Mariana Wagner

Local History Category

Downtown Colorado Springs Real Estate and Information

Downtown Colorado Springs is located just west of I-25 north of about Cimarron (Hwy 24). If you are on the highway (I-25), you can take the newly reconstructed Bijou Street exit which will take you right into the heart of downtown Colorado Springs. Or, you can take the Uintah Street exit (just north of Bijou, off I-25), which will take you past Colorado College, where you will head South into the “city”. Coming from the south, you can exit on Cimarron Street and head north on Cascade or Nevada Avenue.

As a Colorado Springs real estate agent and (local Colorado Springs blogger), I am always carrying my new camera around. I love to take pictures of Colorado Springs and all the wonderful things that Colorado Springs has to offer. One of my favorite things to photograph is Pikes Peak. I love how our beautiful mountain can be seen from almost any of our Colorado Springs neighborhoods, particularly Downtown Colorado Springs.

Here is a picture of Pikes Peak from just east of the intersection of Nevada and Platte Avenue, in downtown Colorado Springs. See the statue of General Palmer there to the left? It is in the dead center of the intersection. The second picture is taken from the opposite corner with Palmer High School in the background.

Downtown Colorado Springs has some great culture – even though we really have not been around as long as many other cities in the nation. In fact, the “first stake” was driven into our city only 136 years ago.

Read More: Colorado Springs History

One of my favorite places to visit is the Pioneer Museum, which offers an abundance of rich, local history and their exhibits are always changing, so it is always a new adventure.

Read More: Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum – Downtown Colorado Springs

Another think I love about Downtown Colorado Springs, is the fact that it is not a huge metropolis. It is actually quite intimate and offers all kinds of great things: shopping, entertainment, restaurants, parks and other local businesses just a short walk from each other. Or, you can take the free shuttle around downtown, if you prefer.

There is artwork on every corner – from beautiful to rather obscure, but each piece adds such character to our great city.

Read More: Colorado Springs ~ The “Art” of the Downtown Experience

Make sure you check out some of OUR favorite places in Downtown Colorado Springs:

• FOOD: Jose Muldoons - Mexican restaurant with great atmosphere and live music.
  222 N. Tejon – Just west of Acacia Park
• COFFEE: Boulder Street Coffee Roasters – Local coffee roasters and coffee shop on the SW corner of Boulder Street and Tejon.
• ART: Colorado Springs Fine Art Center – Fantastic fine art shows throughout any season.
  30 W. Dale (adjacent to Colorado College) or 121 S. Tejon (Plaza of the Rockies)
• MUSEUM: American Numismatic Association Money Museum: “Through the discovery of money, America’s largest museum dedicated to numismatics brings culture to life.  The museum explores art, history, science and much more to promote the diverse nature of money and related items.”
  818 N. Cascade – Across from Colorado College and the Fine Arts Center
• PARK: Acacia Park - City park and playground offering space to relax, and a home for all of Downtown festivals and festivities. between Platte Avenue and Bijou, Tejon and Nevada – Located across the street from Palmer High School and the Downtown Colorado Springs YMCA.
• PARK/ FARMERS MARKET: (NEW) America the Beautiful Park (Confluence Park)
  126 Cimino Drive -Just south of Colorado Avenue and West of I-25
• FUN: Uncle Wilbur Fountain – Art Sculpture/ Water Play Fountain/ Music Show in the SW corner of Acacia Park (at Tejon and Bijou.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aEE4TYmpyE[/youtube]

You can’t forget about Downtown Colorado Springs Real Estate! Homes in downtown Colorado Springs range from historic mansions, to 1950′s bungalows to brand new lofts and condos. There is something for every person, in every walk of life in every price range in Downtown Colorado Springs.

One of my favorite things to do is walk/drive through Downtown Colorado Springs and just admire all the large historic homes that have either been kept as single family homes or broken into apartments for Colorado College students. My favorite streets to see some amazing historic homes are: Wood Avenue (West of Cascade and North of Uintah), Cascade Avenue (the stretch North of Bijou Street) and Nevada Avenue (North of Palmer High School).
View Larger Map

Downtown Colorado Springs is also home to Colorado Springs School District 11 as well as home to many beautiful churches and religious buildings.

Search All Homes For Sale in
Downtown Colorado Springs

• Homes for Sale in Downtown Colorado Springs
• Lofts for Sale in Downtown Colorado Springs
• Homes for Sale in the Old North End
  (Old North End, Hastings, Downtown North, Valley Park & Mayfair)
• Homes for Sale in Patty Jewett
  (Patty Jewett, Golf Club Acres & Columbia)
• Homes for Sale in Divine Redeemer
• Homes for Sale in Roswell

March 23rd, 2008 by Mariana Wagner | 1 Comment »

Colorado Springs Military: United States Air Force Academy

Colorado Springs is home to the USAFA: United States Air Force Academy. Located in the northern part of Colorado Springs, the USAFA can be accessed by the Northern gates just west of Gleneagle and Northgate or from the Southern gates at the end of North Academy Blvd. (It is important to note that Academy Blvd. has access to TWO military gates in Colorado Springs: South Academy Blvd offers accesst the the North gates of Fort Carson Army Base and North Academy Blvd. offers access to the South gates of the USAFA. Try not to get confused!)

(The following picture was taken from the North side of the Cadets Chapel – looking straight up…)

The USAFA is a landmark in northern Colorado Springs with the Rocky Mountains as a stunning backdrop.

Taken from the USAFA site:

“The U.S. Air Force Academy is recognized as one of the nation’s finest four-year institutions of higher learning.  Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society, the Computing Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, and the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the academic curriculum provides cadets with a solid foundation appropriate to an Air Force career and the activities of a responsible American citizen.”

