Manitou Cliff Dwellings

LoginSave

This set of Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings was carved into the red-rock hills just east of Manitou Springs off Hwy 24. You’ll see the adobe facades and get a feel for the cool cave interiors with their grain-storage turrets and beamed ceilings in what is a string of half-a-dozen multiple-family homes. Talk about an efficient use of space!

The museum has a terrific pottery display downstairs and interesting video displays throughout, including inside the bathroom. It’s not Mesa Verde, but it’ll do if you can’t make it to the Four Corners.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • The famous giant red sandstone formations at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado

    Garden of the Gods

    2.54 MILES

    This gorgeous vein of red sandstone (about 290 million years old) appears elsewhere along Colorado's Front Range, but the exquisitely thin cathedral…

  • Pikes Peak and Garden of Gods in winter

    Pikes Peak

    7.24 MILES

    Pikes Peak (14,110ft) may not be the tallest of Colorado's 54 fourteeners, but it's certainly the most famous. The Ute originally called it the Mountain…

  • Cave of the Winds

    Cave of the Winds

    0.74 MILES

    Set on the rim of a craggy canyon is this developed cavern concessionaire. You’ll forgive the cheesy entry and elevator music because here are the…

  • COLORADO SPRINGS, CO- 9 APR 2021- View of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, an animal park located at the foot of Pikes Peak mountain in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States.

    Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

    7.12 MILES

    High up on Cheyenne Mountain, the largest private zoo in the country was launched with holdovers from the private animal collection of Spencer Penrose …

  • Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

    Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

    20.28 MILES

    In 1873 Dr AC Peale, as part of the USGS Hayden expedition, was on his way to survey and map the South Park area, when he reputedly discovered these…

  • G3YYM0 Cadets recite the Oath of Allegiance. June 26, 2009 - The 1,376 members of the Class of 2013 recites the Oath of Allegiance in front of the cadet chapel, family and friends during their first formation at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado

    US Air Force Academy

    9.33 MILES

    A visit to this campus, one of the highest-profile military academies in the country, offers a limited but nonetheless fascinating look into the lives of…

  • Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Center

    Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Center

    11.64 MILES

    This fun dinosaur center is located in Woodland Park, 14 miles west of Manitou Springs. The kids won’t want to miss this private museum owned by working…

View more attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Mineral Springs

0.44 MILES

Manitou got its name from the numerous mineral springs that bubble up from limestone aquifers along Manitou Ave. In some cases, it's believed that the…

2. Cave of the Winds

0.74 MILES

Set on the rim of a craggy canyon is this developed cavern concessionaire. You’ll forgive the cheesy entry and elevator music because here are the…

3. Red Rock Canyon Open Space

2.38 MILES

A former quarry and part of the sandstone vein that runs through the Garden of the Gods, this 787-acre park was nearly developed into a golf course and…

4. Rock Ledge Ranch

2.4 MILES

This living history museum near the Garden of the Gods park entrance is worth a visit for those interested in the lives of Native Americans and 19th…

5. Garden of the Gods

2.54 MILES

This gorgeous vein of red sandstone (about 290 million years old) appears elsewhere along Colorado's Front Range, but the exquisitely thin cathedral…

6. Bancroft Park

3.01 MILES

There's a small historical display in leafy Bancroft Park, which is set smack in the middle of Old Colorado City. The centerpiece is the Old Pioneer…

7. Old Colorado Historical Society

3.05 MILES

Located in a former Baptist church, this tiny museum and bookstore introduces visitors to the history of Old Colorado City and is a good way to add…

8. Old Colorado City Historic District

3.12 MILES

The neighborhood known as Old Colorado City is where the original town was founded in 1860. It's former Wild West dens of vice (21 saloons in four blocks!…