Colorado Springs Travel Attractions with No Admission Charge - Page 2

Cripple Creek and Victor

     Cripple Creek is a tiny town now that was once a bustling gold mining area. Enjoy the scenery on the drive from Colorado Springs. Once known mostly for its mining history, Cripple Creek is now also known for its casinos. Gambling was legalized in three former mining towns in Colorado in 1990. Central City and Blackhawk, both west of Denver, and Cripple Creek, about an hours drive west of Colorado Springs, were the three towns that were allowed to develop casino gambling. Ignacio and Towaoc have Native American run casinos. If you go to Cripple Creek, you will see the town has tried to maintain its history and has kept many of its historical buildings. You can see the Cripple Creek District Museum, the Cripple Creek Heritage Center (a visitor center and museum), the Heritage House Museum (a museum of a former brothel), and the Outlaws and Lawmen Jail Museum. And if you take the short drive to Victor, another gold mining town, you can go to the Lowell Thomas Museum. Cripple Creek is also the home of the Molly Kathleen Mine which provides tours for a fee.
Pay the fare and you can ride the Cripple Creek-Victor Railroad. Click here for pictures of the Cripple Creek area. Cripple Creek's website is http://www.visitcripplecreek.com. Victor's website is http://www.victorcolorado.com.

The United States Air Force Academy

     The United States Air Force Academy is located at the base of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains just off I-25 in the north part of Colorado Springs. The Visitors' Center is open from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., except on major holidays. Here you will be able to get maps of the Academy, see exhibits, learn about cadet life, purchase gifts in the gift shop and get a bite to eat in the snack bar. The Academy is usually opened to the public, but since this is an active military base, depending on security levels, it might not be available for public use. One of the most popular locations on the campus is the Cadet Chapel. This beautiful chapel is open from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sunday it is open from 1:00 p.m. through 5:00 p.m. The Cadet Chapel is closed to the public if weddings, funerals, or other private services are scheduled, so you might want to call to make sure it will be open when you wish to visit. That website for the Chapel is http://www.usafa.edu/hc/visitors.cfm. Also, it should be noted that the academy is quite hilly and the walk from the Cadet Chapel to the parking area is uphill and may be a difficult walk for some people. If you want to see the Cadets marching in formation, check the website for times and more information. The website is http://www.usafa.af.mil/information/visitors/ and the phone is 719.333.2025.

The United States Olympic Training Center

     The United States Olympic Training Center is located in the center of the city at 1750 E. Boulder St. in Colorado Springs. The training center has a Visitor's Center and offers guided tours beginning at 9:00 a.m., with the last tour starting a 4:30 p.m. in the summer. Winter hours differ and are shorter, so you'll need to check their website listed below if you are visiting in other months. There are no tours on Sunday. Tours are available Monday through Saturday, every half hour during June and July. The center is closed all day on Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Day. Tours include visiting various training, coaching, aquatics, and sports medicine facilities. A gift shop is available and your purchases go to support Olympic athletes. The United States Olympic Training Center website is http://teamusa.org/content/index/1377.

Van Briggle Pottery

     Van Briggle Pottery is a reknown pottery company that has been a part of the Colorado Springs arts for nearly a century. It just moved to a new location at 1024 South Tejon Street, so you should check their website at http://www.vanbriggle.com/ for more information.