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All United States Colorado

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Colorado

294 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Colorado

Updated November 8, 2024

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Cities

Top Cities
Denver
Early morning snow flurries begin to transform one of Colorado Springs’ most spectacular locations.
Colorado Springs
Runoff Collection Pond from Mine Tailings in Leadville Mining District.
Leadville
The Durango-Silverton Train billows with steam along its 26-mile winter trek to Cascade Canyon.
Durango
Rainbow Falls
Manitou Springs
Fort Collins
All Cities
  1. Alamosa
  2. Antonito
  3. Aspen
  4. Aurora
  5. Bailey
  6. Bedrock
  7. Boulder
  8. Breckenridge
  9. Broomfield
  10. Cañon City
  11. Carbondale
  12. Central City
  13. Colorado Springs
  14. Commerce City
  15. Creede
  16. Crestone
  17. Cripple Creek
  18. Del Norte
  19. Denver
  20. Dolores
  21. Durango
  22. Estes Park
  23. Fairplay
  24. Florence
  25. Fort Collins
  26. Fruita
  27. Gateway
  28. Glenwood Springs
  29. Golden
  30. La Junta
  31. Lake City
  32. Lakewood
  33. Leadville
  34. Littleton
  35. Longmont
  36. Loveland
  37. Manitou Springs
  38. Montrose
  39. Morrison
  40. Nathrop
  41. Nederland
  42. Ouray
  43. Pueblo
  44. Red Feather Lakes
  45. Trinidad
  46. Wheat Ridge
  47. Winter Park
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists

Unusual Attractions in Colorado

Paint Mines Interpretive Park

Calhan, Colorado

Paint Mines Interpretive Park

Wondrous sandstone hoodoos where Native Americans collected clay for pottery, 9,000 years ago.
The lake (2)

Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Hanging Lake

Crystal clear lake with a shoreline of travertine located in a Colorado canyon.
Interior of the International Church of Cannabis.

Denver, Colorado

International Church of Cannabis

A technicolor place of worship for Elevationists.
Stanley Hotel at sunrise.

Estes Park, Colorado

The Stanley Hotel

Paranormal experiences in this hotel's room 217 led Stephen King to write "The Shining."
Fresh snow accentuates a warm ancient Puebloan city.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Mesa Verde National Park

The ancient dwellings of the Puebloans, located in the cliffs of majestic mesas.
Fifty-Two 80's

Denver, Colorado

Fifty-Two 80's

This modern antique shop is a museum for 1980's Saturday morning cartoon culture.
Casa Bonita's Lagoon

Lakewood, Colorado

Casa Bonita

At this Denver landmark, the meals are compulsory, the sopapillas are complimentary, and the insanity is everywhere.
Linger Eatuary

Denver, Colorado

Linger Eatuary

Once a mortuary that held the remains of Buffalo Bill, this Denver hotspot is now a death-fixated restaurant.
See All 294 Things To Do in Colorado

Seasonal Magic of Colorado

Sponsored By Visit Colorado

Apatosaurus trackway

List

21 Unexpected Wonders in Colorado’s Vibrant Cities and Small Towns

Uncover hidden gems within Colorado’s charming cities and small towns–like Durango, Golden, Grand Junction, Last Chance, and more.
Sponsored by Visit Colorado
Written and Photographed by Matt Payne

railroads

Colorado Winter Wonderland

Pack your snowshoes and see the Centennial State like never before. We hand-picked a collection of unique Colorado destinations transformed by glistening frost and white snow.
Matt Payne
• Sponsored by Visit Colorado
Durango’s 140-year-old steam locomotive is just one of Colorado’s spectacular historic rail lines.

forests

Ride the Rails to Discover Hidden History and Incredible Hiking in Colorado

Follow the footsteps of cowboys and coal miners—and catch a rare glimpse of the state’s wild inner core.
Corey Buhay
• Sponsored by Visit Colorado

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Colorado

Casa Bonita's Lagoon

Lakewood, Colorado

Casa Bonita

At this Denver landmark, the meals are compulsory, the sopapillas are complimentary, and the insanity is everywhere.
Linger Eatuary

Denver, Colorado

Linger Eatuary

Once a mortuary that held the remains of Buffalo Bill, this Denver hotspot is now a death-fixated restaurant.
Pikes Peak Summit House

Manitou Springs, Colorado

Pikes Peak Summit House

Thanks to a quirk of elevation this gift shop produces magic doughnuts that are found nowhere else on Earth.

Boulder, Colorado

Boulder Teahouse

This tea house was a hand-built gift from Boulder's sister city in Tajikstan.
See all 15 Places to Eat in Colorado
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Sponsored By Visit Colorado

Uncover the Magic

Learn More and Plan Your Trip

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

9 Hidden Wonders in Eastern Colorado

Sponsored by Visit Colorado

Colorado is known for its towering mountains adorned with wildflowers, waterfalls, and endless hiking trails; however, some of its best kept secrets lie on the eastern half of the state. This adventure will take you to the furthest reaches of Colorado’s beautiful prairie and up into the pristine foothills of the Wet Mountains - all places seldom visited and teeming with intrigue. The locations below have been hand-picked for their uniqueness and ability to inspire you to journey through time via some of Colorado’s most obscure and interesting haunts found on the high plains.

