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Famously known as “Steel City” for its rich history of steel mills and smelter plants, Pueblo in Colorado is one of the most underrated tourist spots in the state.
We are here to tell you, though, that the city will pleasantly surprise you with its rich historical sites, natural beauty, and many exciting activities.
Pueblo’s location at the intersection of the gorgeous Arkansas River and the majestic Fountain Creek deep in the deserts of Colorado is in itself remarkable.
The marvelous historical monuments and impressing shopping centers and restaurants add to the charm of the city.
We would strongly recommend you to pay a visit to this fascinating city.
Make sure you check out the outstanding locations and activities we have curated for you when you travel to Pueblo in Colorado.
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The Buell Children’s Museum is a perfect hang-out spot for families and kids to spend an engaging day exploring its exciting exhibits.
The Buell Children’s Museum prides itself on having been honored with the recognition of being the second-best children’s museum dedicated to arts by the reputed Child Magazine.
Kids will enjoy working on the multiple hands-on items and interactive displays in this museum.
In addition, they will learn exciting facts about the arts, sciences, and history and gain some practical experience.
The El Pomar Magic Carpet Theater is a special feature, and you would enjoy watching one of its productions.
Letting your creativity run wild by creating artworks in the Artrageous Studio is also quire a pleasurable experience.
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A riverwalk in the heart of the desert in Pueblo seems a little odd.
Yet, you can have plenty of fun hiking and walking along the beautiful Arkansas Riverwalk.
The lush green grounds in the surrounding areas make the perfect spot to take out your lunch baskets and enjoy a wonderful family picnic.
Umpteen delightful restaurants dot both sides of the sidewalk.
Head into one of these and enjoy the toothsome local cuisine.
Alternatively, ferry down the canal by renting a good boat from the many services here.
Marvel at the several exquisite pieces of sculptures spread generously in the space.
The nights are exceptional as the whole area lights up with glittering lightwork. You can get lost in the sheer magic and atmosphere of the place.
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Lake Pueblo is a vast 10,000-acre reservoir with a long 60-mile shoreline.
You can enjoy many exciting activities in the beautiful waters here.
Head out for a leisurely boat ride, or simply dangle your fishing lines to catch some fish.
Saunter carelessly on one of the refreshing hikes. Stay at an overnight camp to enjoy life in the wilderness.
Try your luck at paddle boarding, and do it standing up to have a crazy exercise in physical balancing.
As you can see, there’s plenty of activities to choose from!
Enjoy Hollywood fun the old way by enjoying a movie at the Mesa Drive-In.
This is one of the few ones still left, and you can get a rare chance to experience an old-time movie-watching experience at this place.
The Mesa Dive-In is located towards the eastern side of downtown Pueblo on the beautiful Santa Fe Drive.
The theatre has been running selected movie shows during the summer months continuously since it was set up in 1951.
Watching movies in a drive-in theatre is a unique experience.
Unfortunately, drive-Ins are fast falling out of fashion. You should try one before this mode of entertainment gets buried forever.
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The Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference has been the seat of edutainment in Southern Colorado for a very long time now.
This grand center was established in 1972 and has been hosting important art events and educational conferences ever since.
The Sangre de Cristo Arts Center is an architectural marvel, and you can spend hours admiring the sheer brilliance of its construction when you first visit it.
The sculpture art in the outdoors is exquisitely done too.
If you plan well, you can watch a show of the incredible Sangre de Cristo Ballet.
Alternatively, you can choose to enjoy one of the productions staged by the Steel City Theatre company.
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You can head out to the Pueblo Zoo to catch a glimpse of over 140 species of animals as they go about their lives.
The zoo covers a sprawling area of 30-acres. Children can have loads of fun watching the animals in action in the ingeniously designed exhibitions.
The visitor center offers many learning activities to keep kids engaged even more.
Kids can avail the rare opportunity to feed some of the animals, which can be a truly unique experience.
The Pueblo Zoo is not very large. You can quickly get through the whole zoo in one day without getting exhausted.
This community museum is devoted to showcasing the area’s rich ethnic and cultural history.
Kids can interact with the exhibits here and learn valuable information about Pueblo’s past.
Many hands-on activities are also available where kids can build stuff and learn in the process as well.
The erstwhile trading post from the 1840s has been rebuilt as a living museum.
You can also catch a glimpse of the original excavation site near the museum itself.
The “Children of Ludlow” is an award-winning impressive exhibit in the El Pueblo History Museum.
This exhibit narrates the sad saga of the infamous Ludlow Massacre, where many colliers lost their lives in the gun battle between the corporate police and the rebelling miners.
The city was devastated by the massive floods of 1921.
The levees were reconstructed after this tragedy to prevent such disasters in the future.
You can see these remarkable structures from the Pueblo Union Train Depot in this historic district.
The Union Avenue Historic District presently encompasses 83 buildings.
These have been preserved and renovated in the classical red sandstone style popular in the 1880s.
Many exciting events are hosted on Union Avenue.
