If you’re near Colorado Springs and want to experience a mix of ancient architecture, Indigenous history, and jaw-dropping scenery, add the Manitou Cliff Dwellings and Museum to your list. Located against fiery red rock formations, this site gives you a rare glimpse into the world of the Ancestral Puebloans, the original builders of these incredible homes in stone.
A Walk Through History
The Manitou Cliff Dwellings were built in 1898 using real Ancestral Puebloan structures that were carefully relocated from the Four Corners region. Native Americans lived in the dwellings until 1984, preserving centuries-old traditions of the Taos Pueblo style, think low doorways, layered adobe walls, and kiva-inspired rooms.
The site honors the people who once lived in harmony with the land, farming, weaving, and grinding corn by hand using mano and metate stones. The museum exhibits show how the Puebloans balanced survival, spirituality, and craftsmanship long before modern conveniences existed.
Architecture That Tells a Story
Inside the museum, you’ll see displays explaining Pueblo architecture, designed for defense and community. The thick adobe walls, rooftop ladders, and small doors all had purpose. Ladders were pulled up during attacks, and the upper rooms were used for safety and storage.
One display showcases life in the mid-1800s, when Spanish influences brought fireplaces and new tools into Pueblo homes. Despite that, the Pueblo culture stayed true to its roots, simple, sustainable, and deeply connected to nature.
Mesa Top Structures and Daily Life
The dwellings weren’t just homes; they were hubs of life. Men often stayed in the mesa-top structures to tend crops like corn, beans, and squash. Women and children spent their days grinding corn into meal and keeping watch for animals that might raid the harvest.
Corn was the backbone of every meal, symbolizing life and abundance. The Puebloans grew beans for protein, squash for nutrients, and sagebrush and saltbush for food, medicine, and ceremonial use. Every plant had purpose, every rock had a story.
The Museum and Exhibits
Inside, the museum walls are lined with photographs of chiefs, ceremonies, and the original excavations. There’s also a tipi exhibit outside where you can step inside and imagine what nomadic life might’ve felt like on these same red-rock plateaus centuries ago.
Don’t miss the gift shop, which sells handcrafted Native jewelry, pottery, and keepsakes that actually support Indigenous artisans. And yes — there’s a restroom and shaded picnic spots for when the Colorado sun decides to flex on you.
Visitor Tips
- Location: 10 Cliff Dwellings Road, Manitou Springs, CO
- Hours: Typically 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (check seasonal hours)
- Entry Fee: Around $12 for adults (discounts for kids/seniors)
- Time Needed: 1–2 hours to explore the dwellings, museum, and shops
- Accessibility: Some uneven terrain and stairs — wear comfy shoes!
Please respect the site: don’t climb or touch the walls, stay on the designated paths, and remember: this is more than a tourist stop; it’s a preserved piece of living history.
Why It’s Worth It
The Manitou Cliff Dwellings feel like stepping into a time capsule carved into the earth. It’s one of those rare places where history doesn’t feel distant, it’s tangible. You can trace your fingers along ancient stone, stand in doorways once used by families centuries ago, and feel the stillness that modern life never seems to offer.
If you’re already exploring Garden of the Gods or Pikes Peak, this spot is just minutes away — and the energy here is completely different: quiet, sacred, and grounding.
Trip Resources
If you’re planning a road trip, here are some helpful sites that I use. Note, below are affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission for every booking, with no extra cost to you. Thanks so much, in advance!
Hey, I'm Christy Scronce, a Filipina-American Los Angeles native and travel enthusiast. I love visiting new places and trying new food. Welcome to my adventure blog where I capture both State & National Park visits, family excursions, and road trips, while sharing my travel photos and recaps. My goal is to visit as many National Parks using my “America the Beautiful” annual pass. 
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