16. Music In The Mountains
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-4031
Address: 12 miles south of Estes Park
Description: Rocky Ridge offers chamber music and opera. Student and faculty recitals take place here on Fridays and Sundays around 3 p.m. from late June until the end of August. Call for current ticket prices.
17. The Stanley Hotel
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-3371, (800) 976-1377
Address: 333 Wonderview Avenue
Description: For year-round entertainment check the Stanley Hotel, which presents theater and fine arts performances. In fact, the hotel claims to put on more performances than any other private property in the West. The Stanley also hosts free concerts on Sundays. There’s a year-round jazz series and a Friday-night dance program. Call for the current schedule of events.
18. Art Center Of Estes Park
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-5882
Address: 517 Big Thompson Avenue
Description: Representing local and regional artists from the Rocky Mountain area, the Art Center exhibits sculpture, fiber arts, fine jewelry, photography, and more. Classes, art workshops, and education courses are offered as well. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
19. Earthwood Artisans/Earthwood Collections
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-2151, (970) 577-8100
Address: 141 East Elkhorn Avenue/145 East Elkhorn
Description: These two galleries, located near each other in downtown Estes Park, represent more than 230 artists. They offer a large selection of photography, pottery, paintings, blown glass, fiber work, and much, much more. In 2003 they were named one of the top 100 galleries of American art and handcraft in the United States. They also have a gallery in Boulder.
20. Galleries Of Estes Park Association
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Description: The association publishes the Estes Park Gallery Guide, listing the town’s shops and galleries. For information, write to the association; contact the Cultural Arts Council, P.O. Box 4135, 160 Moraine Avenue, Estes Park, CO 80517, (970) 586-9203; or visit their Web site.
21. The Glassworks Studio And Gallery
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-8619
Address: 323 West Elkhorn Avenue
Description: This is the only hot-glass studio and gallery in the area. There are free public glass-blowing demonstrations daily, year-round, by owner Garth Mudge, who displays the delicate artwork.
22. Dick’S Rock Museum
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-4180
Address: 490 Moraine Route
Description: Dick’s has been in the same location for more than 30 years, celebrating the varieties and uses of rock from the region. The free museum displays jewelry, fossils, crystals, slabs of rock waiting for shaping, and a 24-inch diamond saw hefty enough to do the job. There are pictures of a bunny, a kissing couple, and other images formed in the natural swirls of rock, a rock farm where everything is carved from rock, and rock “butterflies.” Hours vary; call ahead.
23. Enos Mills Cabin
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-4706
Description: The Enos Mills Cabin operates as a nature center and museum today, but it was the home of the well-known “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park.” A naturalist, writer, and inn owner in Estes Park, Mills campaigned nationally for the establishment of the national parks in general and specifically for Rocky Mountain National Park. His cabin, built in 1885, is at the base of Twin Sisters Mountain and has several nature trails on the property. Tours of the house include a glimpse of Mills’s books, photos, and the other memorabilia on display. Copies of his books are for sale. Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday in the summer. Call for winter hours.
24. Estes Park Brewery
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-5421
Address: 470 Prospect Village Drive
Description: Open summers from 11 a.m. until midnight, with shorter hours off-season, the brewery offers a free video tour and samples of the nine microbrews it produces. A pub and a restaurant are on-site. See the “Nightlife” section of this chapter for details.
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 2515 Tunnel Road
26. Estes Park History Museum
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-6256
Address: 200 Fourth Street
Description: This interesting museum shows the history and heritage of the area’s first settlers, including an 1859 photograph of just-arrived first settler Joel Estes and 6 of his 13 children. Look for the original National Park Headquarters building out back next to an old homestead cabin. The museum includes a Stanley Steamer, pioneer artifacts, historical photos, and documentation of the founding of Rocky Mountain National Park. In May through October, the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. From November through April it’s open Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free but donations are appreciated.
27. Estes Park Public Library
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-8116
Address: 335 East Elkhorn Avenue
Description: Looking for Internet access? The library has it, plus CDs that can be checked out. This library is also kid-friendly. It loans toys in addition to books and has a parent-child center with educational activities that change monthly. The library is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 180 MacGregor Lane
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 333 Wonderview Avenue
30. Circle Of Friends Montessori Preschool
City: Estes Park, CO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (970) 586-3341
Address: 650 Community Drive
Description: This school has 20 to 30 children, 20 of whom attend full time. There’s a parent-toddler program offered in spring for children ages 18 months to 3 years. There is also a kindergarten program.