View Itinerary
Paint Mines Interpretive Park

Explore Colorado

Museums 27
Mountains 25
History 23
History & Culture 22
Geology 21
Nature 20
Architecture 19
Memorials 19
Collections 16
Animals 15
Art 15
Water 14
Places To Stay 8
Unique Restaurants & Bars 3

Colorado Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for cyccommute
    cyccommute
    32
  2. Avatar image for mikewalker
    mikewalker
    26
  3. Avatar image for hana
    hana
    5
  4. Avatar image for jusTodd
    jusTodd
    5
  5. Avatar image for slgwv
    slgwv
    5
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Colorado.

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for cyccommute
    cyccommute
    46
  2. Avatar image for breaingram
    breaingram
    40
  3. Avatar image for mikewalker
    mikewalker
    36
  4. Avatar image for Collector of Experiences
    Collector of Experiences
    24
  5. I
    IgFan
    21

Places Visited

  1. J
    jecka1
    201
  2. Avatar image for cyccommute
    cyccommute
    189
  3. Avatar image for kevbot
    kevbot
    181
  4. R
    Ryon
    129
  5. Avatar image for mikewalker
    mikewalker
    123

Recent Colorado Activity

  • Avatar image for Holly Prz

    Holly Prz

    wants to go to Irish Miners' Memorial and Cemetery

  • M

    mredthewinner

    wants to go to John Denver Sanctuary

  • 6

    6bkcw4h2rw

    wants to go to John Denver Sanctuary

  • S

    Sigmaclimb28

    wants to go to Magic Meadows Yurt

  • R

    rkurchak

    wants to go to Mesa Verde National Park

Stories About Colorado

Each fall, amorous male tarantulas prowl the Colorado plains in search of mates, who may or may not kill them.

Why Did the Spider Cross the Road?

In Colorado, tap-dancing male tarantulas risk everything for love—including becoming lunch.
by Karuna Eberl
November 6, 2024
Trees and other plants can’t escape wildfire smoke.

Trees Hold Their Breath to Avoid Wildfire Smoke

Researchers made the surprise discovery when wildfire smoke blanketed their test site.
by Delphine Farmer and Mj Riches
August 5, 2024
Durango’s 140-year-old steam locomotive is just one of Colorado’s spectacular historic rail lines.

Ride the Rails to Discover Hidden History and Incredible Hiking in Colorado

Follow the footsteps of cowboys and coal miners—and catch a rare glimpse of the state’s wild inner core.
Sponsored by Visit Colorado

The Ancient Secrets Hidden in 41,000 Bison Bones

Thousands of bones from Colorado's Jones-Miller site offer a detailed picture of Ice Age hunting—and a few mysteries.
by Stephen E. Nash
June 3, 2024
An 1868 image of Pikes Peak, towering over lesser mountains, by Leon Jean-Baptiste Sabatier.

Colorado's Pikes Peak Is an Eclipse Hot Spot (for 2045)

The Mountain West helped put American science on the map during the 1878 total solar eclipse, and it's the place to be for the next big American eclipse.
by Rebecca Boyle
April 3, 2024
The eclipse of 1878 as observed from Wyoming.

How the 1878 Eclipse Almost Killed the Father of American Meteorology

Today’s National Weather Service might be very different if Cleveland Abbe had died on Pikes Peak.
by Eric Grundhauser
March 11, 2024
Honeypot ants feed on sweet nectar and death.

All Winter, These Ants Make the Ultimate Sweet Sacrifice to Their Colony

Their syrupy death is medicinal for humans, too.
by Shoshi Parks
December 5, 2023
Daniel Hogan and Eli Schwat tow a sled of gear out to the Kettle Ponds study site this March.

The Curious Case of the Colorado River’s Missing Water

Researchers are trying to unravel the mystery of snow that falls but never shows up in the river.
by Bella Biondini
August 7, 2023

Lists Featuring Colorado

Shrine of the Stations of the Cross
Fresh snow accentuates a warm ancient Puebloan city.

18 Places in Colorado to Discover Local Culture–From Past to Present

Sponsored by Colorado Tourism Office
18

Including Chimney Rock , Tabor Opera House, and Shrine of the Stations of the Cross

Star trails trace the night sky above snow-covered mountains and sand dunes.
Unaweep Divide, west.
Wheeler Geologic Area

18 Colorado Adventures That Will Take Your Breath Away (Literally)

Sponsored by Colorado Tourism Office
18

Including Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve , Unaweep Canyon, and La Ventana Arch

5-8-22
The last coal-burning steam engine.
The Sasquatch Outpost

15 Quirky Places to Visit on Your Next Colorado Family Road Trip

Sponsored by Colorado Tourism Office
15

Including Swetsville Zoo, Breckenridge Troll, and Steam Engine 638

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