Looking to enhance your Pikes Peaks experience? Amp up your knowledge at the best museums in Colorado Springs! With an exciting mining heritage and a passion for arts, sports, and innovation, there’s much more to this mountain city than its extraordinary landscapes.
If history gets you excited, you’ll find it by the bucket load in Colorado Springs. Start at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum for an overview through the ages. Travel through time and into the Ghost Town Museum and McAllister House Museum. Or learn cool facts about the area at Old Colorado City Historical Society & History Center.
But Colorado Springs isn’t a city stuck in the past. Explore new atmospheres at the Space Foundation Headquarters and Discovery Center, experience sporting excellence at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, and check out the mini world of Magic Town.
Not sure where to start? Find new ways to connect with the area with this complete Colorado Springs museum guide!
Looking for more ideas for your trip? Check out our Colorado Travel Guide for more tips & recommendations on when to visit, where to go & what to do on your vacation!
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Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
New to Colorado Springs and not sure where to start? The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum will tell you everything you need to know about the area. The museum’s goal is to share and preserve the heritage of the Pikes Peak Region and will take you on a whirlwind journey through its history.
The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is located in the stunning El Paso County Courthouse, a 1903 building full of elaborate archways and marble columns. It’s the ideal place to store some of Colorado Springs’ most fascinating historical artifacts.
There’s something to capture everyone’s imagination at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, whether you’re interested in geography or women’s rights. Delve into indigenous tribes or understand more about the culture of the region with a huge collection of quilts and pottery.
The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is located in Downtown Colorado Springs. This buzzing neighborhood is home to many of the other must-see museums in the city, including the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum.
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
Discover how far human excellence can reach at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum. It’s one of the world’s most accessible and interactive museums. Using innovative new technology, you’ll learn all about the Olympics and Paralympics and discover the triumphs of the US teams.
There’s a high chance you’ll leave the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum crazy about sport. You’ll get a deep dive into the history of the Olympics, from its humble beginnings in Ancient Greece to its status as a global spectacle. Head to the Hall of Fame, where interactive screens celebrate over 150 sporting legends.
But the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum is much more than educational. Its modern technologies will ignite your passion for sports with immersive exhibits and activities. Try out different sports for yourself, use AI to have a conversation with your hero, go through the athlete training process, and feel the rush of the crowd as you enter the Olympic stadium.
Ghost Town Museum
Live out your wildest Western dreams at the Ghost Town Museum. This model town was created in 1954 to preserve the history of the area and is packed with authentic artifacts from the Pikes Peak Region. There are lots of hands-on activities to help bring history to life, making it the perfect introduction to the charming Old Colorado City neighborhood.
The Ghost Town Museum collected and preserved many of the structures left to rot after the mines were emptied. Now, the buildings stand as they would have done 100 years ago, with plenty of interesting artifacts inside, painting a picture of what life was like back then. The museum itself is a historic structure, once maintaining steam trains on their way to the Golden Cycle Mill.
As you make your way around the Ghost Town Museum, you’ll immerse yourself in times gone by. Churn butter, pan for gold, or play a great choice of antique arcade games.
Penrose Heritage Museum
Dig into more Pikes Peak history at the Penrose Heritage Museum. Spencer and Julie Penrose were two philanthropists living in Colorado Springs who left a huge mark on the city. This museum gives you a peek into their lives with a huge collection of their personal artifacts.
One of the coolest things in the Penrose Heritage Museum is its transportation collection. Check out 30 different carriages belonging to the Penroses and 15 race cars used to compete in the famous Race to the Clouds. This makes it a great place to visit if you’re into motorsports, vintage design, or the evolution of transportation.
Thanks to the Penroses, top Colorado Springs tourist attractions like Pikes Peak Auto Highway, The Fine Arts Center, and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo exist today. Learn more about their lives and intense passion for the local community with a huge collection of artifacts, historic photographs, and film footage.
The Michael Garman Museum & Gallery
Whether you love art or history, cowboys or firefighters, make sure you visit The Michael Garman Museum & Gallery. Michael Garman hand-produces sculptures of American heroes, and this unique museum has over 500 reproductions of his work.
For over 50 years, Michael Garman has found inspiration in the diversity and resilience of the human spirit. As well as your typical heroes like soldiers, The Michael Garman Museum & Gallery celebrates modern-day heroes like teachers, law enforcement, and aviators.
All reproductions are handmade in the Garman building. Admire the intricate detail and the talent that went into creating these mini superstars. In fact, they’ve attracted the attention of everyone, from Hollywood stars to former US presidents.
You get two in one at The Michael Garman Museum & Gallery, as it’s also home to Magic Town. It’d be criminal to skip this adorable miniature town while you’re here.
Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum
For any motorcycle lover, the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum will be top of the list. The museum hosts a big selection of motorcycles and will give you a thorough look at the history of the sport and hobby. But with lots of fun memorabilia diving into motorcycle culture, this is a fun visit for anyone interested in design, branding, and vintage fun.
