Photo: Acton Crawford on Unsplash
Each place checked against its official site in November 2026
Breweries
New Belgium Brewing
Founded here in 1991, with food trucks and live music on its calendar. The free 45-minute tour is open to all ages and ends with a ride down the slide. The 90-minute Production Tour is $15, for ages 12 and up, with closed shoes required.
- Best for:
- Anyone who wants to see a big brewery up close
- When:
- Open daily 12 to 8 PM, with adjusted hours and closures posted on its site.
- Where:
- 500 Linden Street, Fort Collins
Odell Brewing Co
The founding home of an employee-owned brewery started in 1989, known for its patio and mountain views. It has a dog-friendly patio and daily food trucks, and The OBC Wine Project is next door.
- Best for:
- A long afternoon on a patio
- When:
- Open daily. Tours run Friday through Sunday at 1 PM and 3 PM.
- Where:
- 800 E Lincoln Avenue, Fort Collins
Old Town and history
Old Town Square
The center of a historic district placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The tourism office says Walnut Street helped inspire Disneyland's Main Street. The Welcome Center here has brochures and walking maps.
- Best for:
- A free first stop and a walk through town
- When:
- Welcome Center open Monday through Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM, Sunday 11 AM to 4 PM.
- Where:
- 7 Old Town Square, Fort Collins
1879 Avery House
A sandstone Queen Anne-style home built by Franklin Avery, a surveyor, banker and water pioneer. The Poudre Landmarks Foundation runs guided tours. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for children.
- Best for:
- An hour of local history
- When:
- Tours Saturday 11 AM to 2 PM and Sunday 1 to 4 PM.
- Where:
- 328 W Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins
Fort Collins Municipal Railway Trolley
A streetcar restored to its 1919 style, running from the City Park depot to Old Town and back along a former heritage route. Fares are $2 for adults, $1 for seniors and children, and free under 3.
- Best for:
- Kids and streetcar fans
- When:
- 2026 season ran May 2 to September 27, noon to 5 PM on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays, weather permitting.
- Where:
- 1501 W Oak Street, Fort Collins
Museums and gardens
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
Hands-on science and history exhibits plus a digital dome theater and the city's official archives. Admission is $15.50 for adults and $12.75 for youth, students and seniors, and the digital dome is $6 for non-members.
- Best for:
- Families and bad-weather days
- When:
- Tuesday through Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM. Closed Mondays and most major holidays.
- Where:
- 408 Mason Court, Fort Collins
The Gardens on Spring Creek
The city's botanic garden, with a Butterfly House and a paved, wheelchair-accessible main loop of 0.55 mile. Adults are $6.50, and seniors, children and students are $5.50. Garden of Lights runs December 11 to 27 in 2026, closed December 24 and 25.
- Best for:
- A slow morning with kids or grandparents
- When:
- From November 2, 2026, open 10 AM to 4 PM every day but Thursday.
- Where:
- 2145 Centre Avenue, Fort Collins
CSU Annual Flower Trial Garden
A working research garden on campus, free and open to the public. Annuals fill the beds through the summer, with pansies and other cool-season plants on display from fall through early spring. The perennial trial garden is across the street.
- Best for:
- A free, colorful stop near campus
- When:
- Open daily during daylight hours. Annuals are planted late May through October.
- Where:
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins
The Farm at Lee Martinez Park
A city-run farm where kids can meet animals up close. The tourism office says ponies are available for rides in the summer.
- Best for:
- Young kids
- When:
- November through March, Wednesday to Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM and Sunday noon to 4 PM. April through October, Wednesday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday noon to 5 PM, plus Tuesdays in summer.
- Where:
- 600 N Sherwood Street, Fort Collins
Parks and trails
Horsetooth Reservoir
A 6.5-mile-long reservoir minutes from town, used for boating, fishing, swimming, paddling and water skiing. The tourism office rates Rotary Park on the east side among Colorado's best bouldering spots. An entrance permit is required.
- Best for:
- A summer day on the water
- When:
- Open year-round. Swim beaches open from Memorial Day weekend through October 1, with dates varying each year.
- Where:
- 4200 W County Road 38E, Fort Collins
Horsetooth Mountain Open Space
A Larimer County open space with 29 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, and Horsetooth Rock, the landmark visible from the plains. Entrance permits are required, and dogs must be on leash.
- Best for:
- The classic Fort Collins hike
- When:
- Open year-round.
- Where:
- West of Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins
Lory State Park
A state park with 28.1 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, plus picnic sites. A daily vehicle pass is $10 to $12 for Colorado plates and $15 to $17 for others, or $4 per person. Dogs must be leashed.
- Best for:
- Hikers and mountain bikers
- When:
- Daily, 5 AM to sunset. Trails stay open in winter for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
- Where:
- 708 Lodgepole Drive, Bellvue
Soapstone Prairie Natural Area
More than 28 square miles of grassland north of town, with trails, the Lindenmeier Overlook on a quarter-mile paved path, and a bison herd the tourism office says can be spotted there. Dogs are not allowed, even in cars.
- Best for:
- Big skies and bison
- When:
- Open daily from dawn to dusk, March through November.
- Where:
- 22998 Rawhide Flats Road, Wellington
Poudre River Trail
A bike route along the Poudre River through town, part of what the tourism office counts as 285-plus miles of trails. It also gives bike access to the Museum of Discovery.
- Best for:
- Easy riding on a rented bike
- Where:
- Fort Collins
River and canyon
Cache la Poudre River and Scenic Byway
Colorado's only nationally designated Wild and Scenic River, per the tourism office, followed by Highway 14. The route between Fort Collins and Walden is a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway. Pronounced pooh-der.
- Best for:
- A scenic drive with stops for the river
- When:
- Rafting runs May through August.
- Where:
- Colorado Highway 14, west of Fort Collins
A-1 Wildwater
A Poudre outfitter whose beginner Wildwater Trip is listed at $85, with mostly class II and III rapids and a minimum age of 7. Plan for 3.5 to 4 hours from check-in. Wetsuits are required May 15 to June 15, at extra cost.
- Best for:
- First-time rafters and families
- When:
- Check-ins at 8:45 AM and 1 PM daily during the rafting season.
- Where:
- 2801 N Shields Street, Fort Collins
Music and theater
The Mishawaka Amphitheatre
A music venue and restaurant in the Poudre Canyon, founded in 1919 by Walter S. Thompson, that has hosted The Lumineers and Nathaniel Rateliff. Planetary Transportation runs a bus to shows.
- Best for:
- Live music by the river
- Where:
- 13714 Poudre Canyon Highway, Bellvue
Aggie Theatre
A College Avenue concert venue booked by Z2 Entertainment. On event nights the box office opens when doors open.
- Best for:
- Touring bands in Old Town
- Where:
- 204 S College Avenue, Fort Collins
The Lincoln Center
A city venue for performing and visual arts, with a large Performance Hall, the smaller Magnolia Theatre, an art gallery and an outdoor sculpture garden. It hosts over 800 events a year, by its own count.
- Best for:
- Theater and touring performers
- Where:
- 417 W Magnolia Street, Fort Collins
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