Stone cliff dwellings and a small museum in Manitou Springs, where you can walk around and through the rooms yourself, at your own pace. The paths have slopes, steps, narrow passages and gravel.
Know before you go. The museum doesn't list sensory hours or a quiet room. Here's what it does say about the paths, the rooms and the pace.
Hours
Open every day, weather permitting. November 9 am to 4 pm; December to February 10 am to 4 pm; March 9 am to 4:30 pm. The park stays open 30 minutes after the gate closes. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
10 Cliff Dwellings Road, Manitou Springs (US 24, 5 miles west of Colorado Springs)
“You can walk around or through all the rooms (though it isn't appropriate or possible to go down into the kiva). Visitors who are slender and short enough can actually slip into some of the smaller rooms.”
The dwellings have a “slope,” “steps, narrow passages inside and gravel surfaces.”
“You can pay for tickets upon arrival. Pre-purchased tickets are not required.”
“Spend the day at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings or just a few hours. It's up to you.”
Pets on a leash “can go wherever you go including the ruins and the museums.”
There is no guided tour to keep up with, so you set the pace and the route.
Dogs may be anywhere on site. If that is hard for your kid, it helps to know before you go.
Call 719-685-5242 for this year's admission prices. You pay when you arrive; you don't need tickets ahead.
The snack bar sells food and drinks June through August only. You can bring your own lunch and eat on the picnic patio.
Parking is free, and photos are welcome at no charge.
The dwellings aren't wheelchair or scooter accessible. A ramp from the parking lot leads to an outer view of the whole front of the dwellings, but not to the restrooms, museum or gift shop. Visitors in wheelchairs get in free; tell staff when you arrive.
The site is open year-round, weather permitting. Call before a snowy day.