The best part of the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum is its epic collection spanning 70 years of motorcycle production. Marvel at 75 classic and antique motorcycles, including greats like Harley-Davidson and Mustang.
Celebrate the incredible heritage and culture born out of these two-wheeled champions. See how it was captured with a wonderful selection of photographs, artwork, and fine prints, not to mention all the funky memorabilia showing how motorcycles shaped the worlds of fashion, travel, and design. Admire banners, trophies, clothing, accessories, and sidecars, all capturing the world of motorcycling.
McAllister House Museum
The McAllister House Museum is a chance to see a huge piece of Colorado Springs heritage. The McAllister family had a big impact on the city, so much so that their former home is the oldest building left here. A visit to the house gives you a chance to immerse yourself in 19th-century living and learn more about this influential family.
The McAllister family left their mark across the area. Major Henry McAllister had a huge role in the founding of the city, and he also helped establish Colorado College. His wife Matilda led the way for feminism as the first woman in Colorado Springs to drive her own car.
The McAllisters built this charming English-style cottage themselves in 1873. Now, the McAllister House Museum is a chance to get an authentic look at their lives, with their bedrooms in their original state.
Old Colorado City Historical Society & History Center
Get even more history at the Old Colorado City Historical Society & History Center. The museum specializes in the early settlers in Colorado City and El Paso County. If you’re interested in unique stories from generations ago or have an interest in city development, you’ll have a great time checking out the exhibits here.
You’ll learn fun, lesser-known facts about the city, the perfect ice breaker for your new travel friends. (For example, did you know the workers used to take a shortcut home by sliding down the cog railway?)
But it’s not all facts and stories: There are lots of interesting artifacts and photos to enhance your experience. The staff knows the history of the city inside out and will get you passionate about everything Old Colorado City.
The Old Colorado City Historical Society & History Center is inside an 1890 First Baptist church, making it a super cool location to dive into the area’s history. You might even get to ring the church bell!
Magic Town
Take a one-way ticket to Magic Town. This miniature city is a chance to get stuck into 20th-century urban life. Everything is on a 1:6 scale, including hundreds of mini-characters spread across elaborate handmade buildings.
Michael Garman created Magic Town based on his own experiences from vagabonding across North America and South America. Explore realistic alleyways of exciting new neighborhoods. Check out the pool hall, stop at the bar, and watch a movie playing at the theatre.
Magic Town has a modern twist, with fun holograms and illusions spicing up your experience. To really get involved with the stories of the characters on the ground, take part in the scavenger hunt. You’ll have to use your keen eye for detail to answer all the questions, and if you get them right, you get to take home some candy.
Fine Arts Center
Art lovers and culture vultures should check out the Fine Arts Center. This multi-purpose venue captures all forms of creativity. Across the 1.6-acre site, you’ll find a museum, art school, music room, and library.
Why not start with the 20,000 pieces of art in the museum? Delve into the regional creative scene with a big collection of contemporary art from the Southwest and the Americas. You’ll also get a taste of Native American, Hispanic, and Spanish colonial artwork.
If you want to catch a show during your stay in Colorado, why not see what’s on at the theater? The theater hosts top musicals, dramas, and comedies, and they often premiere new work.
Perhaps the Fine Arts Center has sparked your own creativity. Put it to good use at the art school. While most of their courses are longer, they have a varied choice of one-off classes on everything from water marbling to ceramics.
Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation
The Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation is an adorable stop on your tour of the top Colorado Springs museums. This one is all about the Pikes Peak region’s street railways. As well as a cool history lesson, you can admire the collection of vintage street cars. You’ll even get to ride one for yourself!
The museum is inside the 1888 Rock Island Railroad Roundhouse. This historic building was used to repair locomotives from the Rock Island Railroad, a fitting destination for a streetcar museum.
Wander through the Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation and explore the different wooden trolley cars in the complex. They’re at various stages of repair, so you’ll get a live look at the restoration process.
Or why not check out the mini version? There are lots of model streetcars to check out, and even a model railway. Wrap up your visit with a short ride on one of their electric streetcars.
Space Foundation Headquarters and Discovery Center
Reach for the stars at the Space Foundation Headquarters and Discovery Center. This cool science museum is packed with out-of-this-universe fun and gives you an education on all things space. Through its fun, interactive activities, learn about the history of space exploration and all the cool science that goes into it.
At the Space Foundation Headquarters and Discovery Center, you’ll get stuck into every aspect of space travel. Step back to 1969, when Neil Armstrong made one huge leap for mankind. Then, learn how the space shuttle became possible as you design and test your own space plane.
Put yourself in an astronaut’s shoes, with an Xray of Apollo A7-L Spacesuit Boots and a chance to “dress the astronaut.” You can even look at the food they eat while they’re in space.
Space travel has touched every aspect of our lives. Find out how exploring the galaxies made everyday technology like Velcro and Teflon possible.
