Budget-friendly summer fun in Cripple Creek, Colorado

Cripple Creek, ColoradoPhoto byAuthor

(Cripple Creek, CO) The historic town of Cripple Creek, Colorado, is known as the "World's Greatest Gold Camp." It was once a bustling mining town, and today, the town offers a variety of free attractions that showcase its rich history and natural beauty.

A good place to start is at the Heritage Center (9283 CO-67), a free museum and visitor center with three floors of interactive and educational displays.

The museum is perched on a hill above Cripple Creek with a wall of windows that offer amazing views of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range and valley.

The main floor of the museum showcases mining life in the late 1800s.

The top floor is a natural history area with taxidermy animals, a dinosaur display, and fossils.

The lower floor has historic vehicles and carriages, a miniature town display with a working train, and a complimentary 30-minute film.

The next free gem is the Red Trolley.

Every Saturday from Memorial Day through Labor Day, visitors can enjoy a free historic tour of Cripple Creek on the trolley.

The tour guides are from the Gold Camp Victorian Society.

The 30-minute tours run from 1 - 3 p.m. every Saturday, and the meet-up spot is the green railway car next to the District Museum (510 Bennett Avenue).

While exploring town on the trolley, keep your eyes open for donkeys.

The Cripple Creek donkeysPhoto byAuthor

From Memorial Day to mid-October, a herd of donkeys roam the town, mingling with visitors and looking for donkey biscuits.

They are a wonderful part of Cripple Creek’s charm and another free attraction in the town.

Rita the Rock PlanterPhoto byAuthor

The newest budget-friendly treasure in the Gold Camp area is a must-see gem - Rita the Rock Planter.

The massive wooden troll was designed by Thomas Dambo, an artist based in Denmark who creates masterpieces from locally sourced recyclable materials.

Dambo's trolls are found worldwide, including two in Colorado (Rita the Rock Planter and Isak Heartstone in Breckenridge).

Rita is located between Cripple Creek and Victor off of CO-67 near Little Grouse Mountain Trail. Several signs direct visitors to the troll, and she is easy to find.

Cripple Creek is a small town full of treasures. Its blend of history, natural beauty, and modern entertainment makes it a top destination for tourists wanting to explore a historic Colorado gem.

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