Much of Colorado Springs' tourism comes from the area it was built around, most famously Pikes Peak. The city is host to numerous trails and parks due to its close proximity to the Rocky Mountains, making the city a popular destination for its scenery. With the mountains as close as they are the Springs has also gained notoriety for its rock formations and other geological features, such as the Hot Springs Pool. The largest year-round outdoor pool in the world. The city's economy depends heavily on tourism, with tourism being its third largest revenue. The City of Colorado Springs is the second most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 49th most populous city in the United States. ... Pikes Peak (formerly Pikes Peak, see below) is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, 10 miles (16 km) west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County. ...

Early Tourism

Early travelers were attracted to the city's high altitude and dry air for recuperation from tuberculosis. Sanatoriums of all shapes and sizes sprung up across the landscape, though most were not built in the residential city. Many of the buildings are still found in the city today, though they are no longer used for medical purposes. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs' Main Hall is a prime example of a sanatorium in the city retrofitted for another purpose. Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for Tubercle Bacillus) is a common and deadly infectious disease that is caused by mycobacteria, primarily Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ... It has been suggested that Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences be merged into this article or section. ...

The Antlers Hotel, named for the extensive antler collection of General Palmer that adorned its walls, was the premier hotel in the area. That honor now goes to the [[Broadmoor Hotel]], opened by Spencer Penrose after he was denied rooming at the Antlers because of his muddy boots on a particularly wet night after riding back from his gold mine. Spencer Penrose made his mark on Colorado Springs in its early years--though not until two decades after its founding. ...

Shopping Center

• Chapel Hill Mall

• The Citadel Mall

• Shop at the Bluffs

The carousel in the food court. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Modern Tourism

As new medicines for tuberculosis were introduced, and British tourism declined to the United States during the World Wars and Depressions, Colorado Springs was faced with declining rates of visitation. The mass production of automobiles, the building of the National Highway System and the decline of Passenger Rail (currently not available to the city) brought a new kind of traveler to Colorado Springs and is a driving force behind how the city's tourist attractions operate today.

Attractions

There are many attractions in the area, including:

• Academy Riding Stables
• American Numismatic Association
• Buckskin Joe Frontier Town and Railway
• Cave of the Winds
• The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, billed as one of two of the nation's only 'mountain zoos,' is situated, essentially, on the side of Cheyenne Mountain.
• Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
• Flying W Ranch, a cowboy ranch.
• Focus on the Family Visitor center, children's center, and tours of facilities
• Garden of the Gods, a park of large red sandstone formations
• Glen Eyrie, home to William Jackson Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs, now owned by The Navigators - tours available
• Lon Chaney Theater
• Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway - ascends to the summit of 14,115 foot tall Pikes Peak
• Manitou Cliff Dwellings
• Michelle's, a 50+ year old ice cream parlor featured in Life Magazine
• Old Colorado City shopping and historic district
• Pikes Peak Center[1]
• Pioneers Museum
• ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy
• Security Service Field, home Colorado Springs' baseball team, the Sky Sox, AAA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies
• Seven Falls
• United States Air Force Academy[2]
• United States Olympic Training Center [3]
• The Van Briggle Pottery kiln works, founded in 1899 and still operating, specializing in art nouveau vases and decorative tiles.
• The World Arena
• Theatreworks
• Bristol Brewing Company, an award-winning Microbrewery -- tastings and tours available

According to the Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau [4], the area attracts some six million visitors yearly. The American Numismatic Association was founded by Dr. George F. Heath in 1891. ... Cave of the Winds is a cave in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado. ... Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a mountainside zoo, located southwest of Colorado Springs, Colorado on Cheyenne Mountain in the United States. ... The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is an arts center located in downtown Colorado Springs. ... Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF), founded in 1977, is a Christian non-profit organization based in the United States. ... A view of Garden of the Gods showing some of its unusual hogback formations. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... General William Jackson Palmer built his dream home, which he called Glen Eyrie near Colorado Springs in the northwest foothills north of the Garden of the Gods rock formations (now a city park). ... William Jackson Palmer (1836-1909) civil engineer, soldier, builder of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and founder of Colorado Springs, Colorado William Jackson Palmer (September 17, 1836 - March 13, 1909) was a civil engineer, soldier, and industrialist. ... The Navigators is a worldwide Christian parachurch organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. Its main purpose is the discipling (training) of Christians with a particular emphasis on enabling them to share their faith with others. ... M&PPR locomotive Pikes Peak circa 1893 The Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway is an Abt rack system cog railway in Colorado (United States), climbing the well-known mountain Pikes Peak. ... Pikes Peak (formerly Pikes Peak, see below) is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, 10 miles (16 km) west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County. ... The Manitou Cliff Dwellings are a tourist attraction, located just west of Colorado Springs, Colorado on US Highway 24. ... A cover of Life Magazine from 1911 Life has been the name of two notable magazines published in the United States. ... The Pikes Peak Center has the mission to serve as a quality entertainment, cultural, educational, and assembly center for the benefit of the citizens of El Paso County and the Pikes Peak Region. ... Security Service Field, formerly Sky Sox Stadium, is a professional baseball stadium on the eastern edge of Colorado Springs, Colorado. ... Seven Falls Seven Falls is a series of seven cascasding waterfalls in Colorado Springs, Colorado. ... The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, (), is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air Force. ... A training center created specifically for Olympic athletes to come and prepare for the Olympics, but used mainly by the United States. ... Artus Van Briggle in 1900. ... World Arena is a 7,343-seat multi-purpose arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado. ... TheatreWorks is an independent, non-profit theatre company in Singapore. ... Bristol Brewing Company is an American brewery founded in 1994 by Mike Bristol in Colorado Springs, Colorado. ...

Events

Colorado Springs and nearby Manitou Springs are host to dozens of festivals and competitions each year, including:

• The State Games of America
• The Pikes Peak Marathon and Pikes Peak Ascent, an annual run to the top of the mountain, the marathon completes the entire ascent and descent back into Manitou.
• The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, an annual automobile race with multiple car classes over several days.
• Frontier Days
• The Colorado Balloon Classic, the largest hot air balloon event in the area.
• Parades and festivities for most major holidays, including the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, St Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras.

The Pikes Peak Marathon is a foot race which begins at the base of Pikes Peak, in Manitou Springs, Colorado, and climbs over 7,700 feet (2347 meters) to the top of the 14,110 foot (4300 meter) tall peak. ... Suzuki Escudo at the 2006 Race to the Clouds The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), also known as the The Race to the Clouds, is an annual pure gravel automobile and motorcycle hillclimb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, a distance of 19. ...

Famous Hotels

• The Antlers Hilton Hotel, one of the first buildings to be erected in the city. Unfortunately, the original hotel no longer stands. a complex of modern towers now occupy the block, one still a hotel bearing the name.
• The Broadmoor Hotel and Resort, a luxury resort and conference center rated Five-Star by Mobil and Five-Diamond by AAA, since the beginning of both.[5]
• The Cliff House at Pikes Peak, a luxury boutique hotel located 10 minutes west of downtown in Manitou Springs.

A view from the main building of the hotel facing west The Broadmoor Hotel is a 5-star luxury hotel and resort located in southwestern Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the United States. ... Part of the commercial district Manitou Springs is a city located in El Paso County, Colorado. ...

Musical Organizations

• Colorado Springs Children's Chorale
• Colorado Springs Chorale
• Colorado Springs Philharmonic or the Colorado Springs Philharmonic web page
• Colorado Springs Youth Symphony
• Pikes Peak Philharmonic
• Chamber Orchestra of the Springs
• Young Concert Artists of Colorado Springs