Have you ever been to Fort Collins, Colorado? Are you thinking of making your next vacation to this really cool city in an incredible state? You won’t be sorry if you do. Fort Collins is a town loaded with history, incredible scenery, and a ton of fun things to do. In this video, we’re taking a look at some of our top recommendations for how to spend a trip there. From walking around historic Old Town for food and shopping, to ice skating at the Pond of Foothills, to checking out one of their many breweries, you’ll never be bored during a trip to Fort Collins. Stay tuned, as Viewcation presents, the best things to do in Fort Collins, Colorado!
Historic Old Town
A great place to start on your visit to Fort Collins is the historic Old Town downtown district. It’s perfect for getting your bearings, and getting a sense of what the city’s vibe is. And it’s a quaint and well preserved area that shows off its history through its shops, buildings, and more. There are great restaurants, shops, galleries in downtown Fort Collins, so you’ll feel right at home right away. In fact, the main drag might feel eerily similar to anyone who’s been to Disneyland. That’s no coincidence. When they were designing Disneyland, they modeled the Main Street USA, the primary walk in the park, after Fort Collins!
We recommend “The Cupboard, which is a great boutique shop with a focus on kitchen items. And if you’re looking to grab some old/new gear, head to Wear it Again Sam, an excellent second-hand clothing store.
Another fun twist that makes downtown Fort Collins a bit different than your average downtown area is the Fort Collins Ghost tour. It’s a cool and spooky twist on a traditional tour of a city, and you’ll get some chills on the back of your neck as you learn about the history of the area. With the abundance of bars, restaurants, and more, you can visit downtown multiple times on your visit to Fort Collins and feel like you get something new each time!
Check out a Brewery or two!
There are an abundance of breweries all across Colorado, and Fort Collins is no different. At pretty much all of them you’ll be able to take a tour and sample some tasty brews. Perhaps the most well known is New Belgium. You’ve probably seen their beers all of the country, but you can get the freshest version in their Fort Collins headquarters. New Belgium is perhaps best know for their tasty Fat Tire Amber ale, but they have loads more you can check out. Their small-batch sour beer barrel aging program is actually the biggest in the US. And if you time your trip right, you might be there for one of New Belgium’s many beer themed events. A popular one is Tour de Fat, which is loosely related to the Tour de France, only with a lot more inebriation happening. People wear all sorts of wild costumes, and ride their bikes into Old Town for some (hopefully safe) fun.
Then there’s Odell Brewing and Prost Brewing. Prost offers up German-style beers, as well a giant pretzels to soak up the booze in your belly. And Odell features great tasting beers and a beer patio that often attracts food trucks, especially when the brewery has hired live musicians to entertain the crowds when the weather is nice.
Mishawaka Amphitheater
Speaking of live music, the Mishawaka Amphitheater is a fantastic venue that features two stages. It sits on a riverfront, and offers a ton of great food options and to go along with it’s live shows and scenic views. The locals call it “The Mish” and they come out in droves to see the great array of artists that usually play there. Some nights people head over to the Amphitheater stage, which is the larger of the two venues, and seats about 1000 people. But for more intimate music shows, they head to the SpokesBUZZ Lounge. It’s a smaller, 150-seat room that is great for smaller acts an up and comers.
The Mish is located just outside of Fort Collins in a town called Bellvue, and it’s a great place to spend an evening. So be sure to check their schedule and time your trip so you can catch a great band or two while enjoying tasty food and cold beers next to a gorgeous riverfront view.
Before we tell you more about the best things to do in Fort Collins, be sure to give this video a like. And subscribe to Viewcation if you haven’t already!
Wander around CSU
Colorado State University is a top notch school located right in Fort Collins. Taking a tour of the campus will not only be a fun way to spend an afternoon, but it’s a way to feel connected to the history of the town. It was initially an agricultural college, though it has expanded to include more general education since its founding in 1870. But that agricultural history still holds sway in the form of a huge “A” painting onto one of the hillsides of the town. Plus, the incoming freshman are tasked with repainting it every year, which is a fun tradition.
When you arrive, you can choose to walk around campus yourself, or go on a more “official” by downloading the school’s app, and playing the pre-made tour that’s built into it.
The Oval Drive is perhaps the top attraction when driving around campus. It was originally designed by students and teachers, and its function was not only as a drive around the grounds, but also to exhibit a road built from native materials. As you drive around Oval Drive, you’ll pass dozens of elms and other trees that shade large areas of grass and native plants. You might even want to get out and walk around or bring a lunch and settle down in the grass for a while. It’s a picturesque way to spend an afternoon. And if you time your visit right, you might be able to catch a football game. CSU built a giant new stadium recently, called the CSU Canvas Football Stadium, and it’s a fun place to cheer on the team.
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
This fun and educational museum is a great place to spend an afternoon if you’re looking to learn about the history of some prominent local figures and what they’ve brought to fields like astronomy and other sciences, as well as music, and more. One cool thing is that there are several interactive exhibits. Your kids will particularly enjoy the Schatz Family Exploration Zone. It contains interactive components that teach them about the nature of motion, as well as light and color. Plus the Music & Sound Lab has a focus on the nature of sound, and allow you and the kids to pick up and play several musical instruments. Overall, the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery provides it’s a great way to learn, while having a ton of fun. It’s open every day but Monday, and it’s only $15 for adults, and $12.50 for kids.
Cache Le Poudre
If you’re in town during the warmer months, you’ll want to check out the Cache Le Poudre River. It’s a great place for a variety of water-based activities. For starters, it’s a prime spot for whitewater rafting. It has rapids ranging from class 1 to class 4, so there’s something for beginners all the way up to the thrill seekers. It’s also a spot that local fisherman often frequent, especially because of the many spots along the river that are great for trout fishing. If you check out the areas near the Poudre Trail, you’ll find plenty of great spots to fish. And for those looking to take a dip and get out of the heat, there are plenty of swimmable areas of the river. If you start at Legacy Park, there are a bunch of spot to swim in nearby. Although keep in mind that the water you’ll be dipping into is runoff from the Colorado Rocky Mountains. And those are snow covered year-round, so you know the water will be a little colder than your average public pool, even in the heat of the summer.
Ice Skating
If you’re in town during the colder months, you might be looking for a fun winter activity. Fort Collins has an abundance of ice skating rinks that can satisfy that craving. Two popular spots are the NoCo Ice Center and the Edora Pool Ice Center. Edora Pool is particularly great because there are opportunities for both ice skating lessons and open stakes pretty much all year. And the NoCo Ice Center’s rink is excellent, but you might be competing for time with local kids as they play in their youth leagues there. There is also a huge outdoor rink at The Shops At Foothills, which is a large local mall. In winter, the pond there is turned into a rink. You can rent skates there, and if it’s crowded, they’ll even text you when it’s your turn to be let in.
So there you have it – the best things to do in Fort Collins. Now it’s time to hear from you. Did we miss any of your favorite things to do in Fort Collins? Let us know in the comments section below. And before you go, make sure to give this video a like, and subscribe to Viewcation if you haven’t already. Click the bell icon to stay updated on all our latest content.