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If you like to combine beer with American history, the city of Golden, Colorado, delivers.
Overview of Golden, Colorado
Golden was founded as Golden City during the Pike’s Peak gold rush, on June 16, 1859. It’s named after prospector Thomas L. Golden and quickly became an important regional economic and political center. By the end of the next year, it was proposed as the capital of the provisional Jefferson Territory.
When Colorado Territory was established on February 28, 1861, Golden was passed over for Colorado City. It became the new capital, however, on August 4, 1862, and remained as such until it permanently moved to Denver on December 19, 1867. This set off a fierce rivalry with Denver, which it ultimately couldn’t keep up.
In the 1870s, Bishop George Maxwell Randall (1810–1873) opened three institutions of higher education, collectively known as the Colorado University Schools: Jarvis Hall (1870), Matthews Hall (1872), and the Territorial School of Mines (1873 – now the Colorado School of Mines). Of these, only the third remains.
Golden revitalized its downtown in the 1920s, and the Coors Brewery gained an international reputation. The city boomed after World War II but suffered a recession in the 1980s, only to bounce back stronger the following decade. Coors became the largest single-site brewery in the world, and tourism began to increase. Today, this small city a short drive from Denver and Boulder makes for a very enjoyable day trip.
Golden Ticket (Discontinued)
The Golden Ticket is a scratch-off ticket that you can used at participating businesses and restaurants to win cash or receive discounts. You can only use it once and it’s only valid if you haven’t scratched it off. It’s a great way to encourage tourists to patronize local businesses.
Washington Avenue in Golden, Colorado
Washington Avenue, the main street in Golden, is lined with historic buildings filled with shops and restaurants. The “Welcome to Golden” arch spans the street between 11th and 12th streets.
Loveland Block and Coors Building
The Loveland Block stands at the corner of Washington and 12th. Named for William A.H. Loveland (1826–1894), it was built in 1863 and once served as the territorial capitol. Loveland ran his mercantile on the ground floor while the second floor served as a Masonic hall, where the territorial legislature met. After the capital moved to Denver, the building became the headquarters of the Colorado Central Railroad before serving various other functions.
The Coors Building next door was originally built as the Dold Building by William A. Northman in 1873. Adolph Coors (1847–1929), the German immigrant and founder of the Coors brewery, rebuilt it in 1906 as a saloon and bottling plant.
Washington Avenue Bridge
The Washington Avenue Bridge spans Clear Creek. Interpretive panels about the history of Golden line both sides of the bridge. On the other side of the bridge from business district is Parfet Park, and the Clear Creek Trail runs under the bridge along the creek. The bridge affords great views of the Coors Brewery, and you might even spot a few people kayaking or tubing.
Golden History Park
There are plenty of good museums and historic sites in Golden that can fill up a day. One is Golden History Park (formerly Clear Creek History Park), which features a collection of late-19th-century ranch buildings. This free attraction (as of March 2025) sits along the banks of Clear Creek just a couple of blocks west of Washington Avenue. When there are no activities occurring in the park, visitors are free to wander around and peek through the windows.
The park was established in 1994 when a housing development threatened the buildings of the Pearce Ranch in Golden Gate Canyon. Founded in 1900 by Thomas Pearce of Cornwall, England, the ranch grew to become one of the largest in the canyon by 1912. The buildings were moved log by log and reconstructed over the next four years, with the park opening to the public in 1999.
Pearce/Helps Cabin
The Pearce/Helps Cabin dates back to at least 1878. Five families lived there before the Pearce family purchased it in 1919. William John and Susie Pearce raised their four children in the cabin.
Reynolds Cabin
The Reynolds Cabin, dating to around 1873, is the oldest cabin at the park. Annie Phillips lived there with her first husband, John Harry, and later with her second husband, Adam Reynolds, along with four daughters. The cabin was located on a 240-acre ranch next to the Pearce Ranch. Thomas Pearce married Henrietta Harry, one of John and Annie’s daughters, and he eventually acquired the Reynolds Ranch from Annie’s estate.
Guy Hill Schoolhouse
The Guy Hill Schoolhouse, built around 1876, was a one-room schoolhouse used until 1951. Children from first through eighth grade received their education there, and it was also used as a community center and church. The schoolhouse was moved to Golden in 1976 as part of a Colorado centennial project.
Astor House (Foothills Art Center)
Astor House was built in 1867 as a hotel and boarding house, operating until 1971. It then functioned for several years as the Astor House Museum, filled with period items and highlighting its history. After the museum closed, in June 2020, the city of Golden accepted a proposal by the Foothills Art Center to lease the building, refurbish it, and convert it into exhibition space. It reopened in 2024 and admission is free (as of March 2025).
The Astor House was very innovative in its day, especially under its most famous owner, Ida Goetze. It was one of the first buildings in Golden to have water and gas piped in. Goetze also installed the city’s first bathtub, which was a huge marketing success at the time. Visitors would line up to pay a whopping 25¢ to use it. Goetze was said to have made more money off the bathtub than renting the rooms.
