12 Best Things to Do in Manitou Springs, Colorado

By VI Staff on April 3, 2019

Tucked away near Pikes Peak is the town of Manitou Springs, CO, a quintessential town for tourists since back in the 1870’s. A number of the mineral springs in town are still functional today and visitors and locals alike can relax in one of the many pools located throughout town. There are also plenty of other outdoor attractions, museums, restaurants, and breweries to be enjoyed.

1.Manitou Springs Incline

The Manitou Springs Incline is regarded by many people as being “the holy grail of cardio” for both athletes and local residents. Formerly a railroad track, the incline is now made up of 2,744 steps that are made completely out of railroad ties. The total distance of the Manitou Springs Incline is about a mile, but the ascension is a 41% incline on average, with a 68% incline at the highest. It’s also a elevation climb of two thousand feet, considered to be one of the world’s highest set of stairs. The Barr Trail should be taken back down.

2.Cave of the Winds Mountain Park

The Cave of the Winds Mountain Park offers visitors an opportunity to explore the caves near Manitou Springs through a variety of means. The Discovery Tour lasts between forty-five and sixty minutes and takes guests on a guided tour through the portion of the Cave of the Winds that is electrically lit. The walking tour includes 196 stairs, half a mile of walkways, and fifteen rooms. The Lantern Tour is led by candlelight and is about a mile in length. This is a guided, ninety-minute tour through the unimproved and mysterious Manitou Grand Caverns. Caving 101 is also offered.

100 Cave of the Winds Rd, Manitou Springs, CO 80829, Phone: 719-685-5444

3.Miramont Castle Museum

The Miramont Castle Museum is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Miramont Castle’s architectural integrity, as well as to providing educational resources and experiences related to the history of the town of Manitou Springs, its artifacts, and its indigenous people. Visitors are invited to come and see what life was like back during the Victorian era. Inside of Miramont Castle, guests can view thirty different rooms adorned with authentic Victoria furnishings. The Queen’s Parlour Tea Room provides a chance to eat both modern day and Victoria fare made fresh every day. The grounds also include the Castle Gardens.

9 Capitol Hill Ave, Manitou Springs CO 80829, Phone: 719-685-1011

4.Manitou Springs Heritage Center

The Manitou Springs Heritage Center, established in 1997, is a non-profit, educational center at the foot of Colorado’s Pikes Peak. The mission of the center is the collection, preservation, research, and interpretation of the culture and history of the Pike Peak region, and the town of Manitou Springs in particular. The Manitou Springs Heritage Center hosts numerous special events and exhibitions throughout the year, including the haunted walking tours known as “Ghost Stories of Old Manitou” during the Emma Crawford Festival each year. The center aims to educate both visitors and locals alike to raise appreciation and understanding of the local community.

517 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829, Phone: 719-685-1454

5.Green Horse Gallery

The Green Horse Gallery is a destination for handmade, fine arts and crafts. The gallery features works and products made by local artists, such as wonderful crafts and one-of-a-kind works of fine art. A diverse assortment of crafts and fine art is showcased by the Green Horse Gallery in Manitou Springs, Connecticut, ranging from hand-colored etchings and oil paintings to silver jewelry, fiber art, sculpture, and pottery. The gallery itself is managed and operated by a partnership between seven local artists. Open seven days a week, from 10:00am until 6:00pm, the Green Horse Gallery sales artwork by more than fifty artists.

729 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, Colorado 80829, Phone: 719-685-0636

6.Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls is a hidden waterfall underneath a bridge and is well known for the extensive graffiti that has been painted on the base. The waterfall runs from the Fountain Creek in town and is a nice little falls tucked beneath a highway overpass. The alluring and colorful, albeit illegal, graffiti art along the base of Rainbow Falls has led to the nickname of “Graffiti Waterfall.” The falls are a bit of an off-the-beaten-path attraction, with not too many people aware of its existence outside of the Manitou Springs community. Rainbow Falls is closed during the winter season.

West end of Manitou Springs, Woodland Park, CO 80863

7.Iron Springs Chateau Melodrama Dinner Theater

The Iron Springs Chateau Melodrama Dinner Theater in Manitou Springs provides quality entertainment and hilarious comedy during the evenings to the region of Pike Peak in Colorado. The theater aims to provide old-fashioned fun that is suitable for visitors of all ages, so the whole family can come and have a laugh and a meal. The night starts with a three-course meal, immediately followed by the Melodrama. During the show, audience participation is allowed and strongly encouraged. Following the melodrama, guests can join in for some musical fun during the sing-along intermission, followed by the Vaudeville-style musical revue.

444 Ruxton Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829, Phone: 719-685-5104

8.Sahara Cafe

The Sahara Cafe serves authentic, fresh Middle Eastern cuisine to the Manitou Springs community for both lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Food offered at the cafe includes salads, dips, hummus, kebabs, shawarma, and falafel. The menu features specialty platters made from scratch daily using high quality and fresh ingredients. One of the Sahara Cafe’s dessert is a great way for customers to finish off their meal. Dishes are made with “secret” and special ingredients, providing guests with unique, but still authentic, Middle Eastern flavors. The Sahara Cafe also caters several of the local community events.

954 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829

9.Cliff House Hotel Dining Room

The Cliff House Hotel Dining Room is considered to be the crown jewel of the culinary crown of Manitou Springs, Colorado, seamlessly combining a sense of romance and history with a refreshing approach to cooking. The Cliff House at Pikes Peak aims to captivate guests with its award-winning cuisine within the setting of the splendor of the Rocky Mountains. It is one of the premier dining establishments in the state of Colorado, receiving the 4 Diamond Award from AAA in Fine Dining and the DiRoNA Award. The Cliff House Hotel Dining Room is where visitors can find artistic, timeless cuisine.

306 Canon Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829, Phone: 719-785-1000

10.Adam's Mountain Cafe

Adam’s Mountain Cafe serves a variety of global cuisine that is based on the principles of Slow Food, which uses as much organic and local products from the region as possible. While the cafe specializes in vegan and vegetarian dishes, Adam’s Mountain Cafe also offers other dishes featuring meats, such as fresh roasted turkey, organic salmon, shrimp, and Boulder All Natural Chicken. Customers can also find a boutique wine list, craft cocktails, and an array of Colorado craft beers at the cafe. Adam’s Mountain Cafe is a unique and independent eatery in Manitou Springs with antique chairs and tables.

26 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829, Phone: 719-685-1430

11.Manitou Brewing Company

The Manitou Brewing Company is a 5 bbl, small brewpub situated in the historic area of Manitou Springs, Colorado. Located near the base of Colorado’s Pikes Peak, the brewery is the closest to the mountain splendor. All of the beer produced by the Manitou Brewing Company is made from the pristine waters found near the peak’s summit. The brewery, pub, and cellar are housed in what used to be the Manitou Burro Line during the latter part of the 1800’s. In addition to the beer styles made on-site by Manitou Brewing Company, the brewery also offers other craft beers.

725 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829, Phone: 719-282-7709

12.Heart of Jerusalem Cafe

The Heart of Jerusalem Cafe provides both visitors and locals alike with an opportunity for their taste buds to take a trip across the ocean to “The Heart of Jerusalem.” As guests enter the cafe, they are greeted with the smell of Sage Tea and Za'atar spices, offering a hint of some fo the delightful delicacies that wait them. At the Heart of Jerusalem Cafe, authentic recipes, such as falafels and prize-winning hummus, are seasoned with a variety of imported spices, the meat for kabobs is cut by hand, and the ice cream is hand-dipped and homemade.

718 Manitou Ave, Manitou Springs, CO 80829, Phone: 719-685-1325