Ten years ago, Cripple Creek was a fun, exciting mountain town with a fascinating history from rough-hewn gold miners in the 1890s to cheerful casino visitors in the 21st century. It’s still entertaining and exciting – just more so!
A little history: In 1891 a down-on-his-luck cowboy named Bob Womack insisted he had found gold on the back side of Pikes Peak – and the rush was on. Prospectors, promoters, confidence men, mining engineers, geologists, card sharks, merchants, dancing girls and miners found their way to “the Creek” and created a city overnight.
During the next ten years, one of the greatest mining booms in American history transformed the cow pastures into a city of 50,000 people, a wide-open mining town that narrowly missed becoming Colorado’s capital.
But by the early 1900s, the mines were exhausted, and Cripple Creek faded away, reviving in 1991 when gambling was legalized in the Creek and two other mountain towns. The city was reborn and reimagined. In 1995, open pit mining operations commenced, and mining once again became a major employer in the region. By 2015, there were more than a dozen casinos, primarily small, friendly and unpretentious. Ten years later, there are ten, including three large ones that include spacious hotels (the Golden Nugget and the Double Eagle) and the Chamonix, a $300 million mountain palace, which opened in 2024 and also incorporates Bronco Billy’s, a storied legacy casino.
The Chamonix is a five-star hotel, as fun and luxurious as The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs or The Bellagio in Las Vegas. Unlike the Broadmoor, you can gamble at the Chamonix, and unlike the Bellagio, the slots are loose. And unlike its peers in Vegas and Reno, the Chamonix is a building that respects and complements its host city’s colorful history.
And one thing hasn’t changed in the Creek: there are many things to do.
You can go back in time and take a ride on the Cripple Creek/Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad, visit the Old Homestead Museum and the Cripple Creek Heritage Center, or simply walk down Bennett Avenue, the city’s main drag. Many buildings date from the 1890s, and all have interesting histories. You may see a few friendly donkeys reminiscent of the animals who worked in the mines. They roam happily around town during the summer. Each fall, the Two Mile High Club, caretakers of the donkeys, round them up and put them in their winter pasture on the west side of town. Please feed them approved “donkey biscuits” available at different locations around town.
At almost 10,000 feet above sea level, Cripple Creek can be chilly in winter, but still a good time. Ice Castles, from December through March, and the Ice Festival in February, create joy and artistry along Bennett Avenue. The casinos and hotels are warm and welcoming, and it’s invigorating to venture outside and enjoy Cripple Creek’s version of winter in the Rockies.
In the summer months, the Butte Opera House/Theater hosts summer melodramas, while the city will host Donkey Derby Days on June 25-27. It’s Colorado’s faintly absurd native sport: donkey racing. It’s a great two-day party along Bennett Avenue, and you can even register a team with a beast and join the race.
The Old Homestead House Museum (just a block off Bennett at 353 Myers Ave.) was once the most notorious brothel in the Creek. The opulent establishment catered to millionaire miners and speculators – $250 for a night of dalliance.
And there’s so much more, including the Molly Kathleen Mine, multiple B&B’s, and all the amenities of a great little city.
