This was my favorite mineral spring in Manitou because of the sculpture, the interesting way we…read morefound it, and it just says "magic" to me. We only found 4 out of the 8 springs in town, but that's because we were walking around in snow and it was getting late. Prior to finding this spring (by accident) - This particular spring makes a high pitch noise that I mistook for birds screeching, so we walked over to investigate, and here it was! We also found the Shoshone Spring (not working), Cheyenne Spring and the Navajo Spring. All of these springs have their own stories. According to the Mineral Springs Foundation, this particular spring was named after Winfried Scott Stratton, who struck it rich with gold in the early 1900's. When he died he left his fortune of several millions of dollars to indigent children and the elderly. "On February 21, 1936, at a depth of 283 feet, sparkling soda water was struck flowing at 25 gallons per minute. Today, Stratton Spring stands as one of Manitou's iconic mineral spring assets along its downtown corridor, ensuring Winfield Scott Stratton's legacy. (from Mineral Springs Foundation webpage)" The water here is sparkling, but not as salty as the Cheyenne Spring. It had the mildest taste of all the springs in town and the sodium, potassium and calcium content here was less than all of the other springs.

You will find this natural spring right on the Manitou Springs strip near the traffic circle. It…read morenot only serves as a spring but is also has a nice sculpture on it. The bronze sculpture depicts a lady, known as "the maiden of the water", bending over. The statue is on a semicircular pedestal and under a semi-circular pergola. It is a very nice spring set-up and draws you to the spring. The statue, spring, and little plaza area that it is located could use a little TLC and is in need of some maintenance. It is still operational, but just needs some attention. The spring is named in honor of Winfield Scott Stratton, who became the region's first self-made millionaire in 1891, after discovering a huge payload of 1.3 million ounces of gold. In 1936 his Foundation drilled the Spring in his honor after his untimely death in 1902. The spring flows at about 25 gallons per minute and appeared to having air coming out with the water as evident from its hissing. It has a seltzer water taste, and this and water from the other springs are rumored to have healing properties. The water is an acquired taste, but drinkable. This is not a very long stop and is one of many springs in the area. This is something that you would probably just stumble across and not a destination. There is metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance from here but I recommend combining a stop here with other activities like a visit to the tourist strip, with shops and restaurants, that it is located. The good news is that you can fill your water bottles here as well as look at a nice piece of street art. It is definitely worth a look if you are in the area.

This is an amazing collection of kinetic sculptures. It does however, seem to be out of place…read moresitting in the front yard of a residential home. My HOA would have a fit. There is free parking along the street. I just ended up parking across the street in a little dirt area. The sculptures are the work of Starr Kemph, who took his own life in 1995. The home that they sit in front of is his former home. Since it is a home and the sculptures are behind a fence around the yard, you cannot get very close to them. You can still get a decent view of them from outside the fence though. There used to me more of the sculptures in the yard but they were moved to the ENT Center for the Arts on the University of Colorado Campus in Colorado Springs on an extended loan, after complaints from neighbors and some members of Kemph's estate. The three removed sculptures were titled, Sunrise Serenade, Metronome, and Space Needle. I visited on a windy day and the sculptures were in full effect. There are a few birds, and other abstract spire sculptures to view. They do ask that visitors be respectful when visiting the site as to not draw more attention to the sculptures and cause a nuisance that would result in increase calls from neighbors to have more pieces removed. They are a site to see and are beautiful as they move in the wind. These massive pieces of stainless-steel tower into the sky and are hard to ignore, ranging from 30 to 50 feet tall. They demand your attention. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 10 minutes. I recommend making this stop part of a larger itinerary or checking it out if you are in the area and/or on your way somewhere else, to maximize your time. The Figure Skating Hall of fame is just around the corner from here.

These are some pretty enormous whimsical kinetic sculptures!…read more The sculptures are on the private property at the corner of Pine Grove Ave & Evans Ave. On the front lawn you can see a number of the steel wind sculptures. Since this is a residence, you will view them from the street. There is no parking available that I saw. There is a parking lot for hiking trails that I parked in. Then I walked across Evans Ave. very carefully. People like to speed on that road. Starr Kempf was an architect, engineer, welder, teacher and artist. He died in 1995 by taking his own life. In an interview I saw, he said he wanted all his sculptures to remain on his lawn for all to see. Some time after Kempf's dath, his daughter gave tours. Due to a lot of people coming to view these sculptures, some of the other wards of the artist's estate and neighbors were not happy about it. The city came and removed some of the sculptures with the permission of one of Kempf's relatives, although his daughter protested. Three of these sculptures are: Sunrise Serenade, Metronome, and Space Needle. They are on display at the ENT Center for the Arts (5225 N. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, Colorado) on the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs campus. I should have driven over there to view them! They will be on display there until 2034. I had come to Manitou Springs from Denver and made a quick detour. This is just south of CO Springs. Some of the sculptures in the yard are a little hard to see with the trees obstructing the view! You can still see well enough because they are between 30-50 feet tall! It's worth the drive out if you are somewhat nearby.

If you are near Manitou Springs area, I would recommend visiting the Dwellings. It's self guided…read moreonce you pay the entrance fee. There are small informational signs around the area to let you know more about what you are looking at or you can download the auto tour. The Pueblo building holds pottery, photos, and artifacts. There is a very large gift shop. Bathrooms are located in that building as well.

