About Fort Collins Colorado
Fort Collins is a city in the state of Colorado that is as well the county seat of Larimer County. It is situated along the Cache La Poudre River on the Colorado Front Range. Fort Collins was first established as a military outpost in the mid 19th century. After its founding, settlers began to move here almost instantaneous. In the year 1867, its population successfully lobbied for the seat of Larimer County to be moved here from Laporte. Fort Collins was initially an agricultural colony. In the late 19th century, this Colorado city witnessed the building of lavish residential and commercial properties, and it started to gain a unique identity. At this particular epoch, some of its leading sectors were stone quarrying, sugar beet growth and sheep slaughter. Fort Collins also earned the distinction of being a conservative city, and it prohibited liquor up to the mid 20th century.
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Top attractions
Much of Fort Collins’ cultural scene is focused on the Colorado State University, which is based in the city. Its downtown business association holds various key festivals every year in the Historic Downtown District. One of the most prominent of these events is the ‘Bohemian Nights,’ that features local culinary delights and live music. Yet another popular Fort Collins annual festival is the Colorado Brewers’ Festival, which showcases beers for as much as 45 different brewers in the state. There is also the annual Colorado Marathon that finishes in the downtown area of this city. The major performing arts venue in Fort Collins is, without question, the Lincoln Center that was constructed in 1978. Lincoln Center boasts of a performance hall, which can accommodate 1,180 people and a separate theatre. This Fort Collins performing arts venue has 4 exhibit galleries along with a sculpture and a performance garden. The Lincoln Center is the home stage of the Fort Collins Symphony, Opera Fort Collins, Larimer Chorale and the Youth Orchestra of the Rockies.
Yet another major attraction in this Colorado city is the Fort Collins Museum, which was founded in the mid 20th century. This museum puts to show a variety of fascinating exhibits that dwell on the cultural and historic aspects of the city and its suburbs. The Fort Collins Museum is currently home to more than 30,000 artifacts and owns 4 historic structures, which are situated in the city’s Heritage Courtyard. As for visual arts attractions of Fort Collins, the city is home to the Fort Collins Museum of Art, the Center for Fine Art Photography, the Art Incubator of the Rockies and the University Center for the Arts. Another top Fort Collins attraction is the Gardens on Spring Creek, which is a 18 acres botanical garden.
Horsetooth Mountain Open Space
This is a park that occupies a 2,711 acres parcel of land, and comes complete with 29 miles of hiking, equestrian and biking trails. The Horsetooth Mountain Open Space comprises of 3 main components that are the Culver, Soderberg and Hughey Open Spaces. However, it is better known in the area for the impressive ‘Horsetooth Rock,’ which can be easily viewed from the plains beneath the park.
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery doubles up as cultural, historic and even science museum and was founded in the mid 20th century and was previously known as the Pioneer Museum. In 2005, it merged with the Fort Collins Museum. The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery houses over 30,000 artifacts. It is well noted for putting to show the cultural heritage of the people of the Cache Poudre River Valley. Some of the intriguing exhibits which this Fort Collins museum showcases are clothing, household goods, farming implements and even works of art like paintings.
Historic Old Town
Fort Collins Historic Old Town is yet another captivating attraction in this Colorado city. It is characterized by well preserved 19th century brick buildings, and can be an excellent place to stroll and explore its unique architecture. It is noteworthy to state that the Historic Old Town was the inspiration for Disney World’s Main Street USA. A key attraction to be found in this part of Fort Collins is the Armstrong Hotel, which was constructed way back in 1923. This historic building integrates the Art Deco architectural design, and features its well preserved original interior décor. Fort Collins Old Town is as well home to over 80 different restaurants, and can offer visitors with exciting dining opportunities.
New Belgium Brewing Company
This is one of Fort Collins most famous breweries, and it is situated at the edge of the Old Town. The New Belgium Brewing Company offers guided tours to visitors on each and every single day of the week. It has the distinction of being the 4th biggest craft brewery in the United States, and currently employs over 400 employees. The New Belgium Brewing Company offers 9 different beer brands. Some of the main highlights of paying a visit here include learning more on both the brewing and the fermentation processes. The facility comes with a tasting room as well, where visitors can get to sample some of the craft beers this Fort Collins’ brewery has to offer.
Colorado Brewers’ Festival
The Colorado Brewers’ Festival that is held on an annual basis in Fort Collins, is one of the country’s premier brewing crafts event and attracts on average 30,000 participants. It is held each year on the final weekend of the month of June, and puts to show over 40 breweries that are based in the state of Colorado. The Colorado Brewers’ Festival, besides the fun it provides, is as well an educational event. It comes complete with an interactive beer ‘school’ that features a number of public demonstrations together with diverse beer tasting opportunities. This Fort Collins popular festival also includes entertainment such as live music stages. While the restaurants of the city’s downtown area provide a variety of local culinary delights through food trucks.
Poudre Canyon
A visit to the City of Fort Collins is never complete without taking time to see Poudre Canyon, which is a popular hot spot of this Colorado city. Poudre Canyon is highly renowned, by both locals and visitors alike for several reasons. One of the best is it provides fascinating opportunities for visitors of this Colorado city to experience the ‘backcountry’ on horseback, just as its pioneers did way back in the 19th century. This area of the city consists of riverside equestrian trails, which are shaded by forests. Poudre Canyon is situated on the foothills of the famous Rocky Mountains, and there 3 different ranches in the vicinity. Here visitors get to discover just how to ride a horse and even participate in guided trail rides.
Shambhala Mountain Center
Shambhala Mountain Center is located at just an hour’s distance from downtown Fort Collins, and is yet another top attraction in this Colorado city. It is sprawled on a 600 acres piece of land in the valleys within the Rocky Mountains. One of the key highlights of finding time to visit Shambhala Mountain Center is studying yoga. It as well offers 100 different holistic programs including body awareness, meditation, mindfulness, contemplation to name just but a few. Fort Collins’ Shambhala Mountain Center also offers classes where visitors get the opportunity to learn more of the rich cultures of the indigenous people of America. One of the most well known landmarks of the Shambhala Mountain Center is, without question, the ‘Great Stupa’ that stands at around 30 meters in height. The Great Stupa was constructed for the sole purpose of promoting compassion as well as peace.