This beautiful, elevated city features attractions for all ages
Colorado Springs, an enchanting city at the base of the Rocky Mountains, offers many trails, parks, events and entertainment venues to enjoy. With more than 60 area attractions, including trains, museums, parks, a zoo and more, groups will find no shortage of things to do in Colorado Springs.
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum is set to open in spring 2020, allowing visitors to relive triumphant events like the 1980 Miracle on Ice and see treasured items like Olympic torches and medals from past Olympic Games. The 60,000-square-foot building cost $90 million to build and showcases the journey of the Olympic Games from its birth in ancient Olympia to the current Team USA. The museum will be one of the most accessible in the world, with a wide variety of high-tech exhibits and will feature artifacts, media and technology to commemorate the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
USOM Vermijo – credit – image courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center
Public tours of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, which hosts more than 500 training athletes, are provided year-round. The tours feature an inspiring 12-minute film followed by a 45-minute walk around the training facilities. After the tour, visitors can check out the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Rotunda, shop over at the Team USA Store and explore the art exhibitions. Some highlights near the center include the Manitou Incline, which is an extreme trail that gains nearly 2,000 feet of elevation over less than one mile. It is perhaps the most unique and challenging trail in the country, attracting runners, military, Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hiking enthusiasts from around the world. Another fabulous attraction is Garden of the Gods Park, which is one of the most incredible geological wonders of the world. The park is a unique melting pot where the grasslands of the Great Plains meet the pinyon-juniper woodlands characteristic of the American Southwest and merge with the mountain forest of the 14,115-foot Pikes Peak. The park is home to 15 miles of trails and is a great place to hike, bike and horseback ride.
Flying W Ranch Chuckwagon Dinner & Western Show
A Colorado Springs tourist attraction that has been around since 1953, the Flying W Ranch Chuckwagon Dinner & Western Show celebrates a working mountain cattle ranch that is rich in fun and history. The Ranch serves outdoor chuckwagon suppers from May to October that are reminiscent of the 20th century practice of meals being served on cattle drives.
Flying W Ranch Chuckwagon Dinner & Western Show
The historic ranch western living area is full of history for visitors to experience and for musical entertainment, the Flying W Wranglers hold the title as the second longest-running western performance band in the world. Other entertainment options include animals on the ranch, many of whom guests can pet; hiking trails that provide both a great hike and fantastic scenery; and Old Western demonstrations including Navajo rug weaving, silversmithing, horseshoeing and hat making.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo aims to create memorable and educational experiences for visitors of all ages. USA Today rated The Zoo No. 6 in all of North America. Experience a zoo like no other, on a mountainside overlooking Colorado Springs. Discover more than 30 species of endangered animals. Interact with the giraffes and don’t miss the chance to hand-feed them. Soar over your favorite animal exhibits and take in breathtaking views of the city below on the Mountaineer Sky Ride. In Fall of 2020, the zoo will open the Water’s Edge: Africa exhibit. This exhibit will feature new homes for Nile hippos and African penguins who face threatening difficulties in the wild. Guests will also get to view these animals going about their daily lives in an environment that is comfortable and accommodating for them to live in.
United States Air Force Academy Planetarium
Unique educational, entertaining and engaging experiences for groups are offered at the United States Air Force Academy Planetarium. With 4,000 cadets and 30 programs of study, the Academy Planetarium has been providing professional training to cadets since 1954. Visitors can watch the free public shows on the domed ceiling. Hiking and biking trails are publicly accessible and well cared for. Visitors may go on hiking trails during designated visiting hours. One third of a mile of the paved nature trail east of the facility allows visitors to walk to the Cadet Chapel, a highlighted part of the Academy’s great campus.
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