The most prominent among these are the famous “Oktoberfest” and “Chile and Frijole Festival.”
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The impressive Rosemount Museum was initially built as a home for the John A. and Margaret Thatcher family in 1893.
This mansion is an architectural wonder and reflects the best of the classical Victorian style.
You can take a guided tour through the house, where the knowledgeable guides will illuminate you with interesting facts about the museum’s rich collection of artifacts.
The exhibits amply depict the rich history of Pueblo city.
The Rosemount Museum also organizes some special events on selected occasions.
You might just get lucky and be in Pueblo when one of these is being held.
Most of these fascinating events are free to attend.
The notable ones among these are Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween, and the Classic Car Show.
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Pueblo was the quintessential original “Steel City.” It was one of the earliest cities in Colorado to pick up the rising steel industry trend in the state.
Pueblo still has an impressive steel industry to boast of, and many modern steel plants are located here.
The Steel Works Center of the West retells the story of the rise of the steel and coal empire in Pueblo through its exciting artifacts.
The museum’s rich collection gives a close look at the story of the industrial revolution itself with the first-hand exploration of original items from that period.
The Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF & I) was an early steel pioneer in the area and became one of the strongest drivers of the development of Pueblo in due course.
The Steel Works Center is situated inside the original Medical Dispensary build by the CF&I company.
Many of the exhibits relate to the CF&I company itself.
The items encompass a much broader scope, though, and amply depict the history of the entire steel industry and even the Industrial Revolution at large.
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A visit to the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum will be an exciting experience for aviation enthusiasts, where over 100 years of rich aviation history can be seen as it is brought to life through the fascinating displays.
TripAdvisor Reviews actually picked the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum as the best thing to do on a trip to Pueblo.
You can see vintage airplanes going as far back as the early warplanes used in World War I.
You can also explore cutting-edge aircraft technology via the many modern artifacts housed here.
Most of the managers here are vets who have vast first-hand experience in flying and handling planes.
They will fill you in with rarely-encountered information related to aviation.
You will have a fun time exploring over 100 displays in this museum.
The two hangers on the outside are impressive structures too.
The inside hall houses more than 25 aircrafts as well.
The notable planes housed in the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum include the F16, the F15, and the famous B-29.
By visiting this museum, you get the rare opportunity to see these sky-bound beauties from up close.
Many locals in Pueblo have joined settlements of particular cultural or ethnic communities.
Migrants flocking to Pueblo to have a piece of the steel and mining pie at the turn of the century started living together on shared ethnic and cultural bonds.
Over time, these small initial settlements grew up into prominent neighborhoods.
You can visit the “Old Bojon Town” or simply the Eiler Heights Slovenian neighborhood and catch a close view of this incredible mix of cultures.
It is fascinating to see how circumstances and different perspectives gave way to new norms, practices, and ideas.
St Mary’s Church and 9 of the founding families can still be found in this region, which is remarkable.
The locals here still gather in the tavern, which can fill you with sweet nostalgic feelings of a by-gone era.
Pueblo Heritage Museum will fill you with interesting anecdotes and trivia from the rich cultural past of Pueblo.
For instance, you will learn that Pueblo was the most famous saddle-making city in the long-lost yesteryears.
The Museum has a colorful tagline – “Pueblo story starts here.”
The museum surely lives up to its claim, as you can put together the long history of Pueblo and southwest Colorado by exploring the exhibits of the Museum.
Some of the exceptional items on display include vintage telephones, railroads, and horse-related items.
Of course, the archaeological artifacts dug up in excavations are also a treasure.
Located along the beautiful Arkansas River in the heart of the majestic Rock Canyon, Nature and Raptor Center offers plenty of sites to hike, bike, or enjoy a lazy picnic.
You can even take your skates along and enjoy rollerblading along the paved trails.
The fishing deck is an exquisite location. You can sit here peacefully and catch some amazing fish.
Alternatively, enjoy roaming through the rehabilitation center for birds of prey.
You can also learn a lot by participating in one of their educational activities.
Their “birdathons” are particularly interesting and packed with enriching knowledge.
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The San Isabel National Forest spreads across a massive million acres of space.
It boasts of being one of only twelve such national forests in Colorado.
The landscape in this region is stunning, with many imposing snow-capped peaks and clear mountain lakes.
You can enjoy refreshing walks around the lake and breath in the purity of the atmosphere.
There are great camping sites located in the vicinity and the visuals during nightime are absolutely breathtaking.
You can enjoy a bouquet of exciting activities, including hiking and kayaking.
Alternatively, sit down with your fishing line for a few hours of restful pleasure.
Colorado was the early bastion of the mammoth steel and mining industry.
Like with the steel in its furnaces, the region’s culture has evolved into its present state through the furnace of the regions’ social and economic struggles.
Pueblo is the signature steel city of Colorado.
The city is replete with scenic beauty, historical landmarks, natural spaces, and excellent markers of the steel and mining success of the region.
You must plan a trip to this gorgeous place whenever you get the chance!
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