Information
Landmark: Miramont Castle MuseumCity: Colorado Springs
Country: USA Colorado
Continent: North America
Miramont Castle Museum, Colorado Springs, USA Colorado, North America
Miramont Castle Museum stands as a 14,000-square-foot mysteriously grand mansion in Manitou Springs Colorado blending architectural splendor and 19th-century spa era legacy.
Father Jean Baptiste Francolon a French-born Catholic priest had a private home built in 1895 which became known as the castle.
Today it functions largely as nonprofit museum under care of Manitou Springs Historical Society and gets listed on National Register of Historic Places.
Father Jean Baptiste Francolon arrived in Colorado on ecclesiastical business and endeavored to build a quirky abode reflecting his flamboyant background.
He envisioned a residence echoing aristocratic stylistic elements of castles and châteaux encountered during travels through Europe North Africa and Middle East.
Castle design eschewed strict architectural conformity utilizing native Manitou greenstone and sandstone quite irregularly in its construction somehow.
Nine architectural styles are deftly blended here including Byzantine Tudor and Gothic Revival alongside Romanesque Flemish Venetian Moorish Queen Anne and Elizabethan.
Rooms assume varied shapes and styles with many boasting decidedly non-orthogonal configurations thus rendering the entire structure a veritable labyrinth of architectural eclecticism.
Father Francolon abandoned Montcalm Sanitarium under murky conditions roughly five years after its construction was finally completed.
Sisters of Mercy leased castle then utterly transforming it into Montcalm Sanitarium a haven for tuberculosis patients thriving in Colorado's dry air.
Patients received spiritual support and treatment involving sunlight in fresh air daily with considerable vigor.
After closure in late 1920s a sanitarium property saw various uses including boarding house before sinking deeply into utter neglect.
Manitou Springs Historical Society swooped in during 1970s saving badly deteriorating structure.
Castle restoration efforts culminated in 1977 with grand opening as public museum showcasing unique architectural character and varied historical exhibits locally.
Since then it has morphed into a super popular tourist trap near Pikes Peak.
Castle interiors boast over 30 refurbished rooms somewhat haphazardly spread across four floors via rather grand staircases and suitably antiquated hallways.
Victorian-era furnishings and historical artifacts adorn each room with interpretive displays immersing visitors deeply in life of late 19th century.
Museum highlights feature a Victorian Parlor furnished ornately with chandeliers and antique musical instruments alongside lace tablecloths and silver tea services.
They offer insight into upper-class domestic life during castle's heyday very remarkably underneath its crumbling facade.
A dedicated wing featuring antique firefighting gear uniforms helmets and city's first fire truck is housed downstairs for Manitou Springs Volunteer Fire Department.
Rare relics from bygone wars like World War II and Nuremberg Trials such as uniforms letters photographs and firearms are displayed here courtesy of local veterans families.
Private chapel retains original woodwork and boasts Gothic window designs still intact with some alterations over time obviously.
Rooms adjacent once housed Father Francolon and later Sisters of Mercy during era of sanitarium operations.
Quaint Victorian era childhood exhibit features antique toys and handmade dolls alongside intricately designed children's clothing in beautifully restored prams.This standalone wooden hut located on grounds remains one of few physical remnants from Montcalm Sanitarium era rather remarkably still.
Patients with advanced TB were isolated in huts with extremely poor ventilation thereby limiting spread of disease rather effectively.
Visitors flocked quite enthusiastically to Queen's Parlour Tea Room a bright solarium serving rather traditional Victorian high tea.
Experience entails delicate finger sandwiches served with scones slathered in clotted cream and jam alongside fresh-baked pastries and English-style teas.<br>Several packages are offered in Tea Room including High Tea and Light Victorian Tea and special Prince/Princess Teas crafted for young children.
Atmosphere feels pretty darn intimate around here with historically themed decor and waitstaff dressed up in period costume serving people on fine bone china.
Reservations are strongly advised Tuesday through Sunday and can be made in advance quite easily.
