UFO Watchtower
Hooper
On a trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, take a detour on State Highway 17 — also called the Cosmic Highway by extraterrestrial buffs — for a chance to spot a UFO. In actuality the watchtower is a 10-foot-tall viewing platform that takes advantage of the remote area’s high elevation. Pass the time with your eyes on the sky, checking out the Healing Garden or even camping on site.
Antique Washing Machine Museum
Eaton
Not too far from Fort Collins, avid collector Lee Maxwell has gathered more than 1,000 vintage washing machines, many of which he’s restored to working condition. Dozens of brands and types are represented, along with other old-school household appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners. To see the museum, though, you’ll have to arrange for a tour by phone or email.
The Sasquatch Outpost
Bailey
Bigfoot, Yeti, Sasquatch — call the hairy cryptids what you want, there's no denying their place in folklore. Co-owners Jim and Daphne Myers have dedicated their store in Bailey to all things Bigfoot, selling not only camping, hiking and fishing supplies (handy for those plotting a stakeout in the forest), but also squatchy swag like T-shirts, signs and mugs. Plus, they've opened the on-site Sasquatch Encounter Discovery Museum, where you can learn about sightings. Snap a photo with the lifesize Sasquatch replica!
Largest Fork in the U.S.
Creede
Tucked into southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains is the small town of Creede, where you’ll find a giant fork propped up against the side of a building. Forty feet long and weighing more than 600 pounds, the aluminum fork is an art display that was specifically built by the owners of a restaurant and rental cabins to beat out the size of another fork in Springfield, Missouri.
Museum of Colorado Prisons
Cañon City
Take a look back on the history of the state’s prison facilities and corrections within a historical cell house. Originally the Women’s Correctional Facility that was built in 1935, nowadays you can take an audio tour through 32 cells. Peek in on exhibits and artifacts ranging from infamous inmates to a former gas chamber.
Petrified Wood Gas Station
Lamar
The name of this building (501 N. Main St.) refers to its original purpose, but presently it functions as an office for a used-car dealership. The history of the Petrified Wood Gas Station dates to 1932, when a lumber dealer built the walls and floor out of petrified wood, estimated to be more than 175 million years old.
Colorado Gators Reptile Park
Mosca
What started as a tilapia fish farm north of Alamosa has grown into a sanctuary for alligators, snakes, lizards and tortoises. In addition to education about the animals and a focus on maintaining an ecosystem, there are also classes on reptile handling and gator wrestling, documented by a photographer.
Tiny Town & Railroad
Morrison
Head out to the foothills of Denver for a kid-size experience at a century-old attraction. Explore the miniature buildings built at 1/16 scale to resemble an Old West town, ride the trains (they have four trains, including two real steam engines), enjoy a picnic and have fun on the playground.
Cano’s Castle
Antonito
If you’ve ever wanted to see a castle built with beer cans and other scrap metal, here is your opportunity. Located a few miles north of the New Mexico border, Cano’s Castle is actually several structures that have been under construction since the 1980s and expanded upward over time.
Bishop Castle
Rye
Who knew Colorado could lay claim to more than one castle? Southwest of Pueblo, Jim Bishop has been building a stone-and-iron fortress for more than 50 years. It includes three stories of interior rooms, a grand ballroom, towers, bridges and even a fire-breathing dragon feature.