Take the family on vacation to historic Colorado! Colorado is steeped in heritage tourism and has a ton of historical experiences to offer those seeking to discover the places and activities of the past.
From mining towns to ski towns, reservation land to great mesas and mountains…. Colorado is known for its rugged geography and the characters that shaped it.
A superb place to vacation and get lost in the wild, but also to find yourself. Whether traveling with the family or on your own, Colorado has all kinds of history to whet your explorer appetite.
Colorado Natural History
Dinosaurs and fossils and mountains oh my! Colorado is full of historic places as old as the hills and in some cases, it is the hills! Got a fossil lover in the family? A Colorado vacation is just what the doctor ordered, or the archaeologist!
Be sure to bring your hiking boots and a camera because the rock formations throughout the state are legendary and the mountains, valleys, mesas, and canyons hold historic secrets that legends are made of!
Long before the prospectors and homesteaders, Colorado was busy being epic all on its own. These are just a few of historic sites that will introduce you to the amazing natural history of the state and will give you some great places to stop on your family vacation.
Lindenmeier Site
Rim Rock Drive
Pikes Peak
Dinosaur National Monument
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Museum of Natural History University of Colorado
Cache la Poudre National Heritage area
Chimney Rock
Garden of the Gods Recreation Area
Garden Park Fossil Area
Red Rocks National Park
More resources to plan a family vacation to discover Colorado Natural History:
Native American History in Colorado
Colorado has been inhabited for about 14,000 years before the first European arrived in the area. (Historic enough for ya?) A family vacation they won’t soon forget, travel back in time to discover some of these ancient sites that celebrate and honor the history of Colorado’s first peoples.
The history of the Native people’s of Colorado is fascinating. From Pueblo cliff dwellings to the Ute of the plateau. Kivas to tepee camps, homesteads and masonry. There are a handful of historic sites that let your whole family learn and experience about these vastly different cultures in respectful nd appropriate ways.
Mesa Verde National Park, Cortez
Ute Indian Museum, Montrose
Lowry Ruin, Montezuma County
Ute Council Tree, Delta
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Dolores
Hovenweep National Monument
Plains Conservation Center, Aurora
Yucca House National Monument
Sand Creek Massacre Site, Eads *Note* This is a tough one to see in person and maybe not on the top ten sites for ‘Family Vacation’ but it’s worth the effort and the time as it is a very real part of American history and an important lesson in humanity. Kind like Pearl Harbor, just one of those poignant places every American should see and understand.
Discover Native America
More resources to plan a family vacation to discover Native American history and culture in Colorado:
Colorado Beer History
The History of Beer in America cannot be told without a big fat chapter on Colorado. The first local keg was tapped in 1859. Colorado actually banned alcohol four years before Prohibition but they sure made up for it after the fact. By the 1970’s, beer was big business! HUGE! In most recent history, home brewers have become uber popular and Colorado carries on its proud historical tradition of beer. 360 breweries span the state from the world’s largest brewery to itty bitty nano operations. These are just a few of them…some more historic than others, all available to tour. If there is a beer lover in your family, a vacation stop to see how beer is made and the historic role it played in the wild west is a must.
Coors
Budweiser
Boulder Beer
New Belgium
Oskar Blues
Anheuser-Busch
More resources to plan a family vacation to discover Colorado beer history
Early Historic Colorado
While The American Revolution was being fought in the eastern states, Colorado began its documented history with Spanish and Fanciscan priests arriving and a map being published of the territory. The map became the foundation for the Old Spanish Trail (or as we know it today, the Old Spanish National Historic Trail).
Under pressure from Napoleon Bonaparte, Spain transferred their territory to France in a secret treaty. So you could say that Colorado was full of secrets from the very beginning…from magestic mountains to actual secret dealings. If you love a beautiful road trip as a family vacation, check these out.
The Old Spanish National Historic Trail
Trail of the Ancients Scenic and Historic Byway
More resources to plan a family vacation to discover early historic Colorado:
Historic 1800’s Colorado
The Westward expansion brought explorers, trappers, hunters, and gold miners to Colorado. There are so many amazing little ‘burgs’ hidden throughout Colorado and they each have their own colorful history. I think I’ve been to three I can think of right now where I lived a little bit of my cowboy outlaw fantasy moments. There are historic railroads (I Love a good historic railroad!!) as well as mines to explore, and a few outlaw hideaways and other places of historic significance.
The 1800s is when most of Colorado history is documented and it’s amazing how much is still in tact and used in everyday life. Experiencing historical Colorado doesn’t necessarily mean having got go on tour someplace but rathe recognize the history that is all around you in just being there. In some ways towns, buildings, (and in some case the people themselves) give accurate glimpses into the past and it’s just pretty cool.
Not enough? Need an actual place to go for vacation or historical thing to experience with the family? No problem.
Durango and Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad
Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site
Trujillo Homestead, Mosca
Gold Mine Tour
Glenwood Springs Historical Society
Take a Walking Tour through Historic Boulder Colorado
More resources to plan a family vacation to discover historic 1800’s Colorado:
Historic 1900’s Colorado
History didn’t just stop being made in Colorado once the 1900’s hit. Nope. There are a wide variety of sights to see and things to experience, especially from the early 1900’s.
There are some rather remarkable and super unique sights to see with your family. The Carousel is a work of historic art. The Molly Brown house is a must for titanic fans and the Denver Mint has loads of historic stories to tell (and it’s easier to get into then the mint in DC).
We recommend hitting up at least one of these on your next family vacation. You’ll see how Colorado incorporates their history into their everyday modern life…like at Union Station.
Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel No 6
Lakeside Amusement Park (1908)
Ludlow Tent Colony Site
Denver Mint
Union Station, Denver
Molly Brown House
The Buckhorn Exchange
Shenandoah-Drives Mill
Granada War Relocation Center
US Air Force Academy, Cadet Area
Adventure 101 Series
More resources to plan a family vacation to discover historic 1900’s Colorado:
Historic Outlaws Legends and Icons of Colorado
So one of my favorite ways to experience any place is to learn about the legends outlaws and icons. There is always some epic story and usually more than one side to the tale. And I just love it when there is a chip in stairway or a saddle or a cave… something that just brings those tales to life and blurs the like between history and tall tale.
Colorado boasts several historic outlaws and icons and every one of them has a great story and a place you can visit. I recommend if you visit to learn about these historic guys (and in some cases these girls) you bring a stick on mustache. What is an epic outlaw tale without a great bad guy mustache?
If an outlaw vacation is what your family is craving, here’s your stops and stories!
Saddle up! Here’s where you
Mountain Charley and Mountain Boy’s Saloon
Kit Carson (county, city, man)
Soapy Smith of Denver
Jack Slade (colorado in general)
Butch Cassidy
Tom Horn Boulder
Jane Kirkham
Doc Holiday Glenwood Springs
The Colorado Vampire of Lafayette
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