1. Stay (and Play) at The Elizabeth Hotel – Fort Collins
Choose your own musical adventure at this 164-key hotel. The Elizabeth Hotel is one of 12 Colorado hotels recently awarded the prestigious MICHELIN KEY that recognizes the world’s most outstanding hotels.
Our kids were obsessed with the lobby’s curated vinyl collection, which they could borrow from to play on the record player in our room. The Elizabeth Hotel also has an instrument lending library, and its themed suites include one with a grand piano.
Too hungry to make your own music? Head upstairs to the Sunset Lounge. It serves up live jazz and lite bites on the all-weather patio Wednesday through Saturday.
Everything in Old Town is within walking distance. If you don’t manage to get all 10,000 daily steps in, hit up the hotel’s 24-hour fitness center.
2. Pair Cartoons with Cocoa Puffs at The Lyric
Curl up with a big bowl of Cocoa Puffs (or cereal of your choosing) at this independent theater/community hub whose big screen shows cartoons ranging from classics like Speed Racer and Bugs Bunny to contemporary cult favorites like SpongeBob and Bluey.
Rain or shine, The Lyric hosts “Weekend ‘Toons” every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. Admission is free, the serve-yourself cereal bar is just $6 and there’s even a special breakfast menu (including mimosas for kids over the age of 21).
After the show, we hung around to take advantage of the huge outdoor play area. Gotta burn off all that sugar somewhere, am I right?
3. Exhibit-Hop at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
Boasting Northern Colorado’s only 360° dome theater, this family-friendly museum is a must-do in FoCo.
In addition to hosting daily dome shows, the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery features a 16,000-square-foot main gallery filled with exhibits for all ages, including traveling collections on loan from the Smithsonian.
Learn about local history in the First Peoples area, meet local critters in the live animal section, and let the littles get their hands dirty in the Tot Spot. There’s also a cafe and a cute gift shop.
4. Eat at Silver Grill Cafe, LA BOUTIQUE, and Ginger and Baker
Follow your nose to Silver Grill Cafe, which has been serving up its famous frisbee-sized cinnamon rolls for decades. Founded in 1933, this Walnut Street institution is Northern Colorado’s oldest restaurant.
Esquire’s food editor deemed it “America’s best breakfast.” For lunch, it’s “bon appétit” at LA BOUTIQUE, where you don’t have to be a Francophile to fully appreciate the imported French butters, cheeses and meats that make their baguettes so unforgettable.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to top dinner at FoCo’s favorite steakhouse, The Cache at Ginger and Baker, unless you head next door to its sister restaurant, The Cafe at Ginger and Baker.
The latter serves farm-to-fork comfort food ranging from Colorado-raised wagyu meatloaf to slow-roasted chicken pot pie. Save room for dessert because the pie list features no fewer than eight flavors, including its best-selling Quadruple Coconut Cream.
5. Check Out the Latest and Greatest at MoA (Museum of Art)
In its past life, this three-story Italian Renaissance Revival-style building—on the National Register of Historic Places—served as Fort Collins’ post office. Today, it houses an art museum that hosts traveling shows.
While we were bummed to miss the “Awkward Family Photos” exhibition, we had a blast making ornaments in the on-site art studio that hosts kid-friendly workshops and classes. In fact, MoA admission is free for kids under 18.
Don’t miss Masks, a community art project that serves as the museum’s annual fundraiser, and make sure to stop by the gift shop to further support this beloved non-profit.
6. Carve or Shred at Infinity Slopes
Ski or snowboard 365 days a year in this 12,000-square-foot climate-controlled facility where every day is a bluebird day.
Infinity Slopes’ enthusiastic owner, Travis, is often on-site and happy to wax poetic about his technology that includes three treadmill “slopes” covered in ProSnow®, the next best thing to real powder.
Our kids are young, so we appreciated the private lessons, which include equipment. If you’re more advanced, consider booking an open session. While it doesn’t include an instructor, someone from Infinity Slopes will be manning the machine to get your desired speed and incline. New customers enjoy a $20 discount.
7. Paint Pottery at Artisan You
Artisan You, a cozy red brick home-turned-studio on the corner of E. 7th St. and N. Jefferson Ave., is the brainchild of a talented mother-daughter duo, Eileen and Janna.
The kids embraced their mini-Michelangelos while painting their masterpieces—Everett opted for an axolotl, and Alena zeroed in on a unicorn plaque (both now proudly displayed in their bedrooms).
It was also fun to browse the on-site gift shop, featuring Eileen’s handiwork, and learn how she fires up the kiln.
Artisan You hosts an array of classes and offers dozens of DIY projects at prices ranging from $2 to $70. Drop-ins and beginner artisans are not only tolerated, they’re celebrated.
8. Lock Your Love at Loveland Visitors Center
You can’t tell from afar, but the 12-ton L.O.V.E. sculpture in front of the Loveland Visitors Center is an interactive and even emotional experience. It’s one of Loveland’s two love lock sculptures—among the largest of their kind in the country.
Watching Everett and Alena hunt for the tiny lock we attached to it years ago couldn’t have been more entertaining.
Bring your own lock, or purchase one for $20 inside the Visitors Center, where you can customize the symbol of your commitment with paint pens and etching tools. Afterward, attach your lock to one of the giant letters or head to Lake Loveland, where you can also attach it to the newer 12-foot-tall heart-shaped arch.
Best Fort Collins Tours & Excursions
9. Wine and Dine at Sage Speakeasy & Lounge and Urban Field Pizza
With its dramatic drapes, ornate chandeliers and elegant armchairs, Sage Speakeasy & Lounge looks ready to welcome royalty. Fortunately, reservations aren’t required, and there’s no dress code.
While the menu’s list of Mad Men-worthy libations is long, its list of shareables is short. Visit on weekends in the spring or summer for brunch; both Alena and Everett endorse the breakfast croissant boats.
In the mood for Italian-inspired cuisine? Look no further than Urban Field Pizza, a new family-owned and operated establishment specializing in artisanal pies.
If you order a square pizza, expect Detroit’s dense cheese-to-the-edge crust. Just as mouth-watering, the round pizzas marry New York-style with traditional Neapolitan.
10. Horsetooth Mountain Open Space
Fort Collins is home to 52 natural areas comprising 55,000 acres—including a bison range—where visitors can hike, bike, fish, kayak and even scuba dive.
Located just 12 miles west of downtown Fort Collins in a Larimer County Open Space, Horsetooth Mountain Open Space is one of the most popular places for locals and visitors alike to recreate outdoors. It’s home to 29 miles of hiking trails.
Year-round, you can soak up panoramic views of Colorado’s Front Range. If you visit in spring, you’ll get to see Horsetooth Falls in all its glory.
Book Your Stay at The Elizabeth Hotel
Inspire your next adventure with our articles below:
Author Bio: Living across Europe and South America unlocked Carri’s passion for traveling. Never shying away from a new adventure, whether swimming with the pigs in the Bahamas, bird watching in the Galapagos, or Heli-Hiking in British Columbia, you never know where you will catch Carri Wilbanks next. She resides in Colorado between freelance trips with her husband and 2 kids where they enjoy hiking, mountain biking and skiing.
Want to discover more hidden gems and helpful travel tips? Join our free newsletter for the latest travel secrets and travel articles.
We are reader-supported and may earn a commission on purchases made through links in this article.
- How Bamboo Farming in Japan Balances Tradition and Modernity - January 15, 2026
- Chasing Iceland’s Northern Lights at Solar Peak: What I Wish I Knew - January 15, 2026
- Miami’s Two Wild Sides: South Beach Nights and Biscayne National Park - January 14, 2026