Staycations & Vacations
Old West attractions to enjoy in your home state and in the wild West beyond.
By: Meghan Saar 03/01/2009
DENVER, CO
From Gold Camp to Paris on the Platte: Take guided tours of historic Denver—view Mattie Silk’s House of Mirrors, Union Station and Larimer Square, the state’s first historic district.
U.S. Mint: Prospectors first came here to change gold into coins, and it officially opened as a mint office in 1906; free tours share how ore becomes treasury coins.
Elitch Gardens: Elitch’s Zoological Gardens opened in 1890; it featured plays at its theatre in 1897; and its first rollercoaster accepted riders in 1904—you can still ride on the theme park’s 1928 carousel.
Pioneer Denver: Two pioneer Denver families are remembered at the Byers-Evans House Museum, while a toy collection dating from the 16th century is housed at the Pearce-McAllister 1899 Cottage and local history is shared at the Colorado History Museum.
Unsinkable Survivor: The Molly Brown House Museum pays tribute to the survivor of the 1912 sinking of the Titanic in her 1894 home, which offers exhibits and events focused on the Victorian era.
Near Denver:
Golden (16 miles west) celebrates the life of Wild West showman Buffalo Bill Cody at the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, located on Lookout Mountain.
Platteville (35 miles north) offers the Fort Vasquez Museum, an 1835 fur trading post replica sharing the life of settlers and traders along the South Platte Basin.
Georgetown (48 miles west) brings you an engineering marvel originally built in 1884, the Georgetown Loop Railroad, which connects this burg to Silver Plume.
Greeley (51 miles northeast) is home to Centennial Village, featuring 1860s-1920s life, while local history is shared at the downtown museum and the Meeker Home, built in 1870 for the city founder.
Leadville (104 miles southwest) answers your questions about the city’s yesteryears at the 1879 Dexter cabin and the 1878 home of August Meyer, now called the Healy House Museum.
Steamboat Springs (169 miles northwest) shares its cowtown heritage—and the story of outlaw Harry Tracy—at the Tread of Pioneers Museum, and offers a walking tour of some of the city’s thermal springs.
Kit Carson once commanded Fort Garland (211 miles southwest), the state’s oldest military post, established in 1858, and today a living history museum.
Pike’s Stockade, reconstructed to look like it did in 1806-07, when Zebulon Pike wintered here, is found in Sanford (256 miles southwest).
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