Surrounding the castle are lush Victorian-style gardens teeming with native flora and vibrant seasonal blooms under shaded areas.
Gardens reflected aesthetic design alongside practical self-sufficiency characteristic of estates during 19th century remarkably well under varying circumstances.
Guests now snap pics under stone arch porte-cochère where horse-drawn carriages once deposited visitors at grand castle entrance.
Miramont Castle has spawned numerous creepy ghost stories and garnered quite a paranormal reputation over many years evidently.
Legends abound with ghostly apparitions of a man purportedly Father Francolon eerily stalking chapel corridors at dead of night.<br>Flickering lights and unsettling cold spots plague certain rooms.<br>Unexplained cacophonies erupt including footsteps echoing down halls whispers in dark recesses and doors slamming shut with alarming ferocity.<br>Paranormal interest events and Halloween-themed tours fuel the castle's mystique with these creepy tales.
Visitor info can be found here.<br>Address is 9 Capitol Hill Avenue pretty much in Manitou Springs CO 80829.<br>Parking spots are available nearby and a designated drop-off point for people with disabilities exists right at castle entrance.
Summer hours kick in around Memorial Day lasting till Labor Day with daily operations from 9:00 AM till 5:00 PM.<br>Rest of year it's open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM mostly.<br>Off-season Mondays are closed and so are Thanksgiving Christmas and New Year’s Day.<br>Adults pay $15 while seniors sixty plus shell out thirteen bucks.<br>Kids between four and twelve are charged ten bucks.<br>Under four get in free and so do military personnel and first responders with valid ID.<br>Tea Room diners get two dollars off castle admission price.<br>Most castle areas are wheelchair accessible thanks to chairlifts and sloped access but age and layout of building limit access somewhat.
Miramont Castle Museum embodies layered history merging fantasy of French-style mountain châteaux with Manitou Springs' deeply rooted resort legacy and medicinal past.
Its ambiance somewhat romantic and faintly mysterious along with authentic Victorian furnishings and eclectic exhibits make it a pretty unforgettable museum experience in Colorado.
Miramont Castle whisks visitors away on a journey deeply rooted in Manitou's mystical past with haunting architecture and delightfully eerie tea rooms.
Father Jean Baptiste Francolon a French-born Catholic priest had a private home built in 1895 which became known as the castle.
Today it functions largely as nonprofit museum under care of Manitou Springs Historical Society and gets listed on National Register of Historic Places.
Father Jean Baptiste Francolon arrived in Colorado on ecclesiastical business and endeavored to build a quirky abode reflecting his flamboyant background.
He envisioned a residence echoing aristocratic stylistic elements of castles and châteaux encountered during travels through Europe North Africa and Middle East.
Castle design eschewed strict architectural conformity utilizing native Manitou greenstone and sandstone quite irregularly in its construction somehow.
Nine architectural styles are deftly blended here including Byzantine Tudor and Gothic Revival alongside Romanesque Flemish Venetian Moorish Queen Anne and Elizabethan.
Rooms assume varied shapes and styles with many boasting decidedly non-orthogonal configurations thus rendering the entire structure a veritable labyrinth of architectural eclecticism.
Father Francolon abandoned Montcalm Sanitarium under murky conditions roughly five years after its construction was finally completed.
Sisters of Mercy leased castle then utterly transforming it into Montcalm Sanitarium a haven for tuberculosis patients thriving in Colorado's dry air.
Patients received spiritual support and treatment involving sunlight in fresh air daily with considerable vigor.
After closure in late 1920s a sanitarium property saw various uses including boarding house before sinking deeply into utter neglect.
Manitou Springs Historical Society swooped in during 1970s saving badly deteriorating structure.
Castle restoration efforts culminated in 1977 with grand opening as public museum showcasing unique architectural character and varied historical exhibits locally.
Since then it has morphed into a super popular tourist trap near Pikes Peak.
Castle interiors boast over 30 refurbished rooms somewhat haphazardly spread across four floors via rather grand staircases and suitably antiquated hallways.
