When United Artists were making John Wayne Westerns in Cañon City, this is where they lived and worked. A turn-of-the-20th-century Colorado Fuel & Iron company town before Hollywood came and went, Cañon City was legally dry, so the drinkers, like Wayne and cowboy actor Tom Mix, came down to this area to drink and fight. You’ll see remnants of the old stone jail and brick storefronts. To get here follow 4th St from Main over the river and across the tracks.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
5.57 MILES
In 1929 this 1260ft-long suspension bridge was built across the 950ft-deep Royal Gorge, which stretches for 10 miles west of Cañon City. The bridge and…
Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience
7.25 MILES
More than three years in gestation, this dinosaur of an experience hatched in 2016 and comes highly recommended for fans of the Jurassic period and anyone…
22.99 MILES
This museum is set in the old Teller County Jail, which rather remarkably operated from 1901 all the way until 1992 when the ACLU filed the lawsuit that…
1.64 MILES
Set in the original women's prison, right outside the stone walls of the territorial prison, each of the 30 cells is decked out with a different exhibit…
8.18 MILES
The second-largest Jurassic graveyards in Colorado, and still one of the largest in North America, these are one of the quarries that spawned the Bone…
23.08 MILES
Set in an old midland train station terminal is the city's official museum. Between 1896 and 1949 the train came up from the divide four times daily. The…
23.53 MILES
This splashy 11,600-sq-ft facility is set on a ridge overlooking town and has massive mountain views. It offers a variety of interactive and…
Royal Gorge Museum & History Center
1.68 MILES
Good for that rare rainy day is this municipal museum, which introduces the region's early history. In 2013 it incorporated the local dinosaur museum…
Nearby attractions
1.32 MILES
Connected by footbridge to the Whitewater Kayak & Recreation Park, this place is called 'duck park' by locals, thanks to the numerous web-footed residents…
1.64 MILES
Set in the original women's prison, right outside the stone walls of the territorial prison, each of the 30 cells is decked out with a different exhibit…
3. Royal Gorge Museum & History Center
1.68 MILES
Good for that rare rainy day is this municipal museum, which introduces the region's early history. In 2013 it incorporated the local dinosaur museum…
5.57 MILES
In 1929 this 1260ft-long suspension bridge was built across the 950ft-deep Royal Gorge, which stretches for 10 miles west of Cañon City. The bridge and…
5. Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience
7.25 MILES
More than three years in gestation, this dinosaur of an experience hatched in 2016 and comes highly recommended for fans of the Jurassic period and anyone…
8.18 MILES
The second-largest Jurassic graveyards in Colorado, and still one of the largest in North America, these are one of the quarries that spawned the Bone…
22.32 MILES
This small museum is housed in a former town hall and fire station, built in 1879. You can view relics and photographs of regional history. It's located…
8. Outlaws & Lawmen Jail Museum
22.99 MILES
This museum is set in the old Teller County Jail, which rather remarkably operated from 1901 all the way until 1992 when the ACLU filed the lawsuit that…