CRIPPLE CREEK — For more than 100 years, people have been coming to a small Colorado town with the dreams of striking it rich.
It started with tens of thousands of gold-seekers in the late 1800s and has transformed into gamblers, trying their luck in one of the town’s grand casinos.
Cripple Creek is a charming community with a rich heritage. Located just over two hours southwest of Denver and about an hour outside of Colorado Springs, the town sits on the southwest slope of Pikes Peak.
Take a photo tour of Cripple Creek
Just over 1,000 people call Cripple Creek home, according to the most recent census numbers, but many more come through the town each year to visit.
It is still a well-known gambling town, with nine large casinos occupying many of the restored brick buildings along the main street of downtown.
However, Cripple Creek has so much more to offer: for those who need a break between card games and slot machines and even those who have no interest in gambling.
This story is part of the weekly 9Neighborhoods series where we travel to towns and neighborhoods throughout Colorado and highlight what makes each of them unique. You can follow along on our photo tour of Cripple Creek Friday afternoon on Instagram.
The World’s Greatest Gold Camp
The earliest people to live in what is now Cripple Creek were tribes of Utes. What is now Ute Pass on Highway 24 was a major passageway into the mountains for the tribe.
Fur trappers came next, roaming the area in the early 1800s.
The first settlers arrived in the 1870s, using the land for ranches. Grazing cattle would occasionally get injured because the streambed in the area is unusually rocky. In fact, this is where the name Cripple Creek comes from.
But, it was the discovery of gold by a local cowboy in 1890 that would put Cripple Creek on the national radar.
On April 5, 1891, the Cripple Creek Gold Mining District was formed.
In the 71 years the district was in operation, nearly 500 mines produced more than 21 million ounces of gold, more than was retrieved in either the California or Alaska gold rush. That amount would have been worth about $11 billion in today’s money.
At the peak of Cripple Creek’s gold rush, three railroads ran to the camp: one from Florence to the south and routes from Colorado Springs to the east.
Within town, Cripple Creek had two electric street cars and an electric train that connected it to the nearby towns of Victor, Elkton and Anaconda.
Production eventually slowed and by 1962 all of the mines had closed. However, a few have since reopened, and gold is again coming from the Cripple Creek area.
Gambling in Cripple Creek
When the mines closed in Cripple Creek, both the population and tourism vastly declined.
In 1991, legalized gambling was introduced, and a resurgence began.
Many of the town’s historic buildings were refurbished and turned into casinos. Today, there are nine in Cripple Creek.
The casinos offer slot machines, table games, video poker, off-track betting and 24-hour drink service. Many also have entertainment, restaurants and on-site hotels.
But what if I don’t gamble?
While most people know Cripple Creek because of its casinos, there is actually much more to do in the town than just gamble.
Here is a look at some of the other attractions in Cripple Creek:
Fall Colors
Today, most people get to Cripple Creek by taking Colorado Highway 67 south from Divide. And in the fall, the drive is one of the most spectacular in the state.
Enjoy breathtaking vistas of bright yellows, oranges and greens with plenty of safe places to pull over to take pictures.
The Horsethief Park trailhead is also located about half way and has access to two popular trails: Pancake Rocks and Horsethief Falls.
Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad
From mid-May through mid-October, visitors to Cripple Creek can take a narrow-gauge train through the historic Cripple Creek mining district.
The 4-mile trip lasts about 45 minutes and includes narration about the historic sites along the route as well as a few stops for photos.
The trains themselves are also historic: steam locomotives built between 1902 and 1947.
Tickets are $10 - $15 and can be bought at the 1894 Bull Hill depot, which is where the train departs from about every 40 minutes.
Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine
Another way to experience Cripple Creek’s history is with a tour at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine.
Not for the claustrophobic, the tour takes visitors 100 stories into a vertical mine shaft to see natural gold veins, ride an underground tram and see real mining equipment.
Tours last about an hour and cost $15 - $25. Also, be aware, even it’s very hot outside the temperature underground is always about 50 degrees.
The Butte Theater
In 1896, the Butte Concert and Beer Hall first opened in Cripple Creek, bringing nightly entertainment to the mining town. It would later reopen at the Butte Opera House, however that reiteration also did not last long.
After stints as everything from a furniture company to a storage facility for the fire department, the city of Cripple Creek finally decided to refurbish the Butte Theater in 1999.
It reopened in 2000 and became the new home of the Cripple Creek melodrama.
Today, the Butte Theater hosts the professional Thin Air Theatre Company and is working to also have a community theater productions and free movies.
Gold Camp Trail
A one-mile trek, Gold Camp Trail is a unique way to learn more about Cripple Creek’s mining history.
The trail includes interpretive signs, pointing out both historic mining sites and functioning mine operations. As the trail gains elevation, it also provides beautiful views of the surrounding area.
Parking for the trail is allowed at the Cripple Creek Welcome Center.
Homestead House Museum
During Cripple Creek’s heyday, many infamous brothels lined Meyers Avenue in the town.
The Old Homestead, built in 1896, was known as the most elegant in the area. It was designed to serve the rich and powerful of the town, offering the most beautiful women in a luxurious parlor house.
More than 120 years later, it is the only one of those brothels that’s original building remains standing in town.
In 1958, the Old Homestead was restored and reopened as a museum. Guided tours are available for $7.
