There are many things to do in Colorado Springs for students including living history museums, ghost towns and natural wonders for school groups to explore.
Colorado Springs is the second-most populous city in Colorado and 60 miles north of Denver. The city’s size has brought tourists from all over the world to experience hundreds of different attractions and the beautiful surrounding lands. It is also the perfect place for your next educational field trip. The city has dozens of natural parks and history museums that students can explore. Let your student discover how people lived thousands of years ago, how mountains were formed, or interact with the environment at these destinations. Let Colorado Springs be the field trips your students will never forget.
Garden of the Gods
Home to exciting natural rock formations and beautiful landscapes, Garden of the Gods Park is the perfect place for any student to experience the true beauty of Colorado. The Garden of the Gods Nature and Visitors Center is a revolutionary museum filled with interactive exhibits for students to enjoy while learning about geology, ecology and history. The park offers a wide variety of different field trips and educational programs for kids of all ages, giving every student the opportunity to experience the natural wonder of the park. During “Gardens of the Gods Geology,” middle and high school students can take a self-guided tour of the Visitor and Nature Center before hiking across the Front Range to discover fossil that describes what was life was like thousands of years ago. Other tours touch on the park’s vast history and incredible biodiversity comprised of six different ecosystems. These programs and more will have every student leaving wishing they could stay for just 10 more minutes.[/one_half]
Bear Creek Nature Center
At Bear Creek Nature Center, students will have an outdoor classroom experience like no other. With student field trips that meet Colorado State Education Standards, kids can explore Bear Creek’s environment while receiving quality education and information. Have your students participate in “Foothill Fields Experience” and take a guided hike through the different habitats while learning about their hallmarks species and how natural resources cycle takes though them. Have students put their science skills to the test and partake in a real scientific study to discover the water quality of Bear Creek. Hands-on and interactive exhibits like an observation beehive give students an exciting look on the true reality of nature.[/one_half]
Paint Mines Interpretive Park
Paint Mines, Colorado Springs. Image by-Lindsey Fisher
If your students are interested in archeology, Paint Mines Interpretive Park is an exciting natural wonder that kids will enjoy. The park holds evidence of life as far back as 9,000 years ago with fossil and left-behind relics that students can study. Through these old artifacts, students can see the development of humans over time throughout the area and get a deeper understanding of how people once lived. The park includes four miles of hiking trails that allow students to explore some of the 750 acres of preserved land and wildlife.
Ghost Town Museum
Ghost Town Museum, Colorado Springs
During the late 1800s, the once-prosperous western United States mines dried up, causing towns to empty overnight as people left for new opportunities. These towns became known as “ghost towns” as businesses and homes were abandoned and left to decay. In an effort to preserve this time period, Ghost Town Museum was created. This museum consists of buildings that were left over 100 years ago that are now filled with exhibits of artifacts from that time. Students will learn about the Old West by leaving the modern world and entering a true “ghost town.” They can participate in activities like churning butter, playing in an old-time arcade or watching a movie on the gold mining era.
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
Pioneers Museum, Colorado Springs
If you are looking for a fun interactive experience your students can have while learning about history, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is just the place. The museum offers teachers a field trip where students split up into small groups to participate in a scavenger hunt. During this hunt, student will be challenged to use their inquiry skills to make connections and find clues across the museum, which will lead them to activities. For a more independent option, the museum offers self-guided tours where teachers can develop programs more suited to their curriculum. These tours can include picture hunts, chaperone guides if parents are joining and questions for students.
Penrose Heritage Museum
The Penrose Heritage Museum gives students the opportunity to walk through hundreds of old artifacts to learn and understand the history of the Pikes Peak region. The items were collected by Spencer and Julie Penrose, who then turned it into a museum for everyone to enjoy. Some of the famous artifacts the museum houses included 30 Old Western carriages and race cars that competed in the “Race to the Clouds,” one of the oldest car events in the country. If your students are interested in the heritage and history of Colorado Springs, transportation and automobiles this is the perfect cultural destination to visit.
by George Hashemi