If you enter as a visitor, you should check out the Visitors Center and take a short hike to the Cadets Chapel. The Cadets Chapel has such a unique architectural style and is noticable from many parts of Northern Colorado Springs.

Some facts about the Cadets Chapel:

• The Cadets Chapel is an All-Faith house of worship with separate chapels for Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths, and is designed where all chapels can hold services at once without disturbing each other.
• The All-Faith Rooms are designed to accommodate the needs of smaller religious groups.
• The chapel is 150 feet tall and features aluminum, glass and steel with 17 spires and cost $3.5 million to build. “Furnishings, pipe organs, liturgical fittings and adornments of the chapel were presented as gifts from individuals and various organizations.”
• The architect was Walter A. Netsch Jr. and construction was by Robert E. McKee, Inc.

Some Facts about the school:

• There are about 75% military faculty and 25% civilian faculty and over 560 professors at the USAFA.
• There are 32 academic majors (and even more minors) offered – from aeronautical engineering to systems engineering management.
• There are more than 500 courses offered each year.
• ” Throughout the academic year, cadets may also attend presentations by distinguished political, academic, business, media, cultural, and military leaders.”
• The Cadet Summer Research Program allows about 190 cadets to spend 5 weeks “at various Air Force, Department of Defense, and other research facilities around the world.”

Some History about the USAFA:

• The USAFA was established in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• The location was chosen above 45 other sites and once chosen, Colorado contributed $1 Million Dollars toward the purchase.
• The first class to attend the USAFA at its current location was in 1958 and consisted of 1,145 cadets.
• The USAFA received accreditation in less than one year of opening.
• Women were allowed to enter the USAFA in 1976 and the first class that included women was in 1980.

Read More Facts About the USAFA

A very popular time to visit the USAFA is during the Football Season: Go Falcons!

Falcon Football Stadium is accessible from either the South Gate or the North Gate, but is closer to the South gate, off of Academy Blvd. Remember that you are on the USAFA grounds when you got to a Fighting Falcons game and drive carefully!

It is good to also note that: “Items prohibited at Falcon Stadium for the 2007 football season include: alcoholic beverages, food, umbrellas, backpacks of any sort, artificial noisemakers, banners or large signs, laser pointers, weapons, firearms, fireworks, glass containers, cans, bags larger than 8×11 inches, and any items that cannot be readily inspected.”

Visitors to the US Air Force Academy are welcome to drive down many of their many scenic roads or walk along many of the hiking trails – like the one between the Visitors Center and the Cadet’s Chapel, where you will feel engulfed in the beauty of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

For more information on the United States Air Force Academy, please visit: USAFA.AF.MIL

Surrounding Colorado Springs neighborhoods close to the USAFA include:

• Trail Ridge Neighborhoods
• Middle Creek Manor
• Deer Creek Crossings at Northgate
• Black Forest
• Flying Horse
• Gleneagle
• Peregrine
• Rockrimmon
• Oak Valley and Oak Valley Ranch

February 27th, 2008 by Mariana Wagner | Leave A Comment

Garden of the Gods – Colorado Springs

October 12th, 2007 by Mariana Wagner | 5 Comments »

Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum – Downtown Colorado Springs

The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is located at 215 S. Tejon Street – in the heart of Downtown Colorado Springs.

Pioneer Museum – El Paso County Courthouse History:

The El Paso County Courthouse was built by August J. Smith. When it opened in 1903, everyone was able to see the “stately corridors” with “elegant decorated ceilings, terrazzo floors and rare scagliola columns” as well as the upper level Division One Courtroom (CSPM.org). This courtroom was known as one of the most beautiful courtrooms in the U.S. and was restored back to its original splendor, in 1994 for $350k.

The El Paso County Courthouse was a monumental example of Colorado Springs’ wealth, as it was built and furnished for $420,000, and the building was debt-free when it opened in 1903. “For a county with a population of only 40,000 in 1900, the new facility represented an aesthetic and fiscal triumph.” (CSPM.org)

In 1909 the El Paso County Pioneers Association (founded in 1896) used the El Paso County Courthouse to display historical artifacts and “preserve the history of the Pikes Peak Region.” (CSPM.org) When it grew too large for the courthouse, the museum moved to the Knights of Columbus Gymnasium until it moved back to the courthouse in 1979.

In the 1960′s the courthouse was deemed unusable, but wound up being spared of demolition and deeded over to the City of Colorado Springs in 1973 for historical restoration. Amidst restoration, the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum opened in the El Paso County courthouse building in 1979.

Pioneer Museum Today:

The fully renovated The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is home to over 40,000 objects related to the history of the Pikes Peak Region. The museum has an “active changing exhibition schedule” to include artifacts from the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Plains and Pueblo Indian cultures, western art, popular memorabilia, as well as a large collection of Van Briggle Art Pottery.

The The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum offers the most comprehensive collection of Colorado Springs history: Over 35,000 photographs, bound newspapers, city records, directories dating from the 1800′s …
The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums and has volunteer tour guides who provide guided tours to over 8,000 people a year. Admission to the The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is FREE and their hours are Tuesday – Saturday, from 10am – 5pm. Make sure you check out the book store and gift shop!

Whether you are new to the area, or have lived here your whole life (all 6 of you …) the Pioneer Museum’s actively changing exhibits will spark your curiosity and awe any visitor.

Donations are always accepted and appreciated.

Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Colorado Springs Real Estate – Local Colorado Springs History Enthusiast (Information for this article was gathered from CSPM.org and other promotional materials. Also (mistakenly) referred to as the Colorado Springs Pioneer Courthouse Museum.)

September 13th, 2007 by Mariana Wagner | Leave A Comment