Story by Linda DuVal. Leadville is feeling like it鈥檚 on top of the world. Because, at 10,152 feet in altitude, it is the highest incorporated city in the United States. And it鈥檚 a fun place for an affordable, laid-back kind of weekend getaway with a perfect mix of outdoor activities and insight to some essential Colorado history.
You can鈥檛 tell the story of Leadville without telling the story of Horace Tabor and the Matchless Mine. Tabor purchased the mine in 1879 and at first it produced little silver.
Then he hit pay-dirt and it became one of the richest silver mines of the era, estimated to have produced $7.5 million worth of the precious mineral. In those days, that made Tabor fabulously wealthy.
But Tabor, though married to Augusta, a highly respected businesswoman in her own right, began an open affair with Elizabeth McCourt Doe, known as 鈥淏aby Doe,鈥 which became a major scandal. Tabor left Augusta and married his mistress, with whom he spent the rest of his life until he died of appendicitis in 1899.
By then, the mine was failing and Baby Doe died in poverty, alone and frozen in her cabin. An opera has been written about it, 鈥淭he Ballad of Baby Doe,鈥 a staple of the Central City Opera.
If you want to know how an 1800s mining town looked, just visit Leadville. There鈥檚 plenty to fill a weekend or more.
Free stuff
Leadville Boom Day Burro Race / Diana Lange photo
It鈥檚 all around you. Colorado’s two highest mountains, Mount Elbert (14,433 feet) and Mount Massive (14,421 feet) rise on the west and the Mosquito Range to the east, crowned by another Fourteener, Mount Sherman (14,036 feet).
Surrounded by more than a million acres of national forests and public lands, it鈥檚 paradise for hikers, backpackers, campers, mountain bikers and those who lust to climb Colorado鈥檚 Fourteeners.
This mining mecca on the National Register of Historic Places features 70 square blocks of homes and businesses that have weathered the test of time 鈥 an ambitious walking tour, if you decide to take it. Free walking tour brochures are available at the Visitors Center office (809 Harrison Ave.) downtown.
Be sure to stop in at the . This is not your Daddy鈥檚 Ace. It鈥檚 a unique blend of hardware store and antiques shop, a two-story wonderland of everything from 78 rpm records to the pages from mining operation logs. And it鈥檚 all for sale, some of it pretty cheap. But it鈥檚 free to browse 鈥 and delightful, too.
For a real kick in the ..um, pans, check out Leadville鈥檚 , the first weekend in August, the highlight of which is the annual . Spectators love this event and it鈥檚 free to watch. Their motto: We鈥檝e Been Hauling Ass for 70 Years!
If you plan to visit in winter, don鈥檛 miss the annual event, held the first weekend in March. For those who don鈥檛鈥 know, ski-joring is 鈥渁 competition where a horse and rider pull a skier at a fast pace through a course that has gates, jumps and rings.鈥 It鈥檚 pretty wild and really fun to watch and that鈥檚 FREE.
Cheap things to do
Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States. / Rick DuVal photo
If you go in winter, and you like to ski, nearby is a family-friendly resort with short or non-existent lift lines. Prices, compared to some of the state鈥檚 other ski areas, are quite reasonable. And it even has ski school for beginners. (Hint: It鈥檚 even cheaper if you purchase lift tickets 48 hours in advance online.)
There鈥檚 also cross-country skiing at the and it costs even less than downhill skiing, especially if you have your own cross-country skis.
Leadville is one of the best-preserved mining towns in the state and brags that it 鈥渉as more original turn-of-the-century buildings and houses than any other mountain community鈥 as well as 鈥渕ore museums and historical sites per capita than nearly any other city in Colorado.鈥
include: Healy House and Dexter Cabin, the Heritage Museum, the National Mining Hall of Fame Museum and Matchless Mine, the House with the Eye, Temple Israel, Tabor Home and the Tabor Opera House. A Museum Passport, also available at the Visitors Center, will give you information on all of them. Most are quite within a family鈥檚 budget.
Worth the price
Source: Leadville Mining Hall of Fame & Museum
All of Leadville鈥檚 museums are interesting, but our favorite it the , which is, even if you鈥檙e not all that interested in mining, pretty fascinating! You鈥檒l see everything from gold dust to large chunks of the coveted mineral; you will learn about the minerals you eat every day; you鈥檒l see a life-sized replica of a typical hard-rock mine; and much more.
The museum is open all year, but the famous Matchless Mine, which it now owns and for which it offers tours, is only accessible in the summer months.
Not convinced? Don鈥檛 take our word for it. The place was a Tripadvisor 2020 Travelers鈥 Choice Winner, meaning they think it is in the top 10 percent of attractions worldwide.
Admission for the Hall of Fame is $14 for adults, $12 for students, AAA members and retired military, and FREE for children younger than 6. Active military get in FREE during the summer.
The mine tour is $8 per person for the self-guided tour, $14 per adult for the guided tour, $12 for students, AAA members and retired military. Combination tickets are also available.
Call 719-486-1229 in advance for guided mine tour reservations. They book up fast.
If you鈥檝e never ridden an old mining-era train, it鈥檚 worth the experience, but if you鈥檝e done more ambitious routes in Colorado, the train might not stack up to some others. However, it is a shorter ride, which is great for kids who get impatient on some of those longer routes.
Dining and Lodging
Hotel Delaware / Rick DuVal photo
Leadville has ample lodging, including some well-known chain motels outside the historic district, but also some tiny houses and private rooms for budget-conscious visitors (under $100 per night) and many are dog-friendly. And if you鈥檙e really on a budget, there are many in the area.
If you want to splurge, consider staying at the . It鈥檚 a historic property that makes you feel like you should be unpacking your bloomers and mustache wax. This grand Victorian hotel is a remnant of the town鈥檚 glory days and is currently undergoing major renovations to make it even more comfortable while retaining its historic flair.
There’s a wide array of lodging available. MHOTC has a partnership with that allows you to on hotel rooms.
Then, type in your location (in this case Leadville, Colorado), along with check-in and check-out dates.
When it comes to dining, you won鈥檛 find a McDonald鈥檚 here due to the historic district designation, but locals love , a Cuban-style breakfast and lunch spot with a patio, with wildly creative pizzas, or the , an all plant-based foods eatery. They reportedly have some great pastries.
Want to go a bit upscale? Try the with such offerings as local lamb, roasted salmon and whatever is fresh seasonally. Check out the rooftop dining for amazing views.
Getting to Leadville
From Denver: Take I-70 West to Colorado Highway 91 and go west. It鈥檚 about 100 miles and just shy of 2 hours diving time in normal traffic.
For more information, check out
鈥48 Hours鈥 is a series of easy getaways within driving distance from Denver. Linda DuVal is an award-winning travel writer and former travel editor at the Colorado Springs Gazette.