Fun Family Activities in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is the second largest city in Colorado. And it is a family friendly destination. There are many fun activities for families to do in and around the city. Families can explore amusement parks, the great outdoors, Ancient Pueblo dwellings, and the U.S. Olympic Training Center, among many other things. Best of all, many of these locales have minimal admission costs or are completely free. You could easily spend a week-long vacation in the city. Here is our list of fun family activities in Colorado Springs.
Hike Through Garden of the Gods Park
This amazing city park cannot be missed during a trip to the Springs. Red rock boulders stretch from the earth toward nearby Pike’s Peak and the sky above. The rock formations are amazing sights to behold.
One of the more popular stops in the park is at Balanced Rock, near the south entrance to the park.
The free (yes, we said free) park has a number of hiking trails where you can get an up close look at the monolithic boulders. There also are a number of picnic areas to enjoy.
Two cannot miss stops at Garden of the Gods are the Trading Post and the Visitors Center. The trading post has dining and souvenir options a plenty. The visitors center has a movie about the formation of the rocks along with a number of displays, and an overlook with a stunning view of some of the rocks.
Marvel at Helen Hunt Falls
The Springs has a number of outdoor attractions, including waterfalls. While Seven Falls might be the more popular destinations, the Helen Hunt Falls are great for hiking. And it’s free.
The Helen Hunt Falls are named after American poet and activist Helen Maria Hunt Jackson, not the Academy Award winning actress. The waterfall is located on the Cheyenne Creek in North Cheyenne Cañon Park, a stone’s throw away from Seven Falls. You can hike from the park’s visitors center, a four- to five- mile hike, or drive through the Cañon to the parking lot at the Falls.
A visitors center at Helen Hunt Falls explains more about the geography of the area and the woman who gives the Falls their name.
See Where Olympic Athletes Train
One of three U.S. Olympic Training centers is located in Colorado Springs. You may tour the facilities, and possibly hob-nob with some of the best up and coming athletes.
During the tour, you get to watch an uplifting video featuring some of the Olympic athletes (and memorable Olympic moments). You also get to see the world-class gymnasium and some of the other training facilities (including the boxing ring, pool, and gymnastics room).
Our family enjoyed some of the more interactive features inside the visitors center museum. You’ll leave inspired. And you will have a better understand of the rigors the athletes face as they go for the gold.
Read about our tour of the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Walk Through the Ruins of an Ancient Peoples
Southwestern Colorado is famous for the cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people. Although the Ancestral Pueblo were not resident as far north east as Colorado Springs, some of the cliff dwellings were transported to this area. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings in Manitou Springs (a short drive from Colorado Springs) showcases the reconstructed cliff dwellings.
If you are in the area (and don’t have time for a trip to Mesa Verde National Park or other cliff dwelling sites in Colorado, New Mexico, or Arizona), Manitou Cliff Dwellings is a great stop to learn about this ancient, mysterious culture. You can walk through the dwellings, see a kiva (a circular, religious room of the Ancestral Pueblo). Also, tour the museum where you’ll see examples of pottery, weapons, and tools used by the ancient people.
See Santa Claus and His Reindeer at this Amusement Park
Did you know the North Pole is at the base of Pike’s Peak? Yes, just a short fifteen minute drive from Colorado Springs, you visit Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole.
The amusement park, operating since the 1950s, has everything your family desires. Visit Santa in his home. See and feed Santa’s reindeer. Take in a magic show. Walk through (and shop in) a colorful North Pole village. Mail your letters and cards at an official North Pole post office. And enjoy the rides.
Santa’s Workshop has dozens of family friendly rides sure to delight the entire family. You won’t find the latest and most thrilling roller coasters at the North Pole. The rides are suitable for almost everyone in the family. And there is a special children’s only ride section for the younger kids in your family.
The park is open late spring through Christmas Eve when Santa and his reindeer jet set around the globe, delivering presents to all the good boys and girls.
For more details, check out our Complete Guide to Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole.
Admire (and Drool Over) Coins from Around the World at this Museum
We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Money Museum in Colorado Springs. You can see some of the world’s rarest coins on display. In fact, some of these coins only have one to three in existence worldwide. The History of Money exhibit takes you on a whirlwind tour of the world throughout the ages. You see coins from many countries and cultures, including some of the earliest coins every circulated.
One of our favorite exhibits displays currency misprints and mistakes. It is fun to see if you can catch the mistakes. Some are obvious. All invoke a good chuckle.
The museum also has a kids corner where kids can complete puzzles and measure money on a scale. And all kids can take a real coin from the treasure chest when they leave the museum.
Take a peak at our complete guide to the Money Museum.
Park a Mars Rover at Space Foundation Discovery Center
Although NASA doesn’t have a home in Colorado Springs, there is a museum with displays of NASA machinery. Space Foundation Discovery Center exhibits include a mock space lab and paraphernalia from NASA and other space programs.
We enjoyed learning about our universe during a docent led talk. And we really got a kick out of trying to park a robotic Mars rover on the red planet. Space Foundation Discovery Center has ample interactive displays everyone in the family will enjoy.
In addition to the permanent displays, the docents regularly have special talks and events throughout museum hours. The events allegedly appeal to kids, but we found that most adults were just as involved in the activities as their younger counterparts.
See how we spent the day at Space Foundation Discovery Center.
Spend a Day and Night at an Indoor Water Park
The Springs is home to a Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park. The water park provide hours of fun for guests of the resort.
However, there is a lot more to do at the Great Wolf Lodge. The Colorado Springs location includes an adventure park. You and your family can climb a rock wall, tackle a ropes course, lower your golf score at putt-putt golf, sluice for gemstones, and win big at the arcade.
The adventures don’t stop with Magic Quest. Your kids can purchase a special wand, allowing them to unlock mysteries around the resort.
The Lodge hosts special events throughout the year, including special holiday events around Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.
Find out everything you can do with a Wolf Pass at Great Wolf Lodge.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Our guide to 10 Fun Family Activities in Denver.
Discover an Out-of-This-World Paint Mines Geological Park in Colorado.
Our Guide to Spend 24 hours in Grand Canyon National Park.
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