Manitou Cliff Dwellings
The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is a museum and open-air preserve of Ancestral Puebloan stone architecture in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
Manitou Cliff Dwellings in Manitou Springs, CO
Set under a sandstone overhang in Cliff Canyon, just off U.S. 24 west of Colorado Springs, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings let you do something you can’t do at Mesa Verde: walk right into the rooms. Narrow doorways, T-shaped windows, ladders and small chambers stack up the cliff face, and you can duck inside, climb and look out across the canyon. Two museum buildings, including the three-story Pueblo-style structure built in the early 1900s, hold pottery, tools and exhibits on Ancestral Puebloan life. In summer there are Native American dance performances, and the gift shop, snack bar and picnic patio make it an easy half-day stop.
The preserve was the project of Virginia McClurg, a leader in the campaign to protect Mesa Verde. Worried that looters would destroy unprotected ruins across the Southwest before federal law could stop them, she formed the Colorado Cliff Dwellings Association. Beginning in 1904, stones from collapsed Ancestral Puebloan sites in the McElmo Canyon area of southwest Colorado were shipped to Manitou Springs and carefully reassembled. The preserve opened in 1907 and is honest that it is a relocated reconstruction, not an original site. Dr. Edgar Lee Hewett, a key figure behind the Antiquities Act, praised it for its workmanship and educational value.
Photo Gallery
Photo credits: Manitou Cliff Dwelling2 by Obiwan23 at English Wikipedia (Public domain); Colorado.USA. – panoramio (2) by Roman Eugeniusz (CC BY-SA 3.0); Colorado.USA. – panoramio (3) by Roman Eugeniusz (CC BY-SA 3.0); Colorado.USA. – panoramio (4) by Roman Eugeniusz (CC BY-SA 3.0); At Manitou by Sonya Smith- Tembe (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cliff Dwellings Museum Welcome – Aug 10, 2006 by Neeta Lind (CC BY 2.0); Manitou Cliff Dwellings 1908 by Haines Photo co. (Public domain); General view of Manitou Cliff Dwellings in Phantom Cliff Canon, Manitou Springs, Colorado. (7725176810) by Boston Public Library (Public domain); Indian petroglyphs at Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Manitou Springs, Colorado. (7725176532) by Boston Public Library (Public domain). Images via Wikimedia Commons.
News & Events
See seasonal hours and events on the Plan Your Visit page for the Manitou Cliff Dwellings in Manitou Springs, CO.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings?
- Explore the dwellings: Walk into and through the rooms of the reassembled cliff dwellings.
- Museum exhibits: See pottery, tools and exhibits on Ancestral Puebloan culture in two museum buildings.
- Native American dancing: Watch traditional dance performances during the summer season.
- Gift shop: Browse Native American jewelry, pottery and crafts.
- Picnic: Use the snack bar and picnic patio with canyon views.
What is nearby the Manitou Cliff Dwellings?
- Manitou Springs: A walkable town of mineral springs, shops, restaurants and galleries.
- Pikes Peak Cog Railway: The world’s highest cog railway leaves from Ruxton Avenue to the summit of Pikes Peak.
- Cave of the Winds Mountain Park: Cave tours and cliffside thrill rides above Williams Canyon.
- Garden of the Gods: A free park of towering red rock formations a few minutes east.
- Red Rock Canyon Open Space: Colorado Springs trails through sandstone fins and old quarries.
When was the Manitou Cliff Dwellings established?
Virginia McClurg and the Colorado Cliff Dwellings Association began the project in 1904, moving stones from collapsed Ancestral Puebloan sites in southwest Colorado to Cliff Canyon and reassembling them. The preserve opened to the public in 1907.
When is the Manitou Cliff Dwellings open?
The preserve is open year-round, weather permitting. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April through October, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in March, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in November and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from December through February, with a reduced midwinter schedule from early January to early February. It is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Admission is $12.75 for adults, $10 for seniors 60 and over and $8 for children 4 to 11, plus tax; kids 3 and under get in free. No advance tickets are needed.
Are there any tips for visiting the Manitou Cliff Dwellings?
Wear shoes with good grip, since the stone floors and steps are uneven. Plan on one to two hours. Mornings are quieter in summer, and the site pairs well with a Cog Railway ride or lunch in Manitou Springs the same day. Admission is good for the whole day.
The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is located at 10 Cliff Dwellings Rd, Manitou Springs, CO 80829. Call (719) 685-5242 or visit cliffdwellingsmuseum.com for details.