"Soapstone" Natural Area was acquired by the city in 2004. Covering more than 16,000 square miles, the area is known as an important archaeological site and is admired for its varied terrain. "Soapstone" will receive an official name and be open to the public in 2009.
More than 40 historic sites can be visited in the Fort Collins Area, and 26 of them are listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Tours of Avery House, a restored Victorian residence built by one of the city's prominent citizens, are offered year round. Visitors may also tour the two-story Strauss Cabin, which was built in 1864 by George Strauss and modeled after structures found in South Carolina. The Old Federal Building is a 1912 structure that housed the post office on its main floor for 60 years. The 1881 Spruce Hall on the campus of Colorado State University is the oldest complete building still standing on the campus. Ammons Hall, also on the campus, is a 1922 Italian Renaissance building that is still being used a women's physical education facility. Many other sites worth observing are on the Historic Buildings map available through the Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Beer enthusiasts and those merely curious will enjoy touring the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, which includes a visit with the famous Clydesdale horses and a trip to the sampling room. Several micro-breweries in town invite visitors to enjoy their variety of offerings. A metal menagerie of mythical and real creatures are on view at farmer/sculptor Bill Swets' dairy farm, known as the Swetsville Zoo. The zoo also has a miniature live steam railroad train and a display of antique farming equipment. Young and old enjoy hopping a ride aboard the Fort Collins Municipal Railway streetcar, which runs May to September, weather permitting.
The premier facility for the performing arts in Fort Collins is Lincoln Center, with its 1,180-seat performance hall, two theaters, and four exhibit galleries. The center hosts nearly 1,750 events each year, among them an annual season of Broadway shows, dance, and musical events. OpenStage Theater Company, a regional professional theater group, stages its seasons in the facility's 220-seat Mini-Theater. Based on the tradition of eighteenth-century salons, the 48-seat Bas Bleu Theater provides an intimate setting for poetry, plays, and musical performances. Good food and theater can be combined at the Carousel Dinner Theater, which presents dramas, comedies, and popular musicals. Colorado State University presents six plays each year at the school's Johnson Hall. Other theater groups in the city include the Debut Theater Company, Fort Collins Children's Theater, the Front Range Chamber Players, and OpenStage Theater. A variety of dance performances is offered by the Canyon Concert Ballet and Dance Connection. Several performing halls are located at Colorado State University.
Musical experiences in the city come in many forms, featuring such groups as the Larimer Chorale, Opera Fort Collins, and the Fort Collins Symphony. The primary visual arts center of the city is the PowerPlant Visual Arts Center, located in a renovated power plant. The Fort Collins Museum highlights the area's past, including a display of pre-Columbian Folsom points discovered at a major archaeological site in northern Larimer County. Other displays range from those of the Plains Indians to Fort Collins' beginnings as a trade and agricultural center. Experiences with hands-on science are available to youngsters at the Discovery Center Museum, with its opportunities for experimenting and testing scientific theories. Visitors can visit pioneer cabins and a one-room school house.
Fort Collins' festival season begins with its annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration downtown. The city's Hispanic community is honored at the Cinco De Mayo celebration, which features dancing, entertainment, and food. Patrons are invited to tap kegs of beer at June's Colorado Brewers' Festival downtown. Fireworks light the sky at City Park's annual Fourth of July Celebration. On Skookum Day, also in July, Fort Collins' history is re-enacted with demonstrations of blacksmithing, milking, quilting, branding, and weaving. August is enlivened by the Larimer County Fair, and by the New West Fest, featuring more than 300 booths, events, performances, evening concerts, and children's activities.
The city celebrates the harvest during Oktoberfest, and the holiday season is launched with Lincoln Center's Great Christmas Hall, with its juried art exhibit, homemade crafts, and decorated trees. In December, festivities include carolers and Christmas celebrations in Old Town, and the New Year is welcomed in with a community-wide celebration for the whole family called First Night.
Colorado State University students engage in a variety of sports competitions throughout the year. The CSU Rams are represented by both male and female teams in a variety of sports, including football, basketball, cross country, golf, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleball, and water polo.
Fort Collins is home to a variety of walking, running, and bicycling events and tournaments. The Cache La Poudre River provides some of the finest fishing in the state. The city has more than 75 miles of designated bikeways through many natural areas in the city. Duffers may choose from six golf courses within the city limits. Lory State Park offers 2,400 acres for horseback riding, boating, hiking, and picnicking. The Edora Pool and Ice Center and Mulberry Pool feature swimming and exercise programs, as well as youth and adult hockey and public ice skating. The young or young at heart will enjoy skateboarding at Northside Azatlan Community Center, Edora Skateboard Park, and Fossil Creek Skateboard. In winter, Lory State Park's trails and rolling hills attract cross country skiers; tubing and sledding are also popular. Several renowned Colorado mountain ski resorts are within a few hours of Fort Collins. Rocky Mountain National Park offers scenic drives and hikes and is only one hour's drive away.
Shopping in Fort Collins can involve browsing antique stores and flea markets or seeing the latest fashions at one of its major malls, such as Foothills Mall, The Square Shopping Center, or University Mall. At Historic Old Town, restored buildings filled with specialty shops, galleries, boutiques, and outdoor cafes beckon the visitor.
Visitor Information: Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau, 3745 East Prospect Rd. #200, Fort Collins, CO 80525; toll-free (800)274-FORT; telephone (970)491-3388; fax (970)491-3389; email information@ftcollins.com