Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
Fort Collins Attractions
Families with kids might also want to stop in at the Discovery Science Center, 703 E. Prospect Rd. (tel. 970/472-3990; www.dcsm.org), with interactive exhibits covering everything from dinosaurs to local ecology to electricity.
The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya & the Shambhala Mountain Center
Founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher who was a major figure in bringing his religion to the U.S., the Shambhala Mountain Center is about an hour's drive northwest of Fort Collins and a world apart. Located in a rocky, forested mountain valley, the center offers a curriculum ranging from meditation and yoga to gardening and storytelling.
Beyond the educational component, the center is also home to a unique structure: The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, dedicated to Shambhala founder Rinpoche, is the largest and most ornate stupa (a spire built in honor of a deceased Buddhist teacher) in the Western Hemisphere. Nuclear-plant engineers were called in to design a structure out of reinforced concrete that would stand for 1,000 years, and artisans hand-painted every last detail. The stupa is open from 9am to 6pm daily; guided tours are offered at 2pm Saturday and Sunday ($10 donation suggested); lunch ($10) is available from 12:30 to 1:30pm.
Lodging ranges from tent-cabins with a communal bathhouse ($69-$79 nightly) to lodge rooms ($80-$139 for a room with a shared bathroom, $159-$199 nightly for one with a private bath), and there is a cafeteria on-site. Many weekend renewal programs are offered, and many programs are open to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. There are also 6 miles of hiking paths on the property.
For further information, contact the Shambhala Mountain Center, 4921 C.R. 68C, Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545 (tel. 888/788-7221 or 970/881-2184; www.shambhalamountain.org).
Brewery Tours
There's no denying that Fort Collins is a beer town. Not only is it home to the giant Anheuser-Busch Brewery, with its famous Clydesdale horses , but the city also boasts several excellent microbreweries.
CooperSmith's Pub & Brewing Co. provides patrons a view of the brewing process from inside the restaurant and offers tours by appointment. Using English malted barley and hops from the Pacific Northwest, CooperSmith's brews from 6 to 10 ales. For those averse to beer, the brewery also makes its own root beer, ginger ale, and cream soda.
Just northeast of Old Town, across the railroad tracks, New Belgium Brewing Company, 500 Linden St. (tel. 888/622-4044 or 970/221-0524; www.newbelgium.com), is a "macro" microbrewery -- it ranks in the country's top 15 brewers by volume, second to only Coors of Colorado -- producing top-quality Belgian-style ales including the very popular Fat Tire. The always-lively brewery's "Liquid Center" is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm, offering four 3-ounce samples to visitors. Hour-long tours are offered every half-hour Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 3:30pm, and Saturday on the half-hour from 11am to 4pm, with self-guided tours anytime. Beer can be purchased, along with glasses, caps, T-shirts, and other souvenirs.
You'll find Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins's oldest craft brewery, at 800 E. Lincoln Ave. (tel. 970/498-9070; www.odellbrewing.com). Specializing in English-style ales, Odell produces draft and bottled beers, which are available in restaurants and bars throughout the Rocky Mountains and the Southwest. Tours are given Monday through Saturday at 1, 2, and 3pm, and the tasting room is open Monday through Saturday from 11am to 6pm. Beer, which you can sample before making your choice (or get a taster of each for $4), plus beer glasses, shirts, and other souvenirs are all available.
Also brewing beer in Fort Collins are Fort Collins Brewery, 1900 E. Lincoln Ave., #B (tel. 970/472-1499; www.fortcollinsbrewery.com), which specializes in lagers and has a comfortable tasting room that's open from noon to 6pm Monday through Saturday; and Bighorn Brewery & Clubhouse, 1427 W. Elizabeth St. (tel. 970/221-5954), a bar and grill which brews a variety of beer styles. Contact these breweries for additional information.
