There are many historic downtown areas you will want to visit in Colorado. While each has a special place in history, each has its own vibe, so you will want to include all three of them when visiting the state. There are many exciting things to do in these areas.
Cripple Creek
When you arrive in downtown Cripple Creek, the first thing you might notice are the beautifully restored Victorian buildings. The downtown area was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Many of those buildings are occupied by casinos, but there is much more to do in the downtown area. The Cripple Creek Museum helps visitors connect with the first miners who settled here along with seeing some of the minerals taken from nearby mines. Visitors can also see plays in the Butte Theater.
Denver’s Downtown
There is a lot of rich history in Denver’s downtown that you can explore during your visit. The Denver Botanic Garden is a great place to stroll through nature during the spring and summer months. You will be amazed when you view the interactive exhibits on wildlife, space, and history at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Antique lovers will be thrilled with a visit to over 100 antique shops on South Broadway. Sports enthusiasts will want to root for the home team when visiting Coors Field. Many events and exhibitions occur at the Colorado Convention Center. Denver’s Dairy Block, the lovely retirement community that used to be Windsor Dairy is a great place to stroll and imagine the way it was when raw milk and unpasteurized cheese was brought by local residents.
San Luis
The oldest continually inhabited city in Colorado is San Luis. Despite the fact that this city has only about 750 people, there are many fun things to do in downtown San Luis. You will want to see the unique exhibits outside the San Luis Cultural Center that explain about this city’s development before this part of Colorado was even part of the United States. You will also want to go trinket hunting at the R&R Market that has been open since 1857. If you appreciate architecture, then you will want to see the Most Precious Blood Catholic Church with its unique spiral steeple that was constructed in 1886. The 13 stations of the cross are beautifully represented in bronze statues. You will also want to take the Grotto Trail to see the statues of early Spanish settlers. There are many great nearby museums to visit.
While many communities see their downtown areas dying, these three Colorado communities prove that downtown areas can still be a great place to visit.
Here are a couple other travel and vacation articles we think you’ll like: