Between the extensive beer culture, hiking in the beautiful NoCO outdoors, or taking a dip in the many swimming spots, secret and well known, it’s nearly impossible to be left wondering what to do in Fort Collins.
Colorado is a big, beautiful state with countless sights to see. If you find yourself in Fort Collins on your trip, here are a few things for your itinerary you may not have considered yet.
Quirky FoCo Five
We asked some Fort Collins locals what some of their most highly recommended quirky activities were for people wondering what to do in Fort Collins, and we got a pretty good list. Some creative, some interactive, and others fairly odd, these activities will surely make your time in Fort Collins memorable.
Lightning Mini Golf
In a neighborhood just north of the CSU campus, you will find a house with a one-hole mini golf course. If you keep walking north, you’ll find another. Then, if you go even further north, you guessed it, you’ll find more one-hole mini golf courses on the front lawns of random homes. This is Lightning Mini Golf.
To provide something fun and free for the FoCo community to enjoy, a collection of these mini-mini golf courses was established. Available all hours, all days, and all seasons, these courses are growing in number and popularity. At each hole, you’ll find a QR code used to collect donations for the construction and maintenance of the courses, and the excess goes to charity. Be sure to tee up next you’re in the area.
Pianos About Town
A collaboration between the City of Fort Collins Art In Public Places Program, Bohemian Foundation, and the Downtown Development Authority, Pianos About Town is a unique way beauty is being brought to the city. Scattered throughout FoCo you’ll find pianos decorated in beautiful murals that serve as a treat for the eyes, and an opportunity to see if you still remember how to play chopsticks.
The pianos are painted throughout the year by local artists, and the public is welcome to watch and interact with them while they create their masterpieces. You can catch the action in Old Town Square from May to October. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for pianos about town while you explore FoCo.
Lyric Cinema Cafe
This quirky cinema-cafe fusion is located in Old Town FoCo in a building that was once outfitted as a drive-thru cleaners. Lyric Cinema Cafe hosts a variety of events including indie and mainstream films, concerts, and the occasional dinner party.
Stop in to check out their obscure collection of art, curated by their in-house Art Czar, catch a movie before dinner, or pile in on Saturday morning with the whole family for free cartoons. Be sure to add this one to your list.
Pro tip: if you climb the jungle gym in the back you’ll be met with a pretty great view of the sunset.
Paddler’s Pub
Whether you’ve spent the day exploring FoCo, or just survived a whitewater rafting excursion, the Mountain Whitewater Paddler’s Pub is the perfect place to relax. This paddle-board-themed, completely-outdoor venue comes stocked with outdoor games, a hefty list of local beers, and a lovely view of the foothills.
Team up with your travel companions on the beach volleyball court, enjoy a live musical performance, or just grab some dinner and relax. The Paddler’s Pub is just a short drive north of FoCo; a unique, must-try experience before you leave NoCO.
Belgium Tour de Fat
If there is one thing Fort Collins residents take as seriously as their breweries, it’s their bicycles. To honor that deep love, Fort Collins-based New Belgium Brewing Company hosts the annual Tour de Fat. A one-day event loaded with free festivities, this is the perfect opportunity to experience what FoCo is all about.
For over twenty years this volunteer-run festival has served as an opportunity to get the community together and to raise money for local nonprofits like Bike Fort Collins. As long as you obey the tour’s ten commandments (they put together a slightly altered version), you’re free to dress in any costume you’d like and test just how slow you can go in the slow-ride competition. With bike-filled streets and beer-filled bellies, you’ll want to plan for this event if your itinerary lines up. Thou shalt not steal thy neighbor’s bike.
Now That You Know What to do in Fort Collins
What are you waiting for? Book that trip! Fort Collins is just one part of the great, big, beautiful state of Colorado. If this list doesn’t drive you to experience FoCo, perhaps it will inspire you to see what else Colorado has to offer. Whatever you may choose, we know your trip to Colorado will be memorable.
