History walking tours uncover downtown's hidden past

Colorado Springs' past is hiding in plain sight.

Why it matters: Two walking tours this month will transform familiar buildings and downtown intersections into a record of how the city was built, giving newcomers and longtime residents a stronger sense of place.

Driving the news: The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum will offer two "Seeing History in Place" tours as part of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and Colorado's 150th year of statehood.

The walking talk is less like a history class, memorizing names and dates, and more of a guide to the city's history in its streets.

What they're saying: Museum program administrator Meg Yevara told the Gazette, "Our history matters. We're part of the story."

The intrigue: The Antlers hotel hosted Colorado's 25th-anniversary celebration in 1901 with speeches, parades and a women's congress.

Near Pikes Peak Avenue, the first stake was placed for Fountain Colony — the settlement that became Colorado Springs.

If you go: Both tours begin and end at the Mining Exchange Hotel, covering roughly 1 mile in 90 minutes.

The first is 9:30 to 11am Saturday. Tickets cost $10.

The second is 2 to 3:30pm Sept. 26. The walk includes a cocktail at the Mining Exchange's Golden Hour bar. Tickets are $15, and participants must be 21 or older.

The big picture: The museum's strolls are part of a broader menu of ways to explore Colorado Springs history on foot.

The Downtown Partnership offers hourlong tours one Saturday a month from February through October, covering landmarks, public art and cultural attractions. The outings frequently sell out.

The season's next tour, "Ghosts of Downtown," is scheduled for Oct. 3 and features Pikes Peak Writers Guild storytellers sharing true and invented tales from the city's early years.

The bottom line: Colorado Springs is alive with history — you just have to slow down long enough to see it.