This is truly a hidden gem - make sure to come here when you visit EP! The tours are given by…read moreexcellent volunteers that add their own personal touches and favorite stories to their speeches. The house is so well-preserved and full of actual items from when the MacGregor's lived on the ranch; items are not just of the period but their actual belongings, which is really special to experience. Get a taste for the homestead life while enjoying a beautiful mountain backdrop!

Cost: $5 (for 18(+) y/o). Value: limitless…read more Steve, Sally, Rita, and the wonderful lady at the gift shop--all volunteers on this working, living ranch/museum--made our group's visit spectacular. Take your kids! Check out the place that served as Estes Park's first Post Office, and much more. You'll find a gift shop, organic garden (weeded by hand), well-preserved home, outhouse, old farm machinery (with descriptions), a blacksmith shop, and more. Did I mention the mountain backdrop? Fabulous! Get out there! Thanks to the volunteers making the ranch such a great, enjoyable learning experience.

This rock shop is large and well stocked. It was clean and organized. I could have spent a lot of…read moretime browsing and lolly-gagging but we had places to be. Walking out of the back of the shop was a really picturesque (picture included) view of the mountains and river. It was so soothing. I was able to score some small stones to add to my collection for a fair price. I will say that the cashier was friendly enough. I would definitely come back.

This IS the place to go if you are looking for larger rocks and crystals! They do not sell a good…read morevariety of jewelry related items, but they have the most AMAZING selection of geodes, HUGE rocks, decorative rocks, and pocket sized rocks/crystals. They offer a really good value! Highly suggest this place if you are looking for rocks and/or crystals.

A hidden gem in Estes Park! Very easy to miss since it is off the beaten trail but is well worth a…read morequick visit to help round out your EP experience. The museum is free but has been shut recently to the public, likely due to the ongoing COVID crisis. Come learn about the influential Stanley family and how they shaped Estes Park forever!

Knowledgeable guide explained the hydro-electric generators and later diesel generator. All…read moremachines and artifacts are in (good) as-installed and as-used condition. A must-see for the mechanically inclined.

This was such a cool stop during our visit to Estes Park. We failed to plan far enough ahead to get…read moreon the list but managed to attend the monthly open house. It was really neat!

Absolutely awesome and educational visit to the observatory. Mike was both intelligent and…read morehumorous. It wasn't the best conditions for viewing but we still had a great evening. Two guest astronomers - Dave and Jesse were awesome too. Thanks Mike!!!

There are dead butterflies in a living space... This clearly was not intended…read more The wall hangings and photos are not "creepy", they actually come off pretty tacky here, in all honesty. The coolest thing about this area of the Stanley for me was seeing the historical items that have been preserved. Not scary, just something mildly entertaining to take up about 5 minutes of your day.

The Stanley museum, from what we can gather, consists of a bunch of memorabilia tossed into the…read morebasement of the Stanley Hotel. There is a fish tank with two trout. There was a butterfly exhibit, but now it is just a glass cabinet with some plants in it. There are photos of famous folk who have been to the Stanley. Like Bob Dylan... who knew? Plus, the digital photo display of all the ghost photos taken in the hotel over the years. Uber creepy. If you are staying at the Stanley, or are here early for the ghost tour, it won't hurt to check out the "museum", but this is not a destination stop. Price is right, though: free.

This is my favorite glass shop in Estes Park! The staff is helpful and knowledgeable. The glass…read moreblowing demonstrations are really interesting as well. My favorite glass pieces have come from this shop and I highly recommend stopping by.

This is a super cute little artsy shop in the Estes Park area, full of glass-blown pieces - you…read morewill want to buy all of them! The glass blowers are actually working at this shop and you can see them creating all the glass pieces they have for sale, which is extra neat and makes it a little extra special. If you're a fan of local artists, glasswork, or just want a really cool souvenir from your Colorado trip, this is definitely a good place to stop!

You can't miss this classic towering building if you drive into town via Hwy. 36. You are right…read morebeside it. A family-run business, it anchors the Riverwalk. As I ate @ a Park Theater Cafe' patio table next door, I noted that people glanced & then passed it by ~ obviously Shoppers lol. But I was drawn to it like a magnet, as I am attracted to the rare gems of yesteryear that won't last forever. I walked into the Lobby & proceeded to marvel @ this "museum" & take photos. A quiet young man came out & I peppered him with ?s & compliments. I assumed he was the Owners' Grandson? Note the antique player piano & Bar offering Beer, Wine, & Liquor, in my photos. The interior of the theater seems small, but seats 225. If you have a nostalgic bone, check it out!

4/26/25-As a historian I love old buildings and this is a unique part of Colorado history. At the…read moresame time trying to make old buildings meet modern needs has to been done if you want them to be usable to the public. First thing is that the building is not ADA friendly. The only bathrooms the had open during Bigfoot Days were down some stairs. No elevator access or ground floor bathrooms. So if you have mobility devices or walking issues this is not a place for you. Also even the 'updated' seats are not American size. I say this because a lot of Americans are overweight and if you have any weight on you, you are squished in the chairs. A lot would need to be done to make the building friendly for all which I understand would be a huge expense. I hope the city helps put some money into this place so that it would be good for city sponsored events.

While visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, I spent some time in Estes Park after each day in the…read morepark. You have to go through this town to get to a couple of the park entrances. I grabbed dinner at a few restaurants and spent some time in Stanley Park. The view of Lake Estes from the park is stunning. The downtown area in Estes Park has a number of restaurants and retail stores. For activities, there is an Aerial Tramway to Prospect Mountain's summit or you can jump on a jeep tour. If you love outdoor activities, this is a great place to visit. Sadly, there was a huge wildfire going on when I was here that caused a lot of smoke. But overall, Estes Park is a great town to visit and has lots to do.

The downtown is full of shops and mass amounts of people who capitalize off tourism from those…read morevisiting Rocky Mountain National Park. The shops sell stuff to the tourists and it's basically all souvenirs. We had ice cream and it was mediocre. The service is horrible here in general. I don't know what it is, but I think it's because the employees seem to be seasonal workers that really don't care. I also got the vibe that many locals hate tourism from the National Park so you get a mix of experiences from those businesses that truly care about your experience and others that don't at all and are annoyed by the amount of tourists in their town. The crosswalks in downtown go straight and horizontal so every now and then you get crossing guards yelling that you can now cross in all directions. The downtown doesn't have enough parking so it's hard to find a spot to park.

Unfortunately not open this season to visits/tours, but still a nice area to come and explore the…read moreoutside and nearby walking path. There are a few parking spots near the hydroplant to allow you to stay and explore a while.

My spouse and I discovered the Historic Fall River Hydroplant last year but it was after they'd…read moreclosed for the season, so we made a mental note to check it out while they were open this year. We finally made our way up to Estes last week and took a tour. I really wish that I could remember our guide's name but I just plain don't; he was an older gentleman who said he was an electrical engineer and worked with electronics. Really friendly guy, very excited to be talking about the hydroplant and the history of Estes Park. The tour is REALLY worth it but you gotta make sure to go when they're operating as they close down for the colder months. We has a blast and learned things we didn't know before. Our tour guide really knew his stuff and I already mentioned how friendly he was. The museum itself is really fun and you get to see stuff that you don't normally get to. I've told both my dad and sister to go check it out sometime and I expect we'll be making a tour again next year.