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Museum · Manitou Springs, Colorado
Manitou Cliff Dwellings
Stone dwellings of the ancestral peoples of the Southwest reconstructed on a slope of Manitou Springs in the early 20th century, with a museum about the region’s Indigenous cultures.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Manitou Cliff Dwellings
The Manitou Cliff Dwellings are stone dwellings built in the style of those constructed by ancestral Pueblo peoples in the American Southwest about 700 to 1,000 years ago. They are not original to the site: the stones were brought from sites in the southwestern Colorado region and reassembled on a slope of Manitou Springs between 1904 and 1907 as a tourist attraction.
Visitors can enter the rooms and see the construction up close, with narrow doorways, windows and wooden ladders. The museum, in a stone building in pueblo style, houses pottery, tools and exhibits about the Indigenous cultures of the Southwest.
Today, moving stones far from their original locations is criticized by archaeologists, and the museum itself explains this history. To see original cliff dwellings, visit Mesa Verde National Park, about 500 km away in the southwest of the state.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About one to one and a half hours.
Best time
Any time of year; the site tends to be quieter in the morning.
How to get there
On a slope of Manitou Springs, along US-24, about 2 km from the village center.
Tip
To see original stone dwellings, include Mesa Verde National Park in your itinerary, in southwestern Colorado.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Manitou Cliff Dwellings
Are the Manitou Cliff Dwellings original?
No. The stones came from sites in southwestern Colorado and were reassembled in Manitou Springs between 1904 and 1907.
Can you enter the stone dwellings in Manitou?
Yes, visitors can enter the rooms and climb some stairs.
Where can you see original stone dwellings in Colorado?
At Mesa Verde National Park, in the southwestern part of the state.