Fort Collins: Museums, Gardens and Nature

Fort Collins brings together a variety of themes for planning your trip: a Victorian home with a history dating back to the late 19th century, an interactive museum, gardens, and protected natural areas. If you’re looking for a hotel in Fort Collins, you can start by asking yourself which of these sides of the city you’d like to shape your stay.

History and Museum Experiences

The Avery House was built in 1879 and is a large Victorian home. Volunteer guides lead visitors through the house, bringing the story of the Avery family in the late 19th century to life. The focus is therefore on a specific house and one family.

The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery offers a different experience: it is interactive and immersive, combining hands-on and collection-based exhibits about Northern Colorado and beyond. Its permanent exhibitions cover science, music, agriculture, astronomy, Indigenous peoples, and wilderness areas. The topics range from scientific and cultural subjects to landscapes and agriculture.

The museum is also home to the OtterBox Digital Dome Theater. It is the only 360° dome theater in Northern Colorado, with a domed projection screen measuring 39 feet in diameter. This is a distinct feature of the museum’s offerings. Fort Collins thus has two different cultural highlights: family history in a historic home, and a museum with a wider range of permanent exhibitions and a dome theater.

Natural Areas and Gardens

Fort Collins manages more than 50 protected natural areas and more than 100 miles of trails. Preserved habitats include prairies, foothills, waterways, and forests; their protection benefits wildlife and people.

The Gardens on Spring Creek covers 12 acres of gardens along the scenic Spring Creek corridor. The Children’s Garden features a variety of welcoming areas where children can explore, discover, and grow. This gives the garden its own distinctive focus among the city’s green spaces. The self-guided Notable Tree Tour starts at The Gardens on Spring Creek.

The Annual Flower Trial Garden is planted with annuals from late May through October. This period defines the planting season. For your planning, it provides a specific time frame alongside the natural-area and museum themes described as available year-round.

Butterflies and Trails

Between 400 and 600 North American butterflies and moths fly freely in the Butterfly House. A tropical oasis with nectar-rich plants provides the setting for a close-up view of the animals. If you’re interested in butterflies and moths, the focus here is on observing them up close.

For getting around by bike, Fort Collins lists 200 miles of bike lanes and trails. This figure differs from the more than 100 miles of trails managed in natural areas: the numbers refer to different categories. One specific route is the Poudre Trail. It follows the Poudre River from North Overland Trail to East Drake Road. This identifies its two named endpoints without assuming a route length or travel time.

The places and activities described offer a range of ways to enjoy your stay: historic family stories, exhibitions, gardens, wildlife viewing, and trails. Discover more destinations: Estes Park, Timnath, Loveland, Kelim, Berthoud.

For the broader travel overview: Larimer.