23 Best Things to Do in Fort Collins
👉 Jump to: Best Things | Sites & Attractions | Museums & Culture | Food & Drink | Outdoors | Seasonal
I’m a Colorado local, and I always love finding new things to do in Fort Collins. The area is full of scenic beauty, but the same Rocky Mountains look different in Fort Collins than they do in any other part of the state.
From quaint streets to historic buildings to the Cache la Poudre River, there is a lot to do in Fort Collins! While you’re here, check out my picks for where to stay in Fort Collins.
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23 Best Things to Do in Fort Collins
Wander Old Town Fort Collins
See the inspiration for Disneyland’s Main Street, USA.
📍 Google Maps | Website
Old Town Fort Collins is a quaint, historic place to spend an afternoon. Browse the shops, stop for coffee or ice cream, and people-watch.
The man who designed Disneyland’s Main Street USA grew up here and used the buildings of downtown Fort Collins as part of his inspiration. Downtown Fort Collins is easily walkable, but there are also historic streetcars and modern-day buses that can get you around as well.
🛎️ Need a Hotel? The Armstrong Hotel is in Old Town Fort Collins and opened in the 1920s. It’s within walking distance of breweries and restaurants and keeps the old-town feel of the area.
Horsetooth Reservoir
Spend a day on the water, or exploring around it.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 498-5610 | Website | Entrance: $10 per vehicle, $20 for vehicle & boat trailer
Horsetooth Reservoir is a popular place in Fort Collins for a day of outdoor recreation. The reservoir has it all, from hiking trails to mountain biking trails, fishing spots, and places to swim. There are campgrounds there as well, so you can spend a few days at the reservoir.
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Go Hiking
Spend a day admiring Fort Collins’ beautiful scenery.
Website | Hours: Sunup – Sundown daily
From Horsetooth Mountain Open Space to the beautiful trails along the Poudre River Canyon, there are lots of great hiking trails around Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. The Roosevelt National Forest has plenty of trails as well. Your biggest problem is going to be picking just one!
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Fort Collins Craft Brewery Tour
Explore one of Fort Collins’ most famous industries.
📍 Google Maps | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator
Fort Collins is known for its craft beer, so spend an afternoon (or longer…we won’t judge) touring some of the many craft breweries in the area.
The New Belgium Brewing Company is a popular choice, while the Odell Brewing Company has been going strong in Fort Collins since 1989.
Sites & Attractions
Cache la Poudre Scenic Byway
Take a gorgeous canyon drive.
📍 Google Maps | Website
This gorgeous drive starts in Fort Collins, runs through Cache la Poudre Canyon and goes over to Walden. The drive is about 2 hours and 15 minutes if you drive straight through, but I recommend you budget three hours so you have time for stops.
Fort Fun Entertainment Center
Spend a day playing.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 472-8000 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 10 pm Sun-Fri; 10 am – 12 am Sat
Fort Fun is a Fort Collins entertainment center that includes mini-golf, go-karts, laser tag, escape rooms, paddle boats, and other attractions. Each activity has its own cost, so you can go for one or spend the day trying everything.
There’s also an on-site restaurant where you can refuel with meals or snacks.
⛰️ Read Next: Best Day Trips from Fort Collins
Museums & Culture
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
Learn about Northern Colorado’s discoveries and contributions.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 221-6738 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Tuesday – Sunday, Closed Mondays | Entrance: $15.50 adults, $12.75 ages 2-12, Discounts for students & seniors
At the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, you’ll learn about the locals’ history, as well as their contributions to the fields of science, music, astronomy, and more.
A Music & Sound Lab teaches about the science of sound, and you can play a variety of instruments. The Schatz Family Exploration Zone teaches kids about light, color, motion, and more in a kid-friendly way.
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The Avery House
Tour the home of a Fort Collins founder.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 221-0533 | Website | Tours: 11 am – 2 pm Sat, 1 pm – 4 pm Sun | Entrance: $6 adults, $4 children
Franklin Avery was an important early resident of Fort Collins. He surveyed the town in the late 1800s, founded First National Bank, and helped with agricultural projects. Tour the home he built for his family, which was constructed with sandstone from local quarries.
