🏔️ Cripple Creek, Colorado: Ghost‑Town Glory Meets Wild‑West Charm

August 11, 2024

Last week, we wandered through Manitou Springs… this week, we’re diving into a part of Colorado we’ve never explored — and I’m buzzing with excitement! We love small towns, especially ones draped in incredible stories, and Cripple Creek delivers that in spades. So buckle up: let’s travel 45 miles west of Colorado Springs, winding up scenic Highway 67 from Divide into the dramatic Rocky Mountains, to discover a gold‑rush ghost‑town that still shines.

🚗 The Scenic Highway 67 Drive — Your Gateway to Gold Rush Country

Cruising along Highway 67 from Divide, you’re treated to endless forested curves, mountain panoramas, and that unmistakable crisp mountain air. Every mile up to 9,494 ft elevation builds anticipation—this isn’t just a road trip; it’s a journey back to 1890s gold-rush glory.

🪙 Why It’s Called Cripple Creek—and Why It Mattered

The town’s quirky name comes from the local creek: cattle often injured themselves crossing its rocky bottom, leaving some "crippled." Charming? Not really. But after Bob Womack’s 1890 gold strike in Poverty Gulch, Cripple Creek became the West’s last great gold camp, producing more gold than California and Alaska combined! Who knew a few injured cows would foreshadow a golden empire?

🏛️ Cripple Creek Heritage & Information Center — A 3‑Story Time Machine

Stepping into this museum is like entering a living history book. Expanded over three floors, it's packed with interactive displays, vintage mining tools, historic photos, and immersive audio. Don't miss the overlook of Poverty Gulch, the literal birthplace of the gold rush.

• Quick snapshot:

  • 1881: Just 500 residents

  • 1882: Population jump to 2,500

  • 1894–1900: Hits a whopping 55,000

  • From tents to a fully fledged city in under a decade!

This museum is absolutely essential if you want to understand how Cripple Creek went from pastoral pasture to glittering boomtown.

⛏️ Molly Kathleen Gold Mine Tour — 1,000 Ft Underground Adventure!

Feeling brave? Descend 1,000 ft via elevator into the only vertical-shaft gold mine tour in America. Inside, you’ll:

• Meander through tight dimly lit tunnels

• See early mining tools like drills, carts, and tracks

• Experience mine safety in the 1890s: sparks, dust, danger

• Feel the cool 50°F underground air

Guides share vivid tales of miners hauling ore, freezing winters, and life on the edge—an unforgettable peek into subterranean history.

🚔 Cripple Creek Jail Museum — True‑Crime in the Old West

Housed in the original 1901 jail, this eerie museum reveals:

• 🗝️ Graffiti & confessions from real former inmates

• ⚡ Early indoor plumbing & electric lighting—very fancy for its time

• Cells designed for 16, but packed with six men per cell

• Stories of jailbreaks, lawmen vs. outlaws, and a matron’s office upstairs

• Women sometimes jailed to receive medical care!

Operating for 91 years, this jail closed only in 1992. Thankfully, now preserved to tell tales of law, lore, and low-lifes.

💃 Old Homestead House Museum — Millionaires, Madams & Victorian Vice

Step inside Cripple Creek’s most luxurious brothel, once reserved for millionaire clients only. Highlights include:

• Proving your wealth before entry—serious security!

• Victorian decor, authentic furnishings, and para-pharmaceutical equipment

• Shocking — corsets to 18″ waists, monthly health checks, “shopping days,” church mandated

• Today’s guided tours share frank, eye-opening tales

This isn’t just titillation—it’s a complicated slice of women’s history in the mountains.

🚂 Midland Terminal Depot / Cripple Creek District Museum — Railways & Raw Ore

In a beautifully restored 1895 train depot, this open-access museum includes:

• Miners’ cabins from 1892 & 1900 (one once home to “French Blanche”!)

• A recreated assay office — where ore was tested for gold

• Saloon displays, local artifacts, railroad gear

• A working garage/manufacture exhibit

Many items have been donated from local basements. Expect reels of mining maps, antique tools, and railroad nostalgia.

