Things To Do in Estes Park
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Estes Park Attractions
- Historic Site
Enos Mills Homestead Cabin
This 1885 cabin and homestead belonged to the late-19th- and early-20th-century conservationist Enos A. Mills, a major force behind the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park. A short walk down a nature trail brings you to the cabin, still owned by his descendants, with… - Ride
Estes Park Aerial Tramway
This tram, which climbs 1,100 vertical feet in less than 5 minutes, offers a ride up the side of Prospect Mountain and provides panoramic views of Longs Peak, the Continental Divide, and Estes Park itself. You’ll find a gift shop, a snack bar, and an observation deck at the upper… - Museum
Estes Park Museum
The exploits and challenges of pioneers are chronicled at this interesting museum. Exhibits cover the last 10,000 years of the area's history, from the depths of the Ice Age to the 20th century. Nearby, the Knoll-Willows Open Space holds the ruins of a cabin and other long-abandoned… - Museum
MacGregor Ranch Museum
This living-history attraction offers a look back at the ranching heritage of Estes Park with a number of perfectly preserved structures, including the 1896 ranch house, now a museum. But this is still a working cattle ranch, allowing visitors an up-close look at the hard work that…
Estes Park Shopping
Elkhorn Avenue is the main shopping area in Estes Park, and this is also where you'll find public restrooms and free parking lots. Among the notable galleries and gift shops are those in the Old Church Shops, 157 W. Elkhorn Ave. (tel. 970/586-5860; www.churchshops.com). Also worth looking for are The Glassworks, 323 W. Elkhorn Ave. (tel. 970/586-8619), a gallery and studio with fascinating glass-blowing demonstrations; Serendipity Trading Company, 117 E. Elkhorn Ave. (tel. 800/832-8980 or 970/586-8410; www.serendipitytrading.com), traders in American Indian arts and crafts; and Trendz, 100 E. Elkhorn Ave. (tel. 970/577-0831; www.trendzestespark.com), a contemporary home decor shop that gave downtown Estes Park's retail scene a much-needed shot of the upscale.
The Cultural Arts Council of Estes Park, 304 E. Elkhorn Ave. (P.O. Box 4135), Estes Park, CO 80517 (tel. 970/586-9203; www.estesarts.com), has a fine art gallery featuring changing exhibits of works by nationally recognized artists, as well as exhibits on loan from private collections and museums. The council sponsors an Art in Public Places series (call for details) and a film festival, and hosts Art Walks -- self-guided tours of galleries, artists' studios, special exhibits, and events throughout the area. The Art Walks take place in mid-May, June through Labor Day, late September, and early December; maps are available. The council also sponsors an outdoor performance series, Thursday Night Live, not too surprisingly held Thursday nights at 7pm from June through August at Estes Park's Performance Park (on the west side of downtown). Events, which are free or have a nominal admission fee, start at 7pm and offer classical, jazz, folk, or contemporary music, plus theater and dance.
Established in 1917, Eagle Plume's, 9853 S. Colo. 7, Allenspark (tel. 303/747-2861; www.eagleplume.com), is a one-of-a-kind museum/gallery that hocks a few souvenirs but mainly focuses on fine art. Plenty of contemporary Native American arts, crafts, and jewelry are on display, many of them part of the collection of the store's namesake, the late Charles Eagle Plume.
The Art Center of Estes Park in the Stanley Village Shopping Center, 517 Big Thompson Ave. (tel. 970/586-5882; www.artcenterofestes.com), is a community visual arts center that features changing exhibits of a wide variety of local and regional art, including paintings, sculpture, photography, textiles, glass work, and wood carvings. Works are for sale, and the center also presents workshops and classes on subjects such as oil painting, sketching, stained glass, and jewelry-making. Cost is usually in the $50-to-$100 range, including materials. The Art Center is a bit hard to find; once you get to the shopping center below the Stanley Hotel, go up the stairs behind the fountain.
Estes Park Nightlife
It's impossible to get bored in Estes Park, where you'll find a wide variety of performing arts events -- many of them free -- presented year-round. You'll hear classical music, from small ensembles to symphony orchestras, plus jazz, country, and Christian; and you'll see dance and theater. The community boasts a nice outdoor entertainment venue, Estes Park Performance Park, on West Elkhorn Avenue on the west side of town. For details on what's going on when you plan to be in town, contact the Cultural Arts Council of Estes Park, 304 E. Elkhorn Ave. (P.O. Box 4135), Estes Park, CO 80517 (tel. 970/586-9203; www.estesarts.com), which represents a number of arts groups and individual artists, and helps coordinate many of the community's arts events. These include a free outdoor concert series, Thursday Night Live, logically held Thursdays at 7pm June through August at the Estes Park Performance Park; a dance festival in November; and Imagine This, a family-oriented festival of performing and visual arts, each February.
Among individual organizations presenting live productions are the Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies (www.fineartsguild.org), which sponsors musicals and plays; the Estes Park Music Festival, P.O. Box 4290, Estes Park, CO 80517 (tel. 970/586-9519; www.estesparkmusicfestival.org), which presents a series of classical music concerts each summer and winter, as well as special events; and the Chamber Music Society of Estes Park (tel. 970/586-9467; www.estesparkchambermusic.org), offering several concerts each year.
Of local watering holes, the Wheel Bar, 132 E. Elkhorn Ave. (tel. 970/586-9381; www.thewheelbar.com), which has been open for a century and owned by the Nagl family since 1945, is one of the best. It's open every day except Christmas, serving as a community hub in more ways than one. The bar is a bit funky, with an excellent steakhouse, Orlando's, upstairs, and plenty of wheel decor, including a slowly rotating specimen behind the bar.
Among other bars, the Rock Inn, 1675 Colo. 66 (tel. 970/586-4116; www.rockinnestes.com), plates up an eclectic array of steak, seafood, and salads, and hosts live rock and country music. For live rock music and dancing on weekends, check out Lonigan's Bar & Grill, 110 W. Elkhorn Ave. (tel. 970/586-4346; www.lonigans.com).
