Interlaken Resort, located on the south side of Twin Lakes, was considered Colorado’s most beautiful resort in the late 19th century. Built in 1879 and expanded after James V. Dexter…
The village at Twin Lakes grew in popularity once gold was discovered in the area, with commerce centered there for area miners. In the 1860s, the area, then known as…
Leadville, a Victorian-era mining town, was once home to 30,000 residents. In its heyday, it saloons, dance halls, and brothels. Thanks to the profiting gold and silver mines, there was…
Leadville has commemorated its rich and wild history through the establishment of eight museums—more museums per capita than any other city in Colorado! With a history steeped in dramatic stories…
Born in 1867, Margaret (Molly) Tobin would rise from humble beginnings to celebrity status. Using her fame for philanthropic and political purposes, she would ultimately garner the title, “Unsinkable.” After…
Encircling Leadville is the Mineral Belt Trail, one of Colorado’s highest and most scenic paved pathways. At 11.6 miles, this ADA accessible trail winds through aspen groves, conifer forests, and…
At the height of Leadville’s mining days, the city’s population hit 30,000, 300 of whom were Jews. This courageous community built Temple Israel in 1884, the oldest of the area’s…
In Chaffee County (once part of Lake County), the Lake County War was a series of events that led to the formation of a vigilante group that used illegal arrests…
In 1879, silver tycoon, Horace Tabor, purchased the richest silver mine of the time, an investment that brought in $2 billion by today’s standards. However, wasteful spending by him and…
Twenty miles south of Leadville is Clear Creek Reservoir, a body of water that’s part of the “Eleven-Mile Reach,” a 500-year-old floodplain that starts at the confluence of the Arkansas…
Leadville’s 150-year history has had a profound effect on shaping Colorado’s landscape. From its earliest gold strikes to the establishment of its national forests, Leadville has played a major role…
In 1879, when the silver boom was at its peak, loads of the precious metal were being shipped from Leadville to Buena Vista via stagecoach. The days and times of…
Born in 1858 in Ohio, Jesse Fuller McDonald was a student of civil engineering and surveying. In 1879, he moved to Leadville to pursue a career in mining, though his…
Hop aboard the Leadville Colorado and Southern Railroad for the most relaxing and scenic Rocky Mountain experience. This two-and-a-half-hour train ride takes passengers up 1,000 feet from Leadville and through…
Horace Tabor and his first wife, Augusta, moved into a two-story clapboard house in 1877. Just two years later, Horace declared their home’s location ideal for his new project—the Tabor…
Ride the Route of the Silver Kings, a self-guided driving tour that takes visitors through Leadville’s historic mining district. This 20-square-mile tour consists of a set of interconnected roads where…
While people enjoy exploring Leadville’s mining district in the summer, heavy snowfall turns it into a sports enthusiast’s wonderland. Leadville’s Historic Mining District is located immediately east of downtown, at…
Horace Tabor’s life story is a testament to hard work but also a great anecdote about short-sightedness. From a simple stone-cutter, he would grow to become one of the country’s…
Congress designated Leadville a National Historic Landmark in 1966, protecting a 70-square-block district that consists of 50 buildings dating back to 1870. Leadville’s historic district is home to such notable…
In 1878, August R. Meyer, a prominent mining engineer, built a two-story, Greek Revival home for his bride, Emma. Little did he know his nine-bedroom house, situated on a hill…
The 1860s-mining boom changed the face of Colorado as high-country mining towns spread like wildfire. Today, the Top of the Rockies scenic byway connects these historic towns while providing drives…
No expense was spared when Horace Tabor built Leadville’s iconic opera house in 1879 for the hefty price tag of $40,000, making it one of the costliest structures in Colorado…
John Henry “Doc” Holliday was a dentist who suffered from tuberculosis. He moved to Tombstone, Arizona for its dry climate. There, he became a fierce gambler, befriended Wyatt Earp, and…
Created by Executive Order in 1889 to increase the supply of fish for inland waters, the Leadville National Fish Hatchery is a Leadville mainstay that’s been entertaining families for generations….