🐴 The Wild Donkeys — Living Legends of the Mines

Perma-residents of Cripple Creek, these donkeys descend from working burros used in mines. Spots to find them:

• Lazing near roads and sidewalks downtown

• Protected by a local non-profit

• Please feed them only approved donkey treats (available at local stores)

• Never pet foals—they’re best kept with mom!

They’re cute, iconic, and totally wild—the real mascots of a mining town.

🏨 Hospitality House & RV Park — Sleep in History

When boondocking went sideways (thanks rain & rocky washboard roads!), we landed at Hospitality House, originally a hospital and poorhouse turned vintage hotel & RV Park.

• Highlights:

  • Former wards are now cozy rooms with authentic architectural details

  • Dining area was once a hospital ward

  • People who couldn’t afford care once lived here

  • Hospital closed 1910; nursing home in the ‘30s; restored ’63 onwards

Owned by the Leonard family today, this charming stop brings comfort and history together.

🎰 Cripple Creek Casinos — Gold Rush 2.0?

Thanks to 1991’s Amendment 4, Cripple Creek legalized limited-stakes gambling to revive the town. Now, historic buildings host:

• Slot machines, poker, blackjack

• Locally loved venues like Brass Ass, McGills, and Midnight Rose

• A lively but controversial layer—helped with jobs and tourism, but some locals feel the casinos overwhelm the historic character

We skipped gambling, but the architecture (and juicy gossip) are still worth a visit.

🎭 Grand Opera House Ruins — Echoes of Elegance

Rebuilt after fires in 1896 and 1900, these brick ruins still showcase:

• A 1200-seat theater that hosted opera, boxing, and rodeo

• The first indoor rodeo ever held

• Stone pillars, brickwork architecture, haunting scenic views

• A symbol of Cripple Creek’s wild ambition and cultural flair

Bring a camera—the ruins are photogenic and atmospheric.

⚰️ Mount Pisgah Cemetery — Silent Stories of the Past

Set on a mellow hillside just outside downtown, this old cemetery offers:

• Gravestones dating to the 1890s

• A touching veterans’ memorial

• Beautiful views and peaceful walkways

• Monuments to miners, pioneers, and early settlers

Perfect for a reflective stroll before heading slowly back down the mountain.

🛍️ Thrift & Antique Hunting — Treasure in Every Aisle

Explore random thrift and antique shops to discover:

• Vintage miner’s tools, old mining maps

• Handmade leather goods, frontier-era relics

• Local art, memorabilia, and quirky collectibles

It’s treasure hunting with a historical twist!

🍦 Root Beer Float Finale — Sweet Endings

After a full day of exploring, treat yourself to a classic root beer float or local ice cream. Our favorite spot? A nostalgic café with old-school vibes, plentiful shakes, and friendly smiles.

📜 Final Thoughts: Cripple Creek Is More Than A Ghost Town

Whether you’re into:

• 🏛️ Deep-dive history

• ⛏️ Underground adventure

• 🕵️ True-crime storytelling

• 💸 Outlaw-era intrigue

• 🐴 Wild burros

• 🌲 Dramatic mountain scenery

…Cripple Creek offers a full, unforgettable experience. Its brick storefronts, mine shafts, burros, and ruins embody the spirit of the American West—gritty, golden, and beautiful.

🎒 Planning Tips

1. Mine Tour: Book in advance for Molly Kathleen

2. Brothel Museum: Adult-circulation only!

3. Donkey treats: Available downtown—please don’t feed junk

4. Casino caution: Enjoy the atmosphere, leave the wallet behind

5. Hospitality House: Reserve early—they fill fast!

👉 What’s Next?

We wrapped up our trip with a slow drive through the Gold Belt Scenic Byway—but that’s a story for another post 😉

Thinking about visiting? Start with:

• Mining heritage at the Heritage Center

• Molly Kathleen tour

• Jail and brothel museums

• Donkey sightings

• Lunch, thrift shop, and ice cream

Cripple Creek isn’t just a stop on a map—it’s an immersive journey into Colorado’s rugged past.