After finishing the tours at Cave of the Winds Mountain Park, I decided to stop right next door at…read morethe Manitou Cliff Dwellings, and I'm so glad I did. The cliff dwellings are incredible to see up close. They're modeled after ancient Ancestral Puebloan structures (often associated with Southwest tribes like the Navajo), and walking through them really gives you a sense of how people lived long ago. One thing that stood out to me was seeing how small the doorways and rooms were -- it really shows how much shorter people were back then! What I loved most was the self-guided audio tour you can use on your phone. As you walk through, you just select the number for each section and it explains the history and significance of that area. It was super informative and easy to follow, and I liked being able to go at my own pace. I love history, so being able to take my time and really listen made the experience even better. The gift shop is huge and honestly impressive. They had beautiful handmade items inspired by Native American craftsmanship, along with the usual souvenirs like stickers, books, and t-shirts. But they also had unique items like jewelry, coffee, honey, and so many locally inspired pieces. It's basically a full building packed with things to browse. Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this stop. It was educational, interesting, and worth the time. I would definitely come back -- and I might bring my husband next time when he has a day off. If you love history, this is a must-stop when you're in the area.

Old Colorado city is amazing!!! It's super pretty and theirs amazing stores and everything if you…read morego to Colorado you must stop here it's so pretty!!

Super cute and historic neighborhood! A must visit if you come to Colorado Springs…read more There are a bunch of mom and pop shops, desserts, parks, and even vintage shops. We found a couple souvenirs to take home with us and our loved ones for a wonderful price. Highly recommend!!!

Great local museum detailing the history and life of Colorado Springs and its environs…read more The museum has a variety of exhibits which tackle this from a variety of angles -- famous authors, local Native Americans, the Springs as a tuberculosis treatment center, pottery art, women's art, local tattoo art, the history of the city by decade, the history of a lost Latino neighborhood, etc. All is curated and presented in an interesting fashion -- there was some but very little of the "We don't have a lot to say about this person, so here's random biographical detail filler" sort of local museum content. The breadth of presentation extended to a potpourri "A-to-Z" exhibit with bits of info about a wide variety of topics (did you know that Lon Chaney was from Colorado Springs?). We easily spent three hours touring the exhibits, and I count the time well spent. The building is the former El Paso county courthouses and offices, and is truly lovely. One of the courtrooms has been preserved as an exhibit. Staff was friendly. Admission is free (though donations are encouraged).

Amazing museum! They cover everything about Colorado Springs' history. I was a little worried…read morebecause the name didn't sound like it would tell the full history of Colorado Springs. I'm very glad it exceeded my expectations. The tour guide Leah was amazing and very helpful in facilitating the tour. She answered every question and encouraged us to press for more information on specific groups in the Springs. I am taking my kids there soon.

It was closed when we visited March 2024 (also snowing). Apparently there are 8 natural springs in…read moreManitou Springs, and each spring has it's own distinct flavor. We only found four of them - Shoshone, Navajo, Cheyenne and Stratton. It's a bit magical to find spring water pouring out of the earth for you to drink, but not so much as this fountain. I'm still rating it a good 4-stars. It's probably open when it's not freezing, is my guess. Close to this spring is the Navajo (in a restaurant area) and Cheyenne (off the main strip), and those were working.

A good attraction! A great location! It appears that it can be a hangout for vagrants though!read more

This is a fantastic space! I've driven by lots of times, but had the opportunity to take a tour of…read morethe space recently. From local art galleries, to indigo dye classes, to a cafe...this space has it al! One thing I was particularly interested in was their membership model. Local artists can pay for a monthly membership and have access to all sorts of tools needed for creation. Additionally they have multiple spaces open to community use! This would be a great space to check out if you're looking for meeting space. This space is really interesting and a great addition to Manitou Springs!

Small art center which doubled as a venue for classical chamber music. The program was done by the…read moreEpic Community Center. A pleasant evening concert. Room was a little warm but had good acoustics.

What an awesome concept for a store! Walking around and seeing all the different art was so much…read morefun. I'm in need of a couple of pieces for my house, so now that I've found this fun little spot tucked away in Manitou, I will know exactly where to come. I love supporting local as much as I possibly can. The more we can all get away from Amazon shopping the better. But I digress. This is truly a shop you need to find yourself stopping at if you're in Manitou, you won't be disappointed!

I LOVE this gem of a shop in Manitou Springs, CO. It's an artist co-op so not only are you…read moresupporting local artists but since it's not a gallery I find the prices are really reasonable and more within my price range. I typically stop in here once during every visit to the area and always find something fun to take home as a souvenir.

Love this place during Halloween and Christmas. They do a fun scavenger hunt that really makes you…read morelook in each little nook to ensure you're seeing everything. We go every year and always look forward to it!

A really nice and alternative museum which has been a staple in OCC for many years. Glad they were…read moreable to continue to remain in business for so many years and offer a different slice of Americana to locals and visitors alike! A great little place to take refuge from inclement weather when visiting or to bring out of town guests, a scavenger hunt was available during Xmas 2025 to further engage visitors, great idea that could be pushed even further with a small memento for hunters at completion Overall great family fun!