Rita the Rock Planter
On Thursday, we will stay around the Cripple Creek area. There is so much to do and see in Cripple Creek and Victor (5 miles away) that we probably won’t get to see it all. But maybe if you have some free time you might want to check some of the things we don’t get to see as a group.
On the list for Thursday
Cripple Cripple District Museum
The Museum Complex contains five historic buildings including the Midland Terminal Railway Depot. This train depot operated from 1895 to 1949 and received an average of ten passenger trains daily. In 1953 this historic structure became the centerpiece of our Museum. The Colorado Trading & Transfer was built in 1893. The Assay Office was a former garage built in the early 1900s. It was moved about 40 years later and has been converted to represent a working assay office where miners brought their ore to assess it’s value. Two miner’s cabins were built in 1982 and 1900.
Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad
This 45 minute trip reveals scenic wonders around every curve as century-old steam locomotive transports you back to the gold mining days of Cripple Creek & Victor, Colorado. A treat for railroad and history buffs, kids and the whole family.
This is a must do for our family.
Rita, the Rock Planter
Thomas Dambo has created “Trolls” all over the world. Internationally known for his monumental wooden trolls – sculptures made entirely from recycled wood, often hidden in forests or public spaces. His work spams multiple continents and we are lucky to be able to see one of his amazing works. Thomas Dambo website.
Rita, the Rock Planter is in Victor, Colorado – about five miles from Cripple Creek.
A hundred suns is how long a nap takes for the trolls
When Rita woke again, her mountainside was full of holes
The humans must have dug them in their search for shiny rock
But someone could fall in, so Rita went to tidy up
1899 Mining Claim Saloon in Victor, CO.
The 1899 Mining Claim Saloon in Victor has rave reviews for the food (burgers). They don’t take reservations but I will call them and tell them to expect us.
Jalapeno poppers and Burger.
Lowell Thomas Museum – Gold Panning
This Lowell Thomas Museum is a maybe depending on how we feel. They have panning for real gold, turquoise, topaz and other gems which I thought would be fun to try. We’ll evaluate how everyone feels after lunch.
Lowell Thomas was a famous journalist, author and world traveler who grew up in Victor. The museum is an original 1899 building that houses two floors of artifacts, books, exhibits and photographs depicting the life in Victor from its beginnings to the heyday of gold mining.
Other Things to do in Cripple Creek
There is so much to do right in the Cripple Creek area. I tried to schedule so you would have some free time to check some of these out on your own or with a group who all want to do the same thing. Please consider a donation if you go to any of the museums.
Cripple Creek Heritage Center
About a mile out of town, the Heritage Center, this museum offers a look into geological, mining and region history. Also great info about the Indian tribes who have lived in the area for centuries. Beautiful views of Cripple Creek and the surrounding mountains.
I visited in June. I highly recommend this museum. In fact, we may do this instead of the District Museum.
Outlaws & Lawmen Jail Museum
I visited this museum in June. The hotel (at that time) had courtesy tickets. You could spend 30 minutes to a couple of hours checking things out. Walking through the narrow steel cell block it was easy to imagine what it was like to be incarcerated a century ago. Supposedly there are ghost who still haunt the building.
Cripple Creek Fire Station #3
Built in 1900 to provide protection after the city’s two catastrophic fires in 1897 which burned 47 acres of the city and destroyed more than 400 buildings. On display are a number of historic photos displays of firefighting equipment including a 1909 Seagrave fire wagon, a 1903 hook and ladder wagon from neighboring Goldfield, and a hose cart used in fighting local fires. Fire Station #3 is owned and operated by the City of Cripple Creek to commemorate the service of Cripple Creek’s brave firefighters throughout the years.
The “Butte Concert and Beer Hall” premiered in 1896, Cripple Creek’s opera house went on to have many lives over its 100+ year history – it was a skating rink, a dance academy and an auto garage, to name a few. It even housed the Cripple Creek Fire Department! Today the Butte Theater is one of only a handful of theaters in the country still consistently producing Classic Melodramas. During our stay the Butte Theater will be playing “Dames at Sea” – A tap-happy tribute to movie musicals.
The Homestead House, build in 1896, was once the most famous brothel in Cripple Creek. Originally owned and operated by Pearl DeVere, the opulent parlor bustled with activity and became known for impeccable service for high powered customers and glamorous ladies of the evening. Today, the Homestead House is a museum that has been lovingly restored with historically accurate furniture, artifacts, wall coverings and even the original “viewing room.”
Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center
In Woodland Park which is about 45 minutes from Cripple Creek – on the way to Pikes Peak or Colorado Springs. The RMDRC is rated #2 for the Best Dinosaur Museum in the USA by America’s Best and Top 10.
Depending on the time, this might be a good stop after our Pikes Peak tour.