Pueblo Travel Guide, Colorado

Pueblo, the largest in southeastern Colorado, is a city that can strike a visitor a couple of ways, depending on what you expect and what you like. It may strike some as an unimportant, industrious city worth maybe a stopover on your way to a more appealing destination, and it may strike others who take the trouble to look deeper into the city, as an unpretentious relaxing city with enough attractions to entertain visitors.

Outdoor activities and exploration of the Riverwalk is especially a big draw for those who have heard about them or experienced them.

The city’s history goes back to 1806 when the U.S. Army exploratory expedition set camp on the place where now the city stands, but the first settlement was constructed in 1842 and was given the name of El Pueblo Fort where the main preoccupation was farming and ranching. The fort turned into a town during the gold rush period. The city’s income generator was mining especially coal and steel mining with a booming cash economy. This has attracted a tremendous influx of immigrants, resulting in a rich cultural mix. The city developed fast and it is now home to high-tech industries and an important market center.

Despite all the new developments there are quite a few historic places some of them listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

While visiting Pueblo, make sure you also go check out the great range of museums. And you should start with the beautiful El Pueblo History Museum located at the beginning of the historic district. This is the place to find out interesting facts about the region’s history, the area's industrial expansion and the traditions of the various cultural and ethnic groups in the area. All the periods in the city’s life are presented with suggestive exhibits.

If your interest is aircraft, you shouldn't miss the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum with plenty historic aircraft of exhibits, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress being the main attraction. The museum is a real draw for all those into aviation and the souvenir shop in the museum is a gold mine for those looking for rare items.

The Pueblo County Historical Society Museum is also an important stopover in your visit of the places presenting Pueblo's history.

A very beautiful historic building is the Union Depot, with its mosaic-tile floors and beautiful stained-glass windows impressing everyone who sees it.

A special attraction, this time for kids and all those who like animals is the Pueblo Zoo. The zoo is home to more than 350 animals including otters, penguins, kangaroos, zebras, Lar gibbons, reptiles and insects and African lions. You can also see some endangered species like manned wolves and cotton top tamarins. Kids will love the specially designed places for them where they can feed and touch some of the animals. The zoo is divided into many sections including the tropical rainforest and the Otter exhibit. The zoo is special also because of its buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Outdoor enthusiasts have every reason to come to Pueblo as they will find a mild climate perfect for many outdoor activities including water sports, boating and fishing.

The Lake Pueblo State Park is a big draw that offers endless opportunities to explore it and to have fun whatever activity you choose be it swimming, biking, and horseback riding, boating or fishing different kind of fish like trout and channel catfish. The Rock Canyon Swim Beach inside the park offers additional fun with at the water slide. There are plenty of places to stay at one of the 400 campsites.

Pueblo is ideal for kicking back on beaches, a number of outdoor recreational opportunities, prowling the shops and galleries that line the streets, visiting historic homes and a well-run zoo and relaxing over a meal in one of many top-notch cafes and restaurants.