Tours & Treks in large orange block font overlaid over the snow-peaked rocky mountains.

Event Series

Tours & Treks

Join us as we explore Colorado

History Colorado’s Tours & Treks has been offering a grand assortment of travels to enrich your understanding of our state’s history and beyond. Walk in the footsteps of those who came before and learn the stories behind the sights. In 2024, we are returning to our roots with the ever-popular Organ Crawl, as well as an international trek and a pair of train adventures!  We'll see how the past has informed the present, ponder how art helps us understand our history, and so much more on a series of trips specially designed to inspire wonder!

 

Meet the guides! 

Kevin Snow started his career as an ESL teacher, teaching on three continents.  His students in Denver, from more than eighty countries around the world, didn't know anything about the Mile High City, so he would give them tours to show them their new homes.  When the school closed, he just kept doing it.  He's been touring since 2005 and has worked with History Colorado since 2009.  He's up for any tour and any place, as long as it's not scary and as long as there is food.

Jack Wheeler-Barajas is a fourth generation Coloradan and a local historian on railroads. He has given talks, presentations, and facilitated programs for numerous national and local organizations, including the National Railway Historical Society, History Colorado, the Metropolitan State University of Denver, and Treasure Box Tours. He specializes in Colorado Railways and the history of passenger trains, and in advancing modern passenger rail solutions in the state of Colorado. An alumnus of Colorado State University, Jack Wheeler is trained in Spanish, Italian, Anthropology, Business, and Environmental Science.

Dr. Chris Juergens is the Anschutz Curator of Military History at History Colorado. He earned his PhD with a dissertation about Hessian troops in the American Revolution, though he is especially passionate about the history of the World Wars. In his free time, he is usually playing board games, falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes, or teaching for the Naval War College.


Tour Difficulty Scale

  • Easy: May include light physical activity including boarding a bus, short periods of standing, walking and some stairs.  
  • Moderate: Includes walking up to two miles on streets or easy trails, climbing stairs or spending several hours outside. 
  • Ambitious: May involve several nights away from home, long stretches on a bus, and activity-filled days. Be prepared to walk up to two miles a day on easy to moderate terrain or spend long periods outside. 
  • Challenging: Requires a high level of fitness and an adventurous streak! May include day hikes over potentially rough terrain, accessing remote areas in a vehicle, by foot, or by boat, and/or extended periods outside. 

 

Policies

Registration & Payment

Visit the tour listings above or click here to register for a tour online.

For additional assistance, call 303-866-2394 to register for tours over the phone with a credit or debit card. Note: The credit card will be immediately charged.    

Day tours require payment in full at the time of booking.  

Overnight tours require a refundable deposit at the time of booking to hold your spot. The balance is due by the tour registration deadline. Registration deadlines are specific to each tour and indicated in the tour description.  

Pricing for overnight tours is available for double occupancy (two people per hotel room) and single occupancy (one person per room). Roommates may be requested but are not guaranteed. If paired with a roommate, you will be notified and given information to get in touch prior to the tour. If paired with a roommate that cancels. after the registration deadline, you will not be charged the single occupancy rate.  

To request a roommate, select a single occupancy ticket online and check the “roommate requested” box during checkout. Should you be paired with a roommate, your remaining balance will be adjusted.  

Payments must be made by credit or debit card. History Colorado accepts all major credit cards.

Cancellation Policy

You may cancel a day tour seven or more days prior to the tour and receive a full refund or credit. Cancellations with fewer than seven days’ notice are non-refundable. 

You may cancel an overnight tour without penalty before the registration deadline posted for each tour. Any payments taken before the registration deadline will be refunded in full. Cancellations after the registration deadline are non-refundable.

If History Colorado must cancel a tour or trek, all ticket holders will be notified via email and will be fully refunded. If a tour or trek is postponed, guests will be given the option to either keep their ticket for the rescheduled date or receive a full refund.

Weather Policy 

History Colorado tours and treks run rain/snow and shine! Refunds for tours due to weather are only given if History Colorado cancels the tour due to extreme weather.

Wheelchair Accessibility

All walking tours are wheelchair accessible. To request wheelchair accommodations for bus tours (including Overnight Tours), please note it on the registration form and we’ll do our best to accommodate the request.  

Waitlists

Tours sell out fast! Space is limited to ensure a safe, high-quality experience for all. If a tour sells out, a link to a waitlist will be added online. You will be notified if a spot becomes available. 

Start Locations 

Before the tour, a “know before you go” email will be sent with important information such as start/end locations, parking options and clothing/gear suggestions. Start and end locations can also be found in the tour descriptions.  

Itineraries  

Please note that all overnight tour itineraries are subject to change. Final itineraries are sent to registered guests 2-4 weeks prior to the start of the tour. 

Dietary Restrictions

Meal options for a variety of dietary restrictions are available for tours that include a shared meal. Please let us know about your restrictions at the time of booking. 
 

If guests have further questions not answered here, please email Emily Turner at reservations@state.co.us or Rebecca Chickadel at rebecca.chickadel@state.co.us.

Saint Patrick oratory church shown with southwestern architecture.
Larimer square filled with Colorado flags hanging above the street.
A tudor style home slightly obscured by greenery.
Closeup of silver organ pipes.
A group of 11 soldiers posing for the camera at camp hale and smiling. They have guns and bows and arrows, as well as grenades.
A historic green home and garden on 9th avenue.
Colorful brick mural showing a fantasy version of colorado. A black anthropomorphic bunny rides a turtle with a hat and saddle on.
Closeup mural of quetzalcoatl in green, blue, yellow, and red.
A yellow and green train moving along a narrow cliff edge in Colorado.
A mural painting of two boys sitting in a flower field. They wear blue and red.
Bonnie Brae Art alley mosaic on a brick wall. The text reads alley art made from blue and red stone.
2 wine bottles sitting on an old barrel. Behind them is a lush, green vineyard.
Mural on a cement wall in Cherry Creek, CO, it shows an abstract black and white woman with thorns emerging from her arms.
The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad moving down a mountain track.
Main street golden lined with business and cars. The Large orange and brown sign reads "Howdy Folks! Welcome to Golden. Where the west lives"
A grand castle-like mansion made with red/orange stone sits atop a snowy hill. It is surrounded by snow covered evergreens.