You’ll get a feel for how early wealthy residents lived in Northern Colorado in the 1800s and beyond.
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Museum of Art Fort Collins
Take in art from local and farther-flung artists.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 482-2787 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 5 pm Wed, Thurs, & Sat, 10 am – 7 pm Fri, 12 – 5 pm Sun, closed Mon & Tues | Entrance: $10 adults, free under 18
See sculptures, paintings, and art in a variety of other mediums at the Museum of Art Fort Collins. The museum has a variety of exhibitions, so each time you go, you may find something new. The building itself is even a work of art – the Old Post Office building is a Fort Collins local landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising
See historic clothing & textiles.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 491-1983 | Website | Hours: 11 am – 5 pm Tues – Fri, 10 am – 4 pm Sat, closed Sun & Mon | Entrance: free
The Avenir Museum is part of Colorado State University and houses its historic clothing and textile collection. It began in the 1950s as part of the Department of Home Economics and now features three galleries, a classroom and seminar area, a library, and more.
You’ll find 19th and 20th-century clothing and accessories, designer dresses from Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, and others, and non-Western garments. This is a great opportunity to learn about different cultures and times through the lens of clothing.
Washington’s Live Music Venue
Check out the Fort Collins live music scene.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 232-9525 | Website
Washington’s is a music hall in historic downtown Fort Collins that hosts contemporary bands. The building was built in the early 1900s and has hosted many businesses for over 100+ years. Take in a concert, and grab a drink at one of the two bars outside the main room.
Food & Drink
The Exchange
Experience a variety of food, drinks, and shops.
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📍 Google Maps | Phone: (750) 512-3490 | Website | Hours: 7 am – 11 pm Sun-Thur, 7 am – 12 am Fri & Sat
The Exchange is an outdoor plaza in Old Town Fort Collins that is enclosed by restaurants, bars, and shops that operate out of shipping container cars. Buy your food or drinks and relax on the lawn chairs or at a community picnic table while you eat and enjoy the outdoors.
New Belgium Brewing Tour
See one of the country’s biggest craft breweries.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 221-0524 | Website | Hours: 12 – 8 pm Sun-Thu; 12 – 9 pm Fri & Sat | Entrance: $0-10 depending on tour
The founders of the New Belgium Brewery and the famous Fat Tire Ale were pioneers in the craft beer business. See where the magic began in Fort Collins at the New Belgium Brewing Company, where you can take a free brewery tour, or pay a little to get a more in-depth look at the brewery’s operations.
There are also guided tastings for a small fee, where you can learn about the history of each beer and read a tasting booklet with more info from New Belgium Brewing on each one.
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Totally 80s Pizza & Museum
Check out this gnarly museum, dude.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 867-5309 | Website | Hours: 4 pm – 9 pm Mon, 11 am – 9 pm Tues – Thurs & Sun, 11 am – 9:30 pm Fri & Sat
Grab a slice and indulge your 80s nostalgia at this pizza place. The dough is made on-site, and you can also grab salads, wings, and appetizers.
Then be sure to check out the collection of 80s pop culture memorabilia, including arcade games, cereal boxes, computers, and even handwritten lyrics to some rad 80s songs. Ernest Cline, who wrote the 80s tribute novel “Ready Player One,” and Corey Feldman have both stopped in.
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Union Bar & Soda Fountain
Indulge at a traditional soda fountain, but make it boozy.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 825-5558 | Website | Hours: 11 am – 9:30 pm Mon-Thu; 11 am – 10 pm Fri; 10 am – 10 pm Sat; 10 am – 9:30 pm Sun
This bar and soda fountain features comfort food and alcoholic drinks inspired by old-fashioned soda fountains. Try traditional soda fountain drinks like egg creams, phosphate sodas, and milkshakes but with a nice, hefty dose of booze to improve matters. Combine your drink with classic diner food like a sandwich, fries, or a delicious brisket.
