Georgetown
Georgetown is the kind of mountain town that feels like a movie set, except it’s real: a Victorian silver-mining town at 8,530 feet, just off I-70 about an hour west of Denver, with brightly painted brick storefronts, steep canyon walls and one of the most charming holiday markets in Colorado.
Georgetown, Colorado: The Silver Queen of the Rockies
Brothers George and David Griffith founded Georgetown in 1859 during the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush, but it was silver that made the town famous. By the 1880s the Silver Queen of Colorado had more than 10,000 residents and grand homes built on mining fortunes. The silver crash of 1893 ended the boom, which is a big reason so much of the town survived unchanged. Today Georgetown sits inside the Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District, and a walk down 6th Street passes the Masonic Hall, false-front shops, cafes and candy stores in buildings that have stood for well over a century.
History is everywhere you turn. The Hotel de Paris Museum preserves the elegant French-run hotel that once welcomed silver-era travelers, and Historic Georgetown’s Hamill House offers tours by reservation. The narrow-gauge Georgetown Loop Railroad climbs the valley between Georgetown and Silver Plume over the famous high bridge. Just east of town, Georgetown Lake reflects the canyon walls, and the red-brick Georgetown School and the Gateway Visitor Center at 1491 Argentine Street are easy first stops for maps and local tips.
Insider tip: Park once and explore on foot; downtown is compact and flat by mountain standards. In winter, pair a morning on the slopes at Loveland Ski Area, about 15 minutes up I-70, with an afternoon of hot cocoa and shopping on 6th Street.
Photo Gallery
Photo credits: Georgetown, Colorado5 by dconvertini (CC BY-SA 2.0); Georgetown, Colorado3 by dconvertini (CC BY-SA 2.0); Georgetown, Colorado7 by dconvertini (CC BY-SA 2.0); Georgetown, Colorado2 by dconvertini (CC BY-SA 2.0); Georgetown CO by Ben & Whitney Carey (CC BY 2.0); Georgetown Lake – Colorado in Autumn by Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0); Georgetown Colorado 6th street Masonic Temple by Wolfgang Moroder (CC BY-SA 3.0); Georgetown School (Georgetown, Colorado) by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY 4.0); Gateway Visitor Center by Sdkb (CC BY-SA 4.0). Images via Wikimedia Commons.
News & Events
The 66th Annual Georgetown Christmas Market returns December 5-6 and 12-13, 2026, with free admission, artisan gifts, hot chestnuts at Strousse Park, horse-drawn wagon rides, stage entertainment at Rose and 6th streets from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the candlelit Santa Lucia procession at noon. NBC’s Today show named Georgetown one of America’s Merriest Main Streets. Details at historicgeorgetown.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Georgetown from Denver?
Georgetown is about 45 miles west of downtown Denver on I-70, roughly an hour’s drive depending on traffic and weather.
Why is Georgetown called the Silver Queen of Colorado?
Silver mining made Georgetown one of Colorado’s richest towns in the 1870s and 1880s, with more than 10,000 residents before the 1893 silver crash. Its preserved Victorian buildings are part of a National Historic Landmark District.
When is the Georgetown Christmas Market in 2026?
The 66th Annual Georgetown Christmas Market runs December 5-6 and 12-13, 2026. Admission is free, with the Santa Lucia procession at noon and stage entertainment from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where is the Georgetown visitor center?
The Gateway Visitor Center is at 1491 Argentine Street, right off I-70. The information center and gift shop are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What is there to do in Georgetown, Colorado?
Stroll historic 6th Street, tour the Hotel de Paris Museum and Hamill House, ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad in season, walk around Georgetown Lake and watch for bighorn sheep on the canyon cliffs.
Start your visit at the Gateway Visitor Center, 1491 Argentine St., Georgetown, CO 80444. Call 303-569-2405 or visit georgetown-colorado.org for events and lodging.