.... backward in time to the lusty pioneer days of railroading during its greatest era.
It is a spectacular trip of beautiful colors and fascinating experiences... the old steam engine with its pillaring smoke, sounds of steam and working steel... all the effects familiar to the hardy miners who rode the Midland Terminal roadbed when Cripple Creek District's population approached over 50,000. The Cripple Creek and Victor Railroad departs from the old Midland Terminal Depot, located at the head of Bennett avenue in Cripple Creek. The locomotive is a 15 ton iron horse of the 0-4-0 type typical of the early day steam engines so important to the winning of the west. The track goes south out of Cripple Creek, past the old Midland Terminal Wye over a reconstructed trestle, past many historic mines and terminates near the deserted mining camp of Anaconda, then returns back to Cripple Creek.

Flying W Ranch
The Flying W Ranch is a working, mountain cattle ranch located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that has specialized in western food and entertainment since 1953. In our high season we entertain and serve dinner to over a thousand persons nightly. The Flying W has a winning combination of beautiful natural surroundings, an authentic old western town and mouth-watering food. When the Flying W Wranglers top the evening off with their outstanding western stage show we have an offering unsurpassed in Colorado.

Garden of the Gods Trading Post
Nestled at the Southwest corner of the Garden of the Gods Park lies the historic Garden of the Gods Trading Post. In the early 1920's Charles Strausenback built the Trading Post to resemble the homes of the Pueblo Indians. Since that time, the Trading Post has expanded 6 times to become Colorado's largest Trading Post. Native American jewelry, Navajo rugs, Sand paintings and Pueblo pottery can be found in the vast collection located in the Southwestern Art Gallery. Traditional Colorado gifts and souvenirs and the Balanced Rock Cafe complete with Buffalo burgers compliment the experience.

Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center
Imagine dramatic views, 300 foot towering sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snow-capped Pikes Peak and brilliant blue skies. That’s the view from the beautiful Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center terrace. Your visit to the Center will open up all the many secrets to the Garden of the Gods Park, a Registered National Natural Landmark of both scenic splendor and recreational opportunities. The geology, ecology and cultural history of the area spring to life through hands on exhibits and a 12-minute multi-media presentation. Enjoy café dining with an exceptional view and browse through the distinctive gift shops.

Ghost Town Museum
Turn your watch back 100 years and experience a true preservation of Colorado’s western past. Ghost Town Museum is a fun and historic look back at kind of old west town that used to dot this region during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. "An authentic ghost town" Selected by Mobile Travel Guide and Family Circle Magazine as one of the fifty-five special attractions of America. See the USA Travel Edition Recognition of Merit. Explore the boardwalk connecting the Blacksmith's Shop, Saloon, General and Merchants of Main Street, with the Livery Stable, and Victorian Home. Each is filled with thousands of fascinating artifacts. Ghost Town Museum delights young and old with lots of hands-on activities, including old time arcades, panning for real gold, and much more.

Historic Manitou Springs
The history of Manitou Springs is forever linked to its cold drinking springs. Members of the Ute, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Kiowa nations treated Manitou as neutral ground where all could find relief for their physical ailments without fear of attack. Today, several of the original springs that have been restored for public consumption are named in honor of Manitou's first settlers. The waters are available free to the public. Walking tours are held every summer and maps are available throughout the year for those who prefer to tour the springs at their own pace. Manitou Springs is on the National Register of Historic Districts. Many historic commercial buildings and the homes surrounding them have been restored. A thriving arts community continues to grow and prosper. There are more than a dozen galleries and studios in downtown, many run by the artists themselves. In addition to the galleries, the downtown area is packed with dozens of specialty shops, gift shops, clothing boutiques, and antique stores. Everyone is sure to find the "one of a kind" item that will always remind them of a memorable adventure in Manitou Springs.

Historic Royal Gorge Route Railroad
Experience everything the Royal Gorge has to offer with one ticket. See the Royal Gorge Bridge hanging over 1,000 feet above the train, the raging Arkansas River, wildlife and scenery only seen by train. Welcome aboard the Historic Royal Gorge Route Railroad. We're glad you're here and you'll be happy to know that when you purchase your train ticket, you will be treated to what has been called "the most scenic train ride in North America." Watch Eagles, Blue Heron, and Red Tailed Hawks soar through the canyon. Our passengers spot the majestic Big Horn Sheep, eagles soaring, and mule deer in the gorge daily. No cages here, just wildlife in their natural surroundings.

