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Top Attractions in Aspen

Holden/Marolt Mining and Ranching Museum

The Holden/Marolt Mining and Ranching Museum is located on the former Holden Mining and Smelting Company facility on the western edge of the city of Aspen, Colorado, United States. It consists of one remaining building and the remains of some others. In 1990 it was recognized as a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the only district in the city to be so recognized. It was built in 1891 to process ore mined from the mountains around the city into silver through lixiviation. Within two years it had to be shut down when a change in U.S. government policy led to a huge drop in silver production and drove it into bankruptcy. The buildings remained standing and were eventually bought by a local rancher to expand. His family later donated them to the Aspen Historical Society, which restored them and reopened the property as a museum of its early days as a mining boomtown.

Ski Lift No. 1

The former Ski Lift No. 1 begins on Aspen Street in Aspen, Colorado, United States, and climbs up the slopes of Aspen Mountain. It was built in the late 1940s on the site of Aspen's first ski lift, known as the Boat Tow. In 1990 it was listed under that name on the National Register of Historic Places, one of only two ski lifts in the country so recognized. It was originally built with motors and other equipment left over from Aspen's days as a silver mining center in the late 19th century. The development of the ski area that began with the lift began the revival of Aspen into the upscale resort town it has since become, which in turn helped establish downhill skiing as a major winter recreational activity in the Western United States after the war. When the current structure was opened, Aspen claimed it was the longest ski lift in the world. It was closed in 1971, but all its facilities remain on the mountain. It is one of the few remaining single-chair chairlifts in the United States. A small park and commemorative plaque have been established at the bottom station. One of the original boats was on display there as well, but has since been removed.

Wheeler–Stallard House

The Wheeler–Stallard House is located on West Bleeker Street in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is an 1880s brick structure built in the Queen Anne architectural style, and renovated twice in the 20th century. In 1975 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built by Jerome B. Wheeler, an early investor in Aspens silver mines during its boomtown years. He and two wealthy tenants rarely spent much time in the house before the Colorado Silver Boom ended in 1893. After a decade of vacancy, it became the home of the Stallard family for much of the early 20th century, the "quiet years" when Aspens economy was depressed and its remaining residents struggled to make a living. After World War II it was bought by Walter Paepcke, who like Wheeler came to visit Aspen and invested heavily in its development, leading to the city becoming a cultural center and upscale ski resort. He never lived there himself, and it eventually became the residence of Alvin C. Eurich during his tenure as Aspen Institute president. Since the late 1960s it has been the home of the Aspen Historical Society, which operates it partially as a historic house museum.

Independence

Independence is a ghost town in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located just off State Highway 82 in the eastern corner of Pitkin County, below the Continental Divide. It was the first settlement established in the Roaring Fork Valley, after gold was struck in the vicinity on Independence Day, July 4, 1879, hence its name. In 1973 it was recognized as a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Independence and Independence Mill Site, one of two ghost towns in the county so recognized. It has also been known historically by other names—Chipeta, Mammoth City, Mount Hope, Farwell, Sparkill and Hunter's Pass. Like other early settlements in the upper Roaring Fork Valley, it lost population over the course of the decade as Aspen emerged as the ideal location for commerce in the region, and then became the county seat. It was never able to overcome the severe winters that resulted from its location at a high elevation in the mountains, and at the end of the 19th century all but one of the remaining residents abandoned Independence en masse after a particularly heavy snowstorm to settle in Aspen. It has been a ghost town since at least 1912. The remaining structures, all log cabins of various sizes, are now on land partially in White River National Forest. It is one of the few abandoned mining camps in the state where any buildings are left. In the late 20th century they were restored and interpretive materials added.

Maroon Bells

The Maroon Bells are two peaks in the Elk Mountains, Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak, separated by about a third of a mile. The mountains are on the border between Pitkin County and Gunnison County, Colorado, United States, about 12 miles southwest of Aspen. Both peaks are fourteeners. Maroon Peak, at 14,163 feet, is the 27th highest peak in Colorado; North Maroon Peak, at 14,019 feet, is the 50th highest. The view of the Maroon Bells to the southwest from the Maroon Creek valley is one of the most famous scenes in Colorado, and is reputed to be the "most-photographed spot in Colorado" and one of Colorados premier scenic overlooks. The peaks are located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest. A US Forest Service sign on the access trail refers to these mountains as "The Deadly Bells" and warns would-be climbers of "downsloping, loose, rotten and unstable" rock that "kills without warning". Unlike other mountains in the Rockies that are composed of granite and limestone, the Bells are composed of metamorphic sedimentary mudstone that has hardened into rock over millions of years. Mudstone is weak and fractures readily, giving rise to dangerously loose rock along almost any route. The mudstone is responsible for the Bells distinctive maroon color. The Bells got their "deadly" name in 1965 when eight people died in five separate accidents. There are several hiking trails: Maroon Lake, Maroon Creek, and Crater Lake. Although motorized vehicle access is limited, bus tours operate throughout summer. Maroon Lake occupies a basin that was sculpted by Ice-Age glaciers and later dammed by landslide and rockfall debris from the steep slopes above the valley floor.