Victorian-era furnishings and historical artifacts adorn each room with interpretive displays immersing visitors deeply in life of late 19th century.
Museum highlights feature a Victorian Parlor furnished ornately with chandeliers and antique musical instruments alongside lace tablecloths and silver tea services.
They offer insight into upper-class domestic life during castle's heyday very remarkably underneath its crumbling facade.
A dedicated wing featuring antique firefighting gear uniforms helmets and city's first fire truck is housed downstairs for Manitou Springs Volunteer Fire Department.
Rare relics from bygone wars like World War II and Nuremberg Trials such as uniforms letters photographs and firearms are displayed here courtesy of local veterans families.
Private chapel retains original woodwork and boasts Gothic window designs still intact with some alterations over time obviously.
Rooms adjacent once housed Father Francolon and later Sisters of Mercy during era of sanitarium operations.
Quaint Victorian era childhood exhibit features antique toys and handmade dolls alongside intricately designed children's clothing in beautifully restored prams.This standalone wooden hut located on grounds remains one of few physical remnants from Montcalm Sanitarium era rather remarkably still.
Patients with advanced TB were isolated in huts with extremely poor ventilation thereby limiting spread of disease rather effectively.
Visitors flocked quite enthusiastically to Queen's Parlour Tea Room a bright solarium serving rather traditional Victorian high tea.
Experience entails delicate finger sandwiches served with scones slathered in clotted cream and jam alongside fresh-baked pastries and English-style teas.<br>Several packages are offered in Tea Room including High Tea and Light Victorian Tea and special Prince/Princess Teas crafted for young children.
Atmosphere feels pretty darn intimate around here with historically themed decor and waitstaff dressed up in period costume serving people on fine bone china.
Reservations are strongly advised Tuesday through Sunday and can be made in advance quite easily.
Surrounding the castle are lush Victorian-style gardens teeming with native flora and vibrant seasonal blooms under shaded areas.
Gardens reflected aesthetic design alongside practical self-sufficiency characteristic of estates during 19th century remarkably well under varying circumstances.
Guests now snap pics under stone arch porte-cochère where horse-drawn carriages once deposited visitors at grand castle entrance.
Miramont Castle has spawned numerous creepy ghost stories and garnered quite a paranormal reputation over many years evidently.
Legends abound with ghostly apparitions of a man purportedly Father Francolon eerily stalking chapel corridors at dead of night.<br>Flickering lights and unsettling cold spots plague certain rooms.<br>Unexplained cacophonies erupt including footsteps echoing down halls whispers in dark recesses and doors slamming shut with alarming ferocity.<br>Paranormal interest events and Halloween-themed tours fuel the castle's mystique with these creepy tales.
Visitor info can be found here.<br>Address is 9 Capitol Hill Avenue pretty much in Manitou Springs CO 80829.<br>Parking spots are available nearby and a designated drop-off point for people with disabilities exists right at castle entrance.
Summer hours kick in around Memorial Day lasting till Labor Day with daily operations from 9:00 AM till 5:00 PM.<br>Rest of year it's open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM mostly.<br>Off-season Mondays are closed and so are Thanksgiving Christmas and New Year’s Day.<br>Adults pay $15 while seniors sixty plus shell out thirteen bucks.<br>Kids between four and twelve are charged ten bucks.<br>Under four get in free and so do military personnel and first responders with valid ID.<br>Tea Room diners get two dollars off castle admission price.<br>Most castle areas are wheelchair accessible thanks to chairlifts and sloped access but age and layout of building limit access somewhat.
Miramont Castle Museum embodies layered history merging fantasy of French-style mountain châteaux with Manitou Springs' deeply rooted resort legacy and medicinal past.
Its ambiance somewhat romantic and faintly mysterious along with authentic Victorian furnishings and eclectic exhibits make it a pretty unforgettable museum experience in Colorado.
Miramont Castle whisks visitors away on a journey deeply rooted in Manitou's mystical past with haunting architecture and delightfully eerie tea rooms.