6 Results
- Winery/Brewery/Distillery
Anheuser-Busch Brewery
One of Fort Collins's leading employers -- and its top tourist attraction -- this Anheuser-Busch brewery produces some six million barrels of beer each year, distributed to 10 Western states. The 1 1/4-hour tours leave from the visitor center and gift shop, and include exhibits on… - Landmark
Avery House
Custom-built in 1879 for banker-surveyor Franklin Avery and his wife, Sara, this Victorian home at the corner of Mountain Avenue and Meldrum Street was constructed of red-and-buff sandstone from the quarries west of Fort Collins. The Poudre Landmarks Foundation and the city of Fort… - Library/University
Colorado State University
Fort Collins revolves around this university, with its 25,000 students from every state and close to 100 foreign countries. Founded in 1870 as Colorado Agricultural College, it was renamed Colorado A&M in 1935 and became Colorado State University in 1957. The A constructed on the… - Tour
Fort Collins Municipal Railway
One of the few remaining original trolley systems in the nation, this restored 1919 Birney streetcar runs on its original route, along Mountain Avenue for 1 1/2 miles from City Park to Howes Street. It's certainly more for fun than practical urban transport. Allow 30 minutes. - Neighborhood
Old Town
A redbrick pedestrian walkway flanked by street lamps and surrounding a bubbling fountain is the focus of this restored historic district, which offers a look at the earliest roots of the city and has plenty of good shopping opportunities. The main plaza, which covers several square… - Zoo/Aquarium
Swetsville Zoo
Don't come to Bill Swets's zoo expecting to find animals -- not live ones, that is. The sculpture park is a constantly growing menagerie of more than 150 dinosaurs and other real and imaginary animals, flowers, and windmills -- all constructed from car parts, farm machinery, and…
Fort Collins Shopping
Visitors enjoy shopping in Old Town Square, at Mountain and College avenues, with numerous shops, galleries, and restaurants. Old Town is also the site of various events; contact the Downtown Business Association (tel. 970/484-6500; www.downtownfortcollins.com). Northern Colorado's largest enclosed shopping mall is the Foothills Mall, just north of the intersection of South College Avenue and Horsetooth Road (tel. 970/226-5555; www.shopfoothills.com). Anchored by Macy's and Sears, it has more than 100 specialty stores and a food court, and is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 9pm and on Sunday from 11am to 6pm. There is also a small antiques district along South College Avenue between Harmony and Trilby roads.
Fort Collins Nightlife
The college crowd does much of its drinking and partying at Washington's, a large, bustling, multilevel dance and drink emporium at 132 Laporte Ave. (tel. 970/484-3989), with a variety of recorded music and drink specials. You might try the somewhat bohemian Avogadro's Number, 605 S. Mason St. (tel. 970/493-5555), which attracts a mixed crowd for live bluegrass and acoustic music. Hodi's Half Note, 167 N. College Ave. (tel. 970/472-2034), is a small rock-oriented club. Country-and-western fans head to the big dance floor at the Sundance Steak House and Country Club, 2716 E. Mulberry St. (tel. 970/484-1600), for live country music and free dance lessons. Sports freaks like the SportsCaster Bar & Grill, 165 E. Boardwalk (tel. 970/223-3553), which has 50 TV screens and 20 beers on tap. When you just want to quaff a cool beer at the end of the day, CooperSmith's Pub & Brewing Co., 5 Old Town Sq. (tel. 970/498-0483), may be the best place in town. Many Fort Collins folk drive 14 miles up the Poudre River to the Mishawaka Amphitheatre & Restaurant, 13714 Poudre Canyon (tel. 970/482-4420; www.mishawakaconcerts.com), where top regional bands -- and occasional national acts -- perform during the summer in an outdoor amphitheater on the banks of the Poudre River.
The principal venue for the performing arts in Fort Collins is Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St., at Meldrum Street (tel. 970/221-6730 box office, or 970/221-6735 administration; www.fcgov.com/lctix). Built in 1978, the center includes the 1,180-seat Performance Hall and the 220-seat Mini Theatre, as well as three art galleries and an outdoor sculpture and performance garden. It's home to the Fort Collins Symphony, Opera Fort Collins, Canyon Concert Ballet, Larimer Chorale, OpenStage Theatre, and the Children's Theater. Concert, dance, children's, and travel film series are presented annually. Ticket prices vary considerably, but children's programs are often free or less than $10 and big-name acts and Broadway shows are $30 to $50.
The Fort Collins Symphony (tel. 970/482-4823; www.fcsymphony.org), established in 1948, performs both classical and pops music plus special events with guest performers. There are numerous concerts annually, with July 4 and the December holiday season being two of the big ones.
The OpenStage Theatre Company, 400 N. College Ave. (tel. 970/484-5237; www.openstage.com), is the area's leading professional stage group. It offers six productions annually, as well as various popular, classical, and operatic performances. Recent productions have included Little Shop of Horrors, Sam Shepard's True West, and Shakespeare's As You Like It.
Those who enjoy an intimate theater experience should head to the Bas Bleu Theatre Company, 401 Pine St. (tel. 970/498-8949; www.basbleu.org), which presents a variety of plays, concerts, poetry readings, and other events.
Broadway musicals are presented year-round at Carousel Dinner Theatre, 3509 S. Mason St. (tel. 970/225-2555; www.adinnertheatre.com), Thursday through Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at noon. A choice of three entrees is offered, and prices are $34 to $38, which includes dinner, the show, and tax, but not beverages or dessert. Recent productions have included The Producers, The Full Monty, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.
The Colorado State University School of the Arts (tel. 970/491-5529; http://sota.colostate.edu) presents a variety of dramas and musicals, plus concerts by music faculty ranging from jazz to classical during the school year. Many of these events are free or very inexpensive.
