Victorian house museum and Manitou Springs history

Miramont Castle Museum

About 0.5 mile straight-line from the Cog depot; confirm the real walking or driving route

Use a four-floor, 40-room Manitou castle to place the Cog Railway's first decades inside the resort town's architecture and social history.

The place

About Miramont Castle Museum

Miramont Castle Museum is operated by the independent Manitou Springs Historical Society at 9 Capitol Hill Avenue. Construction began in 1895 for French-born priest Jean Baptiste Francolon and his mother, and period reporting called the growing building one of Colorado's notable artistic structures. The locally quarried and hand-cut sandstone walls reach about two feet thick.

The castle exceeds 14,000 square feet and contains more than 40 rooms over four stories. Its intentionally mixed vocabulary includes Queen Anne, Romanesque, English Tudor, Flemish stepped gables, domestic Elizabethan, Venetian Ogee, Byzantine, Moorish, and half-timber Chateau elements. Because the building stair-steps up the mountain, the front door is on the first level while the back door reaches ground on the fourth.

The self-guided tour supplies room-by-room information across all four floors and normally takes 45 minutes to one hour. Current exhibits include Adolph Bandelier, the Nürnberg trials, the Manitou Springs Volunteer Fire Department, Sisters of Mercy, Spoils of War, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, and the Sawyer and Garstin map collection; rotating displays and room arrangements can change.

Through Labor Day, summer admissions run daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a prompt 5 p.m. close. Standard hours are Tuesday–Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., closing at 4 p.m. Admission is $15 adult, $13 senior, $10 ages 4–12, and free age three and under. The museum says the majority of the castle is handicapped accessible but advises extra time and staff assistance; do not interpret that as every room or route being step-free.

What stands out

Read nine architectural styles

Compare Romanesque, Tudor, Moorish, Byzantine, Queen Anne, and other details deliberately mixed throughout the four stories.

Follow the building up the mountain

Notice how a front door on level one and back door on level four respond to the steep Manitou site.

Place the Cog in its resort era

Use the 1895 construction and Manitou Springs history to deepen the social and architectural setting of the railway's earliest years.

Choose exhibits beyond the house

Look for Manitou fire history, Sisters of Mercy, regional maps, Pikes Peak Hill Climb, and rotating interpretive displays.

Pair it with the train

Why it belongs in a The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway trip

This ranks second despite being only about 0.5 mile straight-line from the Cog depot because the Trolley Museum is more directly rail-first. Miramont is the stronger close-in Manitou companion: its 1895 construction, mountain setting, local-stone architecture, and Pikes Peak-region exhibits put the railway's opening decade inside the resort community that supported it. Confirm the real route rather than treating straight-line distance as an accessible walk.

Before you go

Plan your visit

  • Summer hoursMemorial Day–Labor Day: daily admissions 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; castle closes promptly at 5 p.m.
  • Standard hoursTuesday–Sunday admissions 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; castle closes promptly at 4 p.m.
  • Holiday closuresClosed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve
  • Admission$15 adults; $13 seniors; $10 ages 4–12; free age 3 and under; published $2 discounts for military, veterans, and first responders with ID
  • Tour formatSelf-guided, room-by-room information across four floors; no reservation required, but groups of 10 or more should call ahead
  • Time to allowTypically 45–60 minutes; allow longer for architecture, exhibits, scavenger hunts, or staff-assisted access
  • AccessibilityThe majority of the castle is described as handicapped accessible; allow extra time and staff help, and call for a room- or route-specific need
  • Tea roomCastle admission does not include tea; the Queen's Parlour Tearoom uses separate reservations and pricing

Extend the day back onto rails

Add Pikes Peak Trolley Museum & Restoration Shop

Drive separately to an 1888 roundhouse for regional streetcars, restoration work, a short PCC ride, and retired Cog car No. 17.

View the guide →

Useful answers

Frequently asked questions

When is Miramont Castle Museum open?

Through Labor Day, admissions run daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Standard hours are Tuesday–Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The building closes 30 minutes after the final admission time.

How much is admission?

Current castle admission is $15 adult, $13 senior, $10 ages 4–12, and free age three and under. Published $2 discounts apply to military, veterans, and first responders with ID.

How long does a tour take?

The museum says self-guided tours typically take 45 minutes to one hour. Allow more time for four-floor architecture, exhibits, a children's scavenger hunt, or staff-assisted access.

Is the entire castle wheelchair-accessible?

The museum says the majority of the castle is handicapped accessible and advises extra time plus staff assistance. It does not claim every room or route is step-free, so call 719-685-1011 for specifics.

Do I need a reservation?

No reservation is required for the self-guided castle tour, but groups of 10 or more should call ahead. The separate Queen's Parlour Tearoom uses reservations and separate pricing.

Why pair Miramont Castle with the Cog Railway?

Construction began in 1895, just after the railway's first summit years, and the four-floor house explains the local stone, architecture, resort culture, and Pikes Peak-region history surrounding Manitou.

Trust and accuracy

Sources

Source checked 2026-08-15. This free guide has not yet been confirmed by the venue. Current hours, prices, services, and accessibility can change; confirm time-sensitive details directly.