Maroon Creek Bridge

The original Maroon Creek Bridge is a steel trestle along State Highway 82 at the western boundary of Aspen, Colorado, United States. It was designed by George S. Morison in 1888 for the Colorado Midland Railroad, one of the last viaducts in Colorado built for a standard gauge mountain railroad in the 19th century. Of the five steel bridges the Midland built, it is the only one still extant. Due to the later removal of most track and the rail depots, the bridge is the most visible remnant of rail service to Aspen. In 1985 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with other highway bridges in the state, including the Sheely Bridge, also in Aspen. When it was built, the Midland was ahead in its race with the Denver and Rio Grande to make the first rail connection to Aspen, then a booming silver mining center. The Midland had followed the Roaring Fork Valley up from its main line at Glenwood Springs, but was stalled at Maroon Creek by a delay in the bridge steel. The Rio Grande was thus able to make up the difference and bring the first train to Aspen, with the Midland following a few months later. Aspens boom years ended a few years later, and by the 1920s the bridge was abandoned. It was soon expanded and converted to use as a road bridge. It served as the main entrance to Aspen for many visitors as the citys economy rebounded when the Aspen Mountain ski resort was developed after World War II. As growth spilled over to Aspens west, it became a traffic choke point for the region. It remained in use until longstanding plans for a newer, wider bridge came to fruition in 2008. At that time the original bridge was the oldest one still in use on Colorados state highways. The award-winning new bridge was designed to be aesthetically similar to its predecessor, which remains in service as a foot bridge. It may be used for a light rail line to further alleviate traffic problems in the valley.

Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park, also known as the Henry Webber House or the Webber-Paepcke House, is located on West Bleeker Street in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is a brick structure erected in the 1880s, one of the few such homes in the city. In 1987 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Henry Webber, its builder, was a shoe merchant who grew wealthy from his mining investments during Aspen's original growth during the Colorado Silver Boom. The house is said to be haunted by the ghost of his wife Harriet, who died under controversial circumstances. It is the only intact house in the Second Empire architectural style in the city, particularly on the interior. At one time it was owned by Walter Paepcke, the Chicago businessman who led Aspen's mid-20th-century renaissance as a ski resort town. While Paepcke owned the house, he invited Albert Schweitzer to Aspen to give the keynote speech at a festival he organized to commemorate Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's bicentennial. It was Schweitzer's only visit to the U.S., and he stayed in the carriage house at the rear of the property. Today that building, a contributing resource to the Register listing, is known as Schweitzer Cottage. The house remains a private residence.

Bowles–Cooley House

The Bowles-Cooley House is located at the corner of West Francis and North First streets in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is a brick structure in the Queen Anne architectural style built during the 1880s. In 1987 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with many other historic properties in the city. It is one of the few large brick houses built in Aspen during its early boomtown era, and one of the largest houses built in the city's West End. The name comes from its first two residents, a local lumber merchant who built it and a mining lawyer. Many years later it would be the home of Red Rowland, vice president of the Aspen Skiing Company and manager of the Aspen Mountain ski area. It is considered an excellent local example of the Queen Anne style, and has been preserved relatively intact. It continues to be a private residence.

D.E. Frantz House

The D.E. Frantz House is located on West Bleeker Street in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is a wooden frame house constructed for a local lumber magnate during the 1880s in the Queen Anne architectural style. It has remained a private residence ever since and is largely intact. In 1987 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with other historic properties in the city. Included in the listing is a small barn in the back, although the date of its construction is not known. It is the only Victorian house in Aspen that retains its oriel window. The extension of the gabled roof on one side to shelter the porch is also a unique feature within the city. At the time it was listed it was owned by Ruth Whyte, a longtime community leader active in many important local organizations.

Newberry House

The Newberry House, also known as the Judge Shaw House, is located on Lake Avenue in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is a wooden structure in the Shingle Style built around 1890. In 1987 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with other properties in the city. It incorporates an unusual carriage house into its overall design, the only house in Aspen to do so. In 1922 William Shaw, an attorney who had specialized in water law, moved in, following his ascension to the city's judgeship the previous year. He remained in the house until 1969, during which time Aspen went from a depressed former mining town to a bustling, glamorous ski resort, a process he played a small role in. After his tenure, the house passed to other owners, eventually becoming one of several Aspen properties owned by Jack Nicholson, one of the celebrities who had early on been drawn to Aspen as a retreat, until he sold it in 2013. It has remained intact with few alterations.

