Manitou Cliff Dwellings

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings are a privately-owned tourist attraction consisting of replica Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and interpretive exhibits located just west of Colorado Springs, Colorado , on U.S. Highway 24 in Manitou Springs . The attraction was established using replica and reconstructed Pueblo cliff dwellings in 1904 and was opened to the public in 1907. An associated private museum features commercially-developed displays about Ancestral Puebloan peoples from the perspective of white settlers in the American West, including exhibits of archaeological artifacts, tools, pottery and weapons that were taken from Indigenous sites and/or replicated by the company that operates the site. The replica dwellings were created as part of a commercial venture to divert tourists from Southwest archaeological sites by creating a version of a Pueblo dwelling place that was more accessible to early 20th century white American visitors. Visitors can walk through the replica dwellings, and various displays and interpretive material attempt to imbue the entire attraction with a sense of authenticity, despite the fact that the Manitou Cliff Dwellings are fake.