Our Tours
Wild History of Old Colorado City
Old Colorado City has a wide history from how it started as a small town to how it boomed into a prospering city. The Kellys’ will tell you the stories of the false ads that lured delegates and other pioneers to this little place and how they made it a grand place. The North side was filled with shops, family businesses, even an opera house, while the South side, Saloon Row, had a wide variety of saloons, gambling halls, and bordellos. There are tales of tunnels under the city, mill workers going on strike, "working" women in the red light district being forced out by a suspicious fire, along with the Woman's Temperance Union fighting against the saloons to make the town dry.
The walk is mainly along Colorado Ave, stopping in front of historical homes and famous buildings, while we discuss their history and what made them so special. Dress accordingly depending on the weather.
Length of walk; Half a mile
Duration; 2 hours
The Colorful Past of Manitou Springs
Manitou Springs certainly has its stories from being part of the Ute’s migrant route, to discovering the springs and turning the place into a health town for those seeking to cure their tuberculosis. Join the Kellys’ as they take you on a stroll through historic Manitou and turn back time. This is a place where the streets were built with the future in mind., from electric lights to street cars and advanced medical treatments. We’ll stop at the popular springs where you can taste their flavors, and learn their different properties for health. Come and join us for a special history walk and see how the town turned from a health spot to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Pikes Peak region.
Length of walk; Half a mile
Duration; 1 & 1/2 hours
Stroll Through the Ghost Town Museum
Here at the original location of the Roundhouse for the Midland Terminal, lays the Ghost Town Museum. No, this isn't a haunted house. In the old warehouse for the railroad is a self-built town replicating an ghost town of the old west, put together with vintage artifacts from store fronts, carriages, and other items.
The Kellys will walk you through the history of Colorado's early settlements, with thousands of pioneer artifacts put together to resemble an actual ghost town, filled with every item you can imagine. We'll be going step by step with each structure and its main function for the town and the people who ran the establishments and how they influenced future occupations today.
Apart from observing the structures, the museum also holds arcade entertainment, such as a shooting gallery, slot machines, nickelodeons, player pianos, and even a fortune teller. So, bring a bunch of quarters with you!
The museum provides its own parking and has an admission fee of $8.
Duration; 2 hours
Pueblo’s Railroads
Down in Pueblo, the Kellys’ will discuss the railway’s history in Colorado and how it shaped the state. Not that we're going ‘off the rails’ as we'll take you to Historic Downtown Pueblo and show you the amazing sites from the old Pueblo Union Depot, to the warehouse's ‘now-made’ museum, right down to the old newspaper building and town hall.
We'll guide you not just down the streets but through time. The state of Colorado was kicking off during the industrial revolution. Apart from railroads connecting pioneer towns to major cities, factories with access to quick resources were a bonus, especially the gold and silver in the mountains. As a result, the railway helped bring a lot of booming businesses everywhere.
Not all was glamorous. Life working the railway was rough, especially for the immigrants who acquired the lowliest jobs. It was highly unsafe if you didn't know what you were doing. Even if you did, environmental hazards tore the rails apart. For Pueblo, the worst case was the 1921 flood that turned the railcars into boats, ramming them into the buildings as they were washed away.
The tour will meet behind the Pueblo Union Depot. We'll mainly be outside for most of the tour, so dress accordingly to the weather.
Length of walk; 1/2 mile
Duration; 1 hour 30 minutes
Military Aircraft
At the Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, the Kellys’ will give you a look at military aircraft and its history. From World War I flying machines to modern interceptors, we’ll walk through history among the magnificent aircraft. We’ll discuss the history of World War II both in Europe and here in Colorado, mainly focusing on the aircraft used during the time. Many of the planes we get to see inside, including the Peachy, a B29.
You will also get to look at the museum's ongoing preservation efforts to restore these remarkable aircraft to the way they were when they flew. The museum also boasts a large NASA section with only Delta 2 rocket motors on display in the united states.
Admission for the Museum is $10
Duration; 1 hour 30 mins
True Crimes of Colorado Springs
~Night Tour~
The Kelly’s will take you on a walk through downtown Colorado Springs, discussing some of the most interesting and gruesome crimes in a place that was once known as ‘Little London.’ Believe it or not, some horrible murders and unsolved deaths happened here on the streets of downtown Colorado Springs, along with gangster shootouts, and some cannibalism.
