Manitou Cliff Dwellings

Date Visited: July 14, 2026

Location: Manitou Springs, Colorado

Type: Ancient Site (reconstructed) - Museum

Cost: $$

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 1-2 hours

Accessibility: Fully accessible except inside cliff dwellings

Dog Friendly: Yes

Best For: History lovers, families

First Impressions

Very friendly gentleman at the ticket gate, helpful with information about the site. Lots of free parking available.

What We Saw

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings are located off Highway 24, just north of downtown Manitou Springs. Admission is reasonably priced, with discounts available for seniors. Friendly staff welcome visitors to a site that includes the reconstructed cliff dwellings, a museum, a large gift shop, and a café (although it was closed during our visit).

Although these are not "the original cliff dwellings on their original site", the stone structures themselves were relocated from near Dolores, Colorado. The attraction was established in 1907 by Virginia McClurg, an early preservationist of Southwestern archaeology, who wanted to protect these remarkable structures while giving the public an opportunity to experience them.

One of the biggest advantages of visiting here is that you can actually walk through and crawl inside the dwellings. If you've visited places such as Mesa Verde National Park, you'll know that access there is closely supervised through ranger-guided tours with fixed routes and limited time. Here, you are free to explore at your own pace, spending as much time as you like getting a feel for what life may have been like for the Ancestral Pueblo people. This hands-on experience is especially enjoyable for children.

The museum is housed in a three-story pueblo-style building and is well worth visiting. It contains an impressive collection of pottery, stone tools, woven items, and other artifacts that help explain the culture and daily lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people. The exhibits are thoughtfully presented and seemed to interest children just as much as adults.

While these are reconstructed cliff dwellings rather than original ruins, the attraction succeeds in offering visitors a meaningful introduction to Ancestral Pueblo history and architecture. It provides a rare opportunity to experience spaces that closely resemble ancient cliff dwellings and helps visitors better appreciate the remarkable engineering and ingenuity of their builders.

The grounds include ample parking, a large gift shop, a café, and attractive landscaping featuring numerous labeled native plants. Accessibility around most of the site is very good for visitors with mobility challenges, although wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers cannot enter the cliff dwellings themselves because of the narrow passages and uneven surfaces.

Highlights

Surprisingly good museum detailing Ancestral Puebloan culture.

Good To Know

Very dog-friendly - dogs can go in museum and gift shop.Plan on spending one to two hours here. Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat, especially during the warmer months. There are plenty of benches and shaded areas where you can rest. Whether you're introducing children to Southwestern archaeology or looking for a more hands-on experience than is possible at many protected archaeological sites, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings make an enjoyable and worthwhile stop.

Would We Go Again?

Probably not, I would prefer to visit the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde or another location.