Plan a Day of Fantastic FoCo Fun

By Katie Coakley

Fort Collins isn't far from Denver, but it can feel like a world away. Even if you've visited for a football game or New Belgium tour, there's still plenty to see that you might have missed. A customized tour could be just the ticket. But these are not stale, boring tours—instead, you can explore parts of Fort Collins that are lesser known.

By Glass

Fort Collins is known as the craft beer capital of Colorado: the city’s more than 20 breweries produce 70 percent of Colorado’s craft beer and 7 percent of the nation’s. As a result, it’d be a shame to visit Fort Collins and not hit one of the many breweries that call this college town home. However, instead of driving, why not bike? This not only provides a unique view, but also helps rationalize the samples you imbibe. The Brews Cruise from Bike and Brews is a mellow adventure: Choose from one of five preset tours (the Corridor of Craft is a favorite, taking guests to Purpose Brewing, Maxline, Gilded Goat and Zwei Brüder) or design your own. The tours are about four hours long, include between three and six miles of riding and allow participants to visit three or four breweries.

By Plate

There are an insane number of restaurants in Fort Collins – rumor has it there are more eateries per capita than any other city. This may or not be true, but the fact remains that there are lots of options. To help take the guess-work out of at least a few decisions, Local Table Tours offers a Taste of Old Town Fort Collins food and history tour. This tour takes guests through Old Town Fort Collins to experience the town’s history while enjoying the coolest new restaurants and watering holes. For example, the tour points out the town’s oldest bar (opened in 1909) then showcases the recently opened retro speakeasy. You’ll learn about the architecture both then and now, the heritage of the city, and you’ll also get to meet the people behind the counters. In short, these three-hour tours are a great way to satisfy your stomach and your curiosity.

By Ghost

When a city is established 1883 — even when it’s one that was the model for Disney’s Main Street, U.S.A. — you’re bound to have some ghosts, too. There are several different ghost tours to choose from (some of which include drinkable spirits in addition to the floating kind) that will introduce you to some of the city’s most famous apparitions. From the most gruesome murder (and the killer’s subsequent hanging sans trial) to a ghost that haunts the tunnels under the streets, these tours share shivers in addition to the tales that you might not have heard about this colorful town.

There is a ton to explore in Fort Collins so pick your path—be it by plate, glass or ghost—and check out the city your own way.