Tour guide and historian Marianne Capra will be leading downtown tours to fundraise for the school history programs she provides called the My Place, My Home series. For five-weeks starting in January 2019, you can attend four different walking tours that tell the hiSTORY of Steamboat Springs.
This pilot program is being promoted by Mainstreet Steamboat and is running under the name: Steamboat Tours4Tips (100% satisfaction guaranteed because you tip what the experience was worth to you.) Recommendation: Attend them all because each story builds on the next! These tours are also supported by the Arts Council, Big Iron Coffee Co. Downtown, and the Parks & Rec Department of the City of Steamboat Springs.
There are four tours offered each week for five weeks:
1). Springs & Things: Birth of Town Tour
Learn about the landscape that inspired the founding of this town—both its natural and cultural history. Visit mineral springs, train depot, and pioneer homestead sites. (11 – 13th Streets)
- Meets @ Art Depot Parking Lot at 1:00 p.m. (Railroad tracks at 13th Street & Lincoln Avenue)
- Thursdays in January: 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st
2). Downtown Lowdown: Steamboat hiSTORY Tour
Explore the heart of downtown—architecture, artifact, infrastructure & art—to see the rise of the marketplace, past & present. Visit the original town square, power plant, and jail/courthouse. (7th– 10th Streets)
- Meets @ Big Iron Coffee Co. Downtown at 1:00 p.m. (635 Lincoln Ave Suite C)
- Fridays in January: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th and February 1st
3). Sinister Steamboat: Dark hiSTORIES Tour
Sinister /sinistər/ (adjective)– portending evil, harm, or trouble; ominous. Does evil lurk below the surface of this quaint ski town?! Dive into local murder, ghosts, mayhem and supernatural creatures. (5th – 9th Streets)
- Meets @ Big Iron Coffee Co. Downtown at 1:00 p.m. (635 Lincoln Ave Suite C)
- Saturdays in January: 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th and February 2nd
4). Secrets of The Hill: Ski Free Sundays at Howelsen Tour (Pending: awaiting Parks & Rec. confirmation)
Hear the story of The Hill’s namesake and his cultural and economic impacts; the geologic forces that shaped The Hill itself and its meaning for its citizens today; an overview of Steamboat Springs’ Olympic heritage; and an uphill trip to the ultimate secret buried within.
- Meets @ Main Entrance to Howelsen Hill Lodge at 1:00 p.m. (401 Howelsen Pkwy)
- Select Sundays: January 13, 2019; February 3, 2019; February 10, 2019
Details: No reservations required!
All tours are 2 hours; run regardless of the weather; and, require walking outdoors on variable & slick surfaces.
Contact Marianne Capra with questions at capramarianne@gmail.com, or 970.846.2041 (text preferred).
All tours begin promptly at 1:00 p.m.; the tour is cancelled at 1:20 p.m. if it’s a no-show.
Quote from Marianne: “See Steamboat through brand new eyes: I invite you to time-travel with me as we walk the downtown streets, finding clues and artifacts of the past, then connecting them to the stories of today. Steamboat Springs is rich with fascinating stories you may not have heard before. I’ve spent years leading outdoor tours in national parks and wild places in the West, and I’m excited to share my expertise with the public this winter, since most of the history work I have done here these past 18 years have been private programs. Look for me in period costume, bring the whole family, or just treat yourself to something different in 2019.”
Contact: Marianne Capra, Tour Guide, Natural & Cultural Historian, www.SteamboatSpringsHistory.com
Email: capramarianne@gmail.com; mobile phone: 970.846.2041 (text preferred)