All the crimes we will talk about were pulled from real case files. To bring out the horror of these events, we’ll be walking the streets downtown at sunset just as night is creeping along the sky.
Length of walk; Half a mile
Duration; 1 Hour and 30 Minutes
Saloon Stories of Old Colorado City
~Night Tour~
Did you ever hear a story so bizarre that you thought it couldn’t be true? A gangster by the name of Soapy Smith. A sheriff’s wife who was a bank robber? Or Mike the headless chicken? Or of crazy Baby Doe who spent the majority of her life by an old silver mine because of a promise she made?
Join the Kelly’s at night as we take you on a trip through Old Colorado City’s ‘Saloon Row.’ We’ll tell you the many wacky and weird stories that would have been discussed over drinks, from the crazy widows to old west shootouts, local legends, and stories from all over Colorado.
Length of walk; 3/4 of a mile
Duration; 1 hour and 30 minutes
Haunted Tales of Manitou
~Night Tour~
A ghost-walk tour through the historic area of Manitou Springs in the shadows of Pikes Peak, where you'll hear some of the local ghost stories and learn of their historic, if not twisted, background. We'll be visiting some of the oldest buildings of the town, where blood was spilled from gruesome robberies, questionable suicides, native curses, and a mad doctor who ran crazy experiments involving mummification. Not to mention the stories behind Emma Crawford and her family holding seances connecting them to the spirits.
Manitou Springs is known as the "Witch Town" of Colorado, and we're going to share with you the mystical and bewitching stories on why this is. We hope to see you there!
This is a night tour, so dress accordingly to the weather. Wear something warm and comfortable shoes. Because it is dark, you may bring your own flashlight or something to help light your way through the town.
Length of walk; Half a mile
Duration; 2 Hours
Ghost Towns and Gold Mines of Cripple Creek
By the town of Goldfield CO, we will be guiding you around the Vindicator Trail, a walk-through ghost town where the structures of the ore houses, hoist shafts, and miner's cabins still stand. We'll take a walk back in time to when the land of sleepy cow pastures was turned into a dozen mining towns, to the miner's daily life struggle and their many dangers, to the area's involvement during the Labor Wars, to finally when the mines went bust. We'll also be discussing the area's life cycle in how it was before gold was discovered, to when it altered due to mines digging out the earth and, to how it changed again with new laws today to care for the environment while mining.
Please plan accordingly and be ready for exercise. Trail can be rough going up and down slopes. It's not meant for those who have difficulty with mobility such as walkers or wheelchairs. For those with children, I recommend a minimum age limit of 9 years old.
Goldfield is over 9,900 feet above sea level. So for some, the hike through the trail may feel straining. It’s best that you take your time and pace yourself. Wear comfortable shoes. The terrain also has little to no shade. Make sure you have your water with you, and that you have protective headgear from the sun; a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
Native America and the Colorado Wars
Over in Garden of the Gods, the Kellys will walk you through the marvelous structures as we talk about the Natives of America before the disruption of European settlers, their continuous relocation, fighting for their rights and land, and how they live today. Though we will be talking about the nations and tribes as a whole, we'll mainly be focusing on the tribes in the Colorado area and the 'treaties' and 'massacres' that took place on both sides.
The nations of the people in North America were as sophisticated as the ones in Europe, with government, laws, and lifestyles lasting for hundreds, if not thousands of years. We hope to enlighten you about the cultures, focusing on the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Utes.
This tour is darker than most, discussing the Sandcreek massacre and the Utes' relocation. We believe that history, even its disgraceful bits, should not be hidden. There is a saying, a society that ignores history has no past or future. Please join us in exploring this part so that we may learn from it.
The tour is mainly outside, so be sure to dress appropriately, wear sunscreen, and have water with you. We meet in the parking lot of Garden of the Gods located at 3105 Gateway Rd and walk for a mile and a half, making one giant loop ending where we started. We suggest you come via Garden of the Gods Road to North 30th Street as construction and traffic in the park will make it difficult to come another way.
Length of walk; One mile
Duration; 2 Hours
Book a Tour
Would you like a private tour for yourself and your loved ones? Family reunion, wedding party, adventure club, or just a special occasion? Simply email us which historical walk you would like.