La Fave Block

The La Fave Block is located at the intersection of East Cooper Avenue and South Hunter Street in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is a brick commercial building erected in the late 1880s, during the initial mining boom that created Aspen. Today it is the second oldest brick commercial building in the city, and, along with its neighbors on East Cooper, the only structure left built by Frank LaFave, one of Aspen's early settlers. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Its ornate Victorian architecture and idiosyncratic fenestration has survived, and it has become one of the most valuable commercial properties in contemporary Aspen due to its location a short distance from the Aspen Mountain ski resort's main lifts. At one point in the 20th century it was the office of an important local architect; and later a ski shop run by Olympic gold medalist Stein Eriksen. Its primary tenant is a clothing store run by Leonard "Boogie" Weinglass, the man said to have inspired a character portrayed by Mickey Rourke. In 2008 it sold for $14.6 million.

Davis Waite House

The Davis Waite House is located on West Francis Street in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is a wooden structure in Victorian architectural styles built during the 1880s. In 1987 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with several other historic properties in the city. Davis H. Waite, an early owner, was one of the founding publishers of The Aspen Daily Times. He was later elected governor of Colorado. After a single term he returned to Aspen. Later owners included Herbert Bayer, an Austrian architect extensively involved in the mid-20th-century renovation of Aspen, and Robert Orville Anderson, an oil executive who was chairman of the Aspen Institute board. The property includes two small outbuildings, one of which is a more modern one that has been connected to the main house since its construction. The unconnected one is believed to be one of Aspen's few remaining original log cabins, now covered in clapboard, and is thus considered a contributing resource to the National Register listing. All buildings have remained largely intact.

Collins Block

The Collins Block is located at the intersection of East Hopkins Avenue and South Mill Street in Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is a brick and stone structure erected in the early 1890s. In 1987 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with many other historic properties in the city. It was the last major construction project in the city before the silver-mining industry, mainstay of Aspen's economy, collapsed following the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. The classically inspired decorative touches, such as a colonnade-supported roof over the sidewalk and an elaborate cornice, are the only ones on a commercial building in the city. They anticipate the wider embrace of the Classical Revival style in other cities that began a few years later. For much of its existence it housed a lumber supply store. Local developer Harley Baldwin, owner of the neighboring Brand Building, bought it in 1988. After renovations, he began leasing space within the buildings to upscale retailers, earning the two the combined nickname of "Gucci Gulch". The Caribou Club, a members-only restaurant and Aspen institution, is located in the basement.

Smuggler Mine

The Smuggler Mine is located on the slopes of Smuggler Mountain, on the north edge of Aspen, Colorado, United States. It is the oldest operating silver mine in the Aspen mining district, and one of the few still operating from Aspen's early boom years. In 1987 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The largest silver nugget ever mined, weighing 1840 lbs came from Smuggler. At its peak the mine was responsible for nearly one-fifth of the world's total silver output. Its extensive tunnel system reaches more than a thousand feet below the entrance, extending under the city of Aspen, although most of the lower tunnels are presently flooded. Smuggler was one of the few mines in the Aspen area to reopen after the 1893 repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. It continued producing ore until 1918, and was reopened in the 1970s. In 1984 it was designated a Superfund site after tests found high levels of lead and cadmium in the soil. It took the Environmental Protection Agency 12 years to clean up the site. While it is estimated that nearly a million pounds of recoverable ore remain in the mine, it is used as much for tours today as mining. In 2012 it and two nearby lots were put up for sale.

Independence Pass

Independence Pass, originally known as Hunter Pass, is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. It is at elevation 12,095 ft on the Continental Divide in the Sawatch Range. The pass is midway between Aspen and Twin Lakes, on the border between Pitkin and Lake counties. State Highway 82 traverses it, in the process reaching the highest elevation of a paved Colorado state highway on a through road. After Cottonwood Pass to the south, it is the second-highest pass with an improved road in the state, the fourth-highest paved road in the state and the highest paved crossing of the Continental Divide in the U.S. Because of the heavy snowfall at its elevation, it is closed in wintertime, isolating Aspen from direct access from the east during the ski season. When the pass is open in warmer weather, it is a popular destination. A scenic overlook near the pass allows visitors to take in the alpine tundra environment above treeline, and offers excellent views to the east of Mount Elbert, Colorado's highest peak and the second-highest mountain in the contiguous United States. Rock climbers are drawn to nearby bouldering opportunities, and informal paths lead to nearby mountain summits of even higher elevation. Backcountry skiers make use of the slopes during the late spring and early summer. Since 2011 the pass has been on the route of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. The pass was formed by glacial action and erosion in the region, and its first recorded sighting was by Zebulon Pike in 1806. Ferdinand Hayden surveyed it in 1873. As part of the Continental Divide, it was the limit of European settlement in the region at the time, with the land to the west reserved for the Ute people. Prospectors who defied governor Frederick Walker Pitkin's order crossed the pass on July 4, 1879, giving it its current name and setting up a similarly named village to its west. A toll road built across the pass was abandoned and neglected after a railroad connection was made to Aspen. A new road replaced it in the 1920s; portions of the old route can still be seen along the western approach. The Independence Pass Foundation, based in Aspen, works to repair damage to the pass's environment caused by both roads since 1984.
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