Outdoors
CSU Annual Flower Trial Garden
Experience a gorgeous university teaching tool.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 491-2506 | Website | Hours: Sunup – Sundown daily | Entrance: free
Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University, and the school maintains an Annual Flower Garden where students and researchers can do horticultural research. And – lucky you! – you can view their results for free. The beautiful gardens are open to the public, so you can stroll the area and learn about the unique challenges of gardening in the Rocky Mountain region.
The Farm at Lee Martinez Park
Take the kids for a fun day at the farm.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 221-6665 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 5 pm Tue-Sat; 12 – 5 pm Sun; closed Mon | Entrance: $5, 2 years and up; pony rides $8
Bring the kids to see farm animals and learn about farm life in Northern Colorado. There are pony rides and hands-on experiences where they can learn what it takes to care for these animals on a daily basis. The park, along the Poudre River, is also a pretty place to picnic and relax for a while.
City Park
Spend an afternoon by the lake.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 221-6660 | Website | Hours: 5 am – 11 pm daily
City Park has an outdoor pool, complete with a lazy river, drop slide, and water features, and is perfect for cooling off on hot summer days. There are also fishing and paddle boats available on Sheldon Lake. Visit the replica of the Statue of Liberty in the park, or take the self-guided tour of the arboretum.
The Gardens on Spring Creek
Stroll beautiful community gardens.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 416-2486 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 5 pm Mon, Tue, Fri; 10 am – 8 pm Wed; 8:30 am – 5 pm Fri & Sat; closed Thu | Entrance: $12.50 adults, $10.50 under 18
The Gardens on Spring Creek are community botanic gardens that include a visitor center, gift shop, butterfly house, pavilion, and a wide lawn area. There are a variety of themed gardens, including a Children’s Garden, a Rose Garden, and a Garden of Eatin’, along with a miniature train, a Dr. Seuss playhouse, and a sandpit kids will love.
Seasonal Activities
Holiday Twin Drive-In Theater
See a movie under the stars.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 221-1244 | Website | Hours: Movie times vary; open April – October | Entrance: varies per movie and ticket
Go old-school and head to one of the few drive-in movie theaters left in Colorado. The Holiday Drive-In shows current releases on two screens. They also feature a snack bar, and they grill food for purchase on weekends.
Rafting Cache la Poudre
Try whitewater rafting on the Colorado river.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 419-0917 | Website | Hours: Tour times vary; open mid-May to Labor Day | Cost: from $100
Whitewater rafting is a quintessential Colorado activity, and you can try it at the Cache la Poudre River in Fort Collins. The Cache la Poudre River is a little less popular for rafting than other Colorado rivers, which means you’ll have fewer crowds to contend with. Check out Mountain Whitewater, a local guide company, for various tours.
Horseback Riding at Beaver Meadows Stables
Explore the area around Fort Collins on horseback.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 232-8326 | Website | Hours: Tour times vary; open March/April | Cost: from $75
Horseback riding through the Roosevelt National Forest is something you and your family, or your sweetie, will remember for a very long time. Beaver Meadows Stables offers rides starting at one hour, and pony rides for kids beginning at half an hour each. It’s an exciting way to spend an afternoon in the mountains outside Fort Collins.
👉 Pro Tip: Make a reservation ahead of time to ensure there’s plenty of room for your horseback riding party.
Fort Collins Trolley
Ride a historic streetcar.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 224-5372 | Website | Hours: 12 pm – 5 pm Sat, Sun & National Holidays; open May 3 – September 28, 2025 | Tickets: $2 adults, $1 children, free under 3
Ride a historic streetcar from City Park to Old Town during the summer season. These old-school electric vehicles are restored and maintained by Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society, a local nonprofit.
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Whether you’re looking for fun in the sun or snowy weather activities, you’ll find plenty of things to do in Fort Collins! If you’re looking for more fun things to do across the state, be sure to check out our ultimate travel guide to Colorado for lots of ideas.