Iron Springs Melodrama Theatre
"Colorado's Fun Melodrama"
For more than 45 years, the Iron Springs Melodrama Dinner Theater has provided the Pikes Peak Region with an evening of hilarious comedy and quality entertainment. The evening begins with a family-style dinner with the melodrama immediately following (audience participation is strongly encouraged). After the melodrama, a foot-stomping sing-along and vaudeville olio full of song, dance and comedy continues the fun throughout the evening.

Manitou Cliff Dwellings
The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is a rare historical treasure. Preserved under a protective red sandstone overhang, authentic Anasazi cliff dwellings, built more than 700 years ago, await you here. There are no "Do Not Touch" signs. You are free to touch and even go inside these fascinating architectural remnants of an American Indian culture that roamed the Four Corners area of the Southwest from 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1300. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is located in Manitou Springs, Colorado, at the foot of Pikes Peak, the mountain that provided the inspiration for the writing of, America the Beautiful. The dwellings are open seven days a week, year round, except for Christmas Day and Thanksgiving.

Next to the cliff dwellings is a three-story Pueblo-style building that houses the Anasazi museum and a Southwestern gift shop. This structure was faithfully designed and constructed in the architectural style of the Pueblo Indians, descendants of the Anasazi.Our outdoor archaeological and natural history preserve includes reproductions of a stone mesa-top building and an Anasazi baking oven. A nature walk with well-labeled native flowers, herbs, trees and other plants connects the cliff dwellings and the Pueblo structure.

Miramont Castle
Miramont Castle was constructed in 1895 as a private home for Father Jean Baptist Francolon, a French born Catholic priest. The castle features nine styles of architecture ranging from English Tudor to Byzantine and all crafted from locally quarried greenstone and yellow pine framing. Today Miramont is a museum dedicated to preserving the Victorian heritage of Manitou Springs and the Pikes Peak region. Miramont Castle is conveniently located just off Ruxton Avenue between the Pikes Peak Cog Railway Depot and the historic downtown shopping district.

Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine
After over fifty years of conducting public mine tours, this country's only 1,000 foot vertical shaft gold mine tour just got bigger and better as an adventure never to be forgotten by visitors descending the earth to explore the underground mine workings of the 1890’s hard rock gold miner. Visitors can expect to encounter many new improvements as they explore the overlapping evolution of all four mining phases used to extract gold from the Mollie Kathleen Mine. They will witness the operation of numerous pieces of air powered gold mining equipment from drifter drills, tuggers, slushers, stoper drills, jack leg drills, rocker shovel mucking machines, and even an early 1900s air powered steam hoist that is believed to be the smallest steam hoist ever manufactured.

In a newly opened tour area of the mine, visitors will stand on the 1,000 foot level and gaze upward into the Queen Bess stope that extends 700 feet to the Mollie Kathleen 400 foot level, as they learn the life of the stope-rat miner. This coming season, visitors will ride aboard the last air powered Tram-Air Locomotive manufactured in Cripple Creek, Colorado, traveling the same century old mine rail that miners rode with shipments of gold ore, as they explore several gold vein structures of the Mollie Kathleen Mine that reveal how gold veins appear in their natural state.

Pikes Peak - America's Mountain
The most visited mountain in North America and the second most visited mountain in the world behind Japan's Mount Fuji, Pikes Peak forms a stunning backdrop for Colorado Springs and the Garden of the Gods. At an altitude of 14,110 feet above sea level, Pikes Peak is the 31st highest peak out of 54 Colorado peaks. It is the farthest east of the big peaks in the Rocky Mountain chain, which contributed to its early fame among explorers, pioneers and immigrants and made it the symbol of the 1859 Gold Rush to Colorado with the slogan, "Pikes Peak or Bust".

Over a half million people reach the summit house every year by the Pikes Peak Highway, Barr Trail or the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. The 19-mile Pikes Peak Highway, paved part of the way, is open year round, weather permitting. Barr Trail is the longest of any trails leading to the top of the 54 mountains in Colorado that are over 14,000 feet, and offers the greatest base-to-summit elevation gain in the state: 7,400 feet. About 15,000 people a year attempt to climb Pikes Peak on foot. The 13-mile trail begins at the base of Pikes Peak in Manitou Springs. The 8.9 mile cog railroad typically operates April through December.

