Local Museums and Attractions

Cripple Creek is a must-see mountain town for its rich historic and cultural heritage!

Cripple Creek stands as one of Colorado’s premier heritage destinations, featuring a wealth of museums, a professional theatre company, a historic narrow-gauge railway, and a free-roaming donkey herd with a unique historic lineage. For a deeper look at this enduring legacy, a short trip to the neighboring town of Victor offers an immersive step into the rugged, authentic heart of mining history.

Butte Theater

Since the town’s early days as a small mining camp, theater has always been a part of the rich heritage of Cripple Creek. Theaters and opera houses have come and gone over the years, but one historical venue that began in the heyday of the gold rush still features exciting and original live…

Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad

In 1967, the Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad started taking passengers on a journey back into gold rush history and into the scenic heart of the Rocky Mountains. With its lovingly restored steam locomotives and historic 1894 station house, the railroad is one of the Gold Camp’s…

Cripple Creek District Museum

Built in 1895 as the Midland Railroad Terminal, the Cripple Creek District Museum has worked to preserve the history of Cripple Creek since 1953. Visitors can browse through a number of historic buildings, including the 1893 Colorado Trading & Transfer building, the turn of the century Assay…

The Cripple Creek Donkeys

The Cripple Creek Donkeys can be found free roaming the city streets from mid-May through mid-October. The herd is cared for by the Two Mile High Club. The Club is made up of volunteers, and all the care costs of the herd are donation based only.From mid-October through mid-May, you can find the…

Cripple Creek Fire Station #3

The Cripple Creek Fire Station #3 was built in 1900 to provide added protection after the city’s two catastrophic fires in 1896, which burned 47 acres of the city and destroyed more than 400 buildings. On display are a number of historic photos displays of firefighting equipment including a…

Cripple Creek Heritage and Information Center

In the late 1800’s thousands of fortune-seekers made their way to Cripple Creek for America’s last great gold rush. The Cripple Creek Heritage Center will get you started on your Cripple Creek journey by using state of the art interactive technology offering a look into gold mining history of…

Outlaws and Lawmen Jail Museum

Housed in the original Teller County Jail, the Outlaws and Lawmen Jail Museum is authentic right down to the 1901 jail cells. There was never a shortage of lawlessness in this rough mining camp, and those caught breaking the law, often did “time” right here in this building. Displays…

The Old Homestead House

The Homestead House, build in 1896, was once the most famous brothel in Cripple Creek. Originally owned and operated by Pearl DeVere, the opulent parlor bustled with activity and became known for impeccable service for high powered customers and glamorous ladies of the evening. At a time when $3…

Victor Lowell Thomas Museum

The Lowell Thomas Museum is located in nearby Victor and celebrates one of the country’s most revered broadcasters. Thomas made his mark in radio journalism in a career that spanned 50 years and took him throughout the world. The museum is housed in a historic, two-story building filled…

Victor’s Gold Camp AG and Mining Museum

This rugged three-story museum does more than showcase tractors, vehicles and old pulleys and equipment–this museum is also a working garage. Visitors can watch a complex system of pulleys and belts that power extremely large machines and equipment that would have been found in a large garage…

Gold Belt Scenic Byway

The Gold Belt Tour is a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway and a National Scenic Byway. Drive the Gold Belt Tour and retrace the historic travel routes connecting Cripple Creek and Victor Mining District, site of the world’s largest gold rush, to the communities of Florence, Cañon City and…

Cripple Creek Adventure Tours

Cripple Creek Adventure Tours is the area’s only full-service tour agency, offering epic day adventures that highlight the BEST of Colorado’s world-class scenery, wildlife, and the Rocky Mountain experience. We offer private group tours, with snacks and beverages included, all for one low price…