You’ll find three spectacular golf courses, two National Historic Districts, beautiful parks and a Certified Colorado Creative District in Longmont. Stop by the Visitors Center in the heart of the downtown district to pick up maps, brochures and magazines about the city and surrounding areas. Then, survey the work of local artists in galleries and coffee shops — which are especially bustling during Second Fridays events.
Make your way to Longmont Museum & Cultural Center, which houses exhibits on the region’s history and hosts outdoor summer concerts and movies. Or head to the Dickens Farm Nature Area, a 52-acre site along St. Vrain Creek with biking trails, boating and tubing access, a nature-themed playground and more.
The area’s brewery scene is also noteworthy. Left Hand Brewing Co. and Oskar Blues’ Tasty Weasel Taproom are longtime favorites, while 300 Suns, Longs Peak Pub & Taphouse, Großen Bart, Shoes & Brews, Wibby and Bootstrap (among others) have emerged in recent years. The latest additions to the roster are Outworld Brewing and Primitive Beer, which was recently nominated as a top small brewery in the U.S. by USA Today.
For a little twist on adult beverages, visit St. Vrain Cidery or one of the town’s craft-spirits distilleries. Copper Sky Distillery is a microdistillery featuring organic spirits and craft cocktails, while Dry Land Distillers and Abbott & Wallace Distilling create spirits inspired by Colorado’s lands and iconic places in the American West.
Now it’s time for a snack: The Art of Cheese is a local cheese-making school with courses that cover cheese making, pairings, tasting and more. For more cheesiness, there’s also Cheese Importers and Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy, both with culinary experiences to explore.
For a heartier meal, options range from casual hangouts to upscale bistros and everything in between. Downtown, make your way to rustic-chic The Roost or Pumphouse Brewery for pub-style fare. For killer St. Louis-style ribs, pulled pork and hot links, Georgia Boys is a beloved barbecue joint. A good way to explore all the tastes of Longmont is the new Wonder Tours, which take you to local restaurants and bars and fills you with samples of the best stuff.
History buffs should check out the Dougherty Museum’s impressive collection of restored antique automobiles, farm equipment and more. Open on weekends from June through August, the museum came to be in 1977, thanks to a longtime local farmer who was inspired by the Ford Museum in Michigan. Meanwhile, the Agricultural Heritage Center explores the area’s agricultural history through interactive exhibits and a 1909 farmhouse furnished with items from that era.
For those seeking thrills, Mile-Hi Skydiving Center (where the Denver Broncos’ Thunderstorm sky-diving team trains) hosts excursions to Longs Peak for all experience levels. There’s also the Warrior Playground, an outdoor obstacle course and training facility, styled after those on “American Ninja Warrior,” where visitors can hone key ninja skills.
For a more relaxing excursion, consider stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking on Union Reservoir or cycling along the St. Vrain Greenway — considered the crown jewel in the city’s trail system — which links numerous parks and runs along St. Vrain Creek.
Quick Tip
The hop-on/hop-off Brewhop Trolley transports craft-beverage lovers to more than dozen venues in Longmont, including a cidery, two distilleries and an array of breweries, every Saturday and Sunday. Need another way to get around? Buses are free within city limits.
Check out our Colo-Road Trip itineraries: Fall in Love with Longmont, A Taste of Winter in Longmont and Family Fun in Longmont for Fall & Winter.