Pikes Peak Heritage Center at Cripple Creek
In the late 1800s, thousands of fortune-seekers made their way to Pikes Peak. Gold had been discovered, and that discovery started the country’s last great gold rush. Now, more than a century later, visitors to the region can make their own discoveries at the newest member of Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association, the Pikes Peak Heritage Center at Cripple Creek. This new state-of-the-art interpretive center that overlooks the town of Cripple Creek.

Visitors to the Pikes Peak Heritage Center can learn about gold mining yesterday and today, geologic and human history, view displays that showcase the unique mountain environment, and learn about regional recreational activities and attractions. This 11,600-square-foot facility is built in a style that is reminiscent of historic Cripple Creek and features interactive displays that allow visitors to immerse themselves in the past glory days of this world-famous gold mining camp, when it was a rambunctious community of miners, ministers and madams. Other displays will showcase captivating historic photography, flora and fauna, the area’s world-class dinosaur discoveries and Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain.

ProRodoe Hall of Fame
Rodeo - America's original sport - is showcased at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Hall, established in 1979, is located adjacent to the National headquarters of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It's hard to miss the one and a half life size bronze of Casey Tibbs on Necktie in front of the museum.

Rodeo's history from trail drives and ranch work is highlighted in a video presentation offered on the hour and half hour. Contemporary rodeo and the "road to a championship" is presented in a second video. The evolution of gear, equipment and clothing is explained in a guided tour of the Heritage Hall portion of the museum.
Exhibits featuring memorabilia from 160+ inductees fill the Hall of Champions - everything from Joe Beaver's first saddle and boots to Descent's silver halters. A touch screen kiosk features highlights from last year's Wrangler National Finals and snips from each world champion. Every January the world champions are on hand to receive those gold buckles and to sign autographs for fans.

United States Air Force Academy
The staff and faculty of the U.S. Air Force Academy, in the interest of our future national security, molds our future leaders into outstanding young men and women into Air Force officers with knowledge, character, and discipline; motivated to lead the worlds’ greatest aerospace force in service to the nation. Before its graduates enter various flying and support specialties, the Academy trains them to be, first and foremost, Air Force officers. Of the more than 36,316 cadets that have graduated in 45 classes, more than 51 percent are still on active duty.

During its history, the Academy has become a leader among undergraduate institutions. Thirty-three cadets have earned Rhodes Scholarships. Six cadets have accepted Marshall Scholarships. Ninety-two cadets have been accepted as Guggenheim Fellows. Seventy-five cadets have been selected as National Science Foundation Fellows. Thirty-two cadets have accepted Fulbright-Hays Scholarships. Ninety-four cadets have accepted scholarships to attend Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Thirty-six cadets have been selected as Hertz Fellows. And 619 cadets have entered medical school.

Van Briggle Pottery
Van Briggle Pottery, established in 1899, is one of the oldest active art potteries in the United States. Founded by Artus Van Briggle, of Holland Dutch descent, Van Briggle Pottery has been considered one of the great American art potteries for over a century.

Artus came to Colorado Springs after years of training at distinguished potteries and art academies in the United States and in Europe. He and his wife Anne, also an accomplished artist, began a tradition of making fine pottery which quickly swept the western art world. Though gifted in many areas of artistic expression, it was in clay and glaze where their considerable talents flourished. Ultimately their Art Nouveau designs and satin mat glazes received the highest awards of the day. Numerous awards were conferred upon Van Briggle works by such juries as the Paris Salon, the Saint Louis Exhibition, the Lewis and Clark Centennial, and the Arts & Crafts Exhibition in Boston.

Western Museum of Mining and Industry
Explore Colorado's rich and colorful mining past. Find out what's happening in mining today at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry. The museum's 27-acre site includes four exhibit buildings, outdoor displays and a picnic area. This is a wonderful place to learn to pan for gold and to see how turn-of-the-century miners timbered, drilled, blasted, mucked and moved ore from the mine to the stamp mill, where ore was crushed and processed. If this is not enough, see the actual operation of its multi-ton steam engines, drills, hoists, locomotives, and other carefully restored mining machines. Daily tours, changing exhibits and monthly classes/activities for the whole family make this the “museum that works” and a place to visit often. The Western Museum of Mining and Industry is located at I-25 exit 156A, just east of the USAFA north gate.

As Colorado As it Gets

Witness Nature's Greatest Triumphs...and Her Biggest Mystiques.

Culture and Heritage in Colorado Springs