During our visit, the building served as the Astor House Museum. We enjoyed the interactive and hands-on exhibits — we were encouraged to open drawers, touch furniture, and there was even a room to play games and dress up in period costumes. Some of the rooms contained buttons you could press to listen to a story about the house.
Coors Brewing Company
Golden is the home of the Coors Brewing Company, founded in 1873 by German immigrants Adolph Coors and Jacob Schueler (1835–1918), after they purchased a recipe for Pilsner-style beer from Czech immigrant William Silhan. Coors bought out Scheduler in 1880, and it has since grown to become the largest single-site brewery in the world.
Coors Brewery Tours
Coors offers 90-minute guided brewery tours Thursday through Monday from 10am to 4pm. Reservations are required, and all tickets include three beer samples. Prices are current as of March 2025:
- Brewery tours cost $20 for adults over 21, $10 for visitors age 3–20 and active military/veterans with a valid ID, and free for kids under 3.
- Hospitality lounge tickets cost $10 for adults over 21, $7.50 for visitors age 3–20 and active military/veterans with a valid ID, and free for kids under 3.
Our Tour Experience
We arrived in the morning and parked in the free parking lot. The attendant asked us to leave all bags in the car before queuing for the tour. That rule included camera bags and purses, which infuriated a few of the guests who showed up on foot. We were only allowed to bring phones, cameras, and a bottle of water.
We waited for about 20 minutes before boarding the shuttle to the brewery entrance. The enthusiastic driver gave a quick history of Golden on the way.
Once inside the entrance, our picture was taken in front of a green screen for purchase later. We then showed our IDs for a wristband to get our beer samples after the tour, and were also given an audio guide and shown how to use it. During our experience, tours were self-guided. It took about 30 minutes and led us through several rooms of the brewery. We also learned a lot about the history of the company and the Coors family.
We listened to the majority of the audio guide, which was informative and well-organized. The tour started with a museum about Coors products and an overview of beer production.
Next, a couple stations along the way explained the brewing process. We passed the brew kettle and mash tun tanks and could see into the control room.
Near the end of the tour, we passed the Quality Control Laboratory and watched the action in the packaging room. Before heading downstairs to the Hospitality Lounge, we learned about some facts about Coors and the company’s innovations.
Hospitality Lounge
In the Hospitality Lounge, we sampled three 10-ounce beers. This was obviously the most enjoyable part of the tour. There were about six beers to choose from. I tried the beers available only in Colorado and special brews only available at the brewery — they were much better than Coors products I’ve had anywhere else.
We took our time enjoying the beers and saw a few historic Coors advertisements and memorabilia. When we finished, we walked through the gift shop where we had the option to buy the photos from the beginning of the tour — they cost extra and you get to choose from a few different fun backgrounds.
Public Art in Golden, Colorado
Golden features a public art program with several sculptures scattered throughout the city. We noticed a few of them along Washington Avenue.
Adolph Coors Statue
A life-sized bronze statue of Adolph Coors, created by Sarah Maloney in 2001, stands in front of the Loveland Block at the corner of 12th and Washington.
The Monarch
Across the street at 1119 Washington Avenue is The Monarch, an impressive bronze sculpture of a bison by Buck McCain. It was installed on June 25, 2005.
Cowboy’s Day Off
Cowboy’s Day Off, at the corner of 11th and Washington, portrays a fishing cowboy. It was created by former professional football player Michael Hamby in 2002.
Brother and Sister at the Rodeo
The sculpture Brother and Sister at the Rodeo stands just west of the bridge on the south side of Clear Creek. It was created by Mario Pahua in 2005.
Other Museums in Golden, Colorado
There are several other museums in town. Prices are current as of March 2025:
- Golden History Museum (free, open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4:30pm)
- Colorado Railroad Museum ($10 for adults, $8 for seniors age 60+, $5 for kids age 2-17, and free for kids under 2; open daily except Mondays)
- American Mountaineering Museum (currently closed for a move to a new location)
- Mines Museum of Earth Science at the Colorado School of Mines (free, open daily)
- Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (admission $12 for adults, $10 for seniors age 65+, $6 for kids age 6-12, and free for kids under 6; open daily).
Lariat Loop National Scenic Byway
Our trip out of Golden was via the Lariat Loop National Scenic Byway, a 40-mile route with great scenery and attractions that starts and ends in Golden.
Where to Eat in Golden, Colorado
We stopped into two places during our visit.
Old Capitol Grill
We ate lunch at the Old Capitol Grill, located inside the Loveland Block and Coors Building. Our burgers were pretty good and service was excellent — we loved our waitress.
Goozell Yogurt
Before leaving Golden, we had a frozen yogurt and Turkish coffee at Goozell Yogurt. They have several delicious flavors of self-serve yogurt and goodies to put on top. You pay by the ounce.
