Visitors won't want to miss a ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a scenic railway that has operated continuously for more than 125 years, taking passengers on a breathtaking 46-mile journey through the San Juan National Forest to the quaint, historic mining town of Silverton.  The magnificent Strater Hotel, built in 1887, remains a central attraction in downtown Durango and is a member of National Trust Historic Hotels of America. Durango is also a member of the National Trust Main Street Center program. 

The area's rich history predates the development of Durango by at least 1,300 years. The mild climate, fertile soils and abundant wild game first attracted the ancestral Puebloan culture around 700 AD, and some of the most spectacular and well-preserved Puebloan ruins in the United States are near Durango in Mesa Verde National Park. A paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, the Durango area offers skiing, snowboarding, rafting and kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, camping, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, backcountry and mining tours, golfing, rock climbing, live concerts and uniquely Durango events such as the Cowboy Gathering and Fiesta Days. 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Durango, to its 2007 list of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations, an annual list of unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States.  "More than 100 years ago, the lure of precious metals attracted the earliest prospectors to Durango," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  "Today, visitors to this spectacular, unspoiled mountain town are still striking gold and discovering that Durango is a perfect getaway. I am always eager to go back." 

Durango's central business district is a compact 12 blocks long and 4 blocks wide. It is surrounded on three sides by the Animas River and the narrow gauge railroad runs through it. Within this historic district, over 200 shops, restaurants and galleries, most of them locally owned, are all within easy walking distance. Several historically acclaimed hotels are scattered along tree lined streets. Of notable distinction The General Palmer Hotel, The Leland House, The Rochester Hotel and the grand dame, The Strater Hotel.  Downtown Durango excels in the quantity and quality of excellent restaurants, coffee houses, brew pubs and western style saloons.   Visitors can also enjoy walking tours organized by the local tourism office of the "The Boulevard" – E. Third Ave. – where homes built in the Victorian and Arts & Crafts style still stand with the grandeur they enjoyed in their prime. 

Annual festivals such as the Cowboy Gathering and Fiesta Days pay homage to our founders, and strains of ragtime piano resonate from behind the swinging doors of Diamond Belle Saloon – above which author Louis L'Amour regularly booked a room to immerse himself in the authenticity of Durango as he wrote his classic westerns. 

Durango also features two historic museums.  The Animas Museum, housed in Durango's original 1904 schoolhouse, features an authentic period classroom, exhibits on the history of schools in La Plata County, a research library and a gift shop.  The building was recently restored with a grant from the State Historical Fund and the museum has chronicled this process through a new exhibit called, "Preserving an Animas City Landmark – Restoration of the Animas City School."   The Animas Museum is open year round – 6 days a week during the summer and 5 days a week in the winter.  

The Durango Discovery Museum is located in the recently restored Powerhouse.  Original plant machinery, generators and boilers help tell the story of energy innovation and enterprise in the San Juan mining district.  The museum offers free tours on the first and third Fridays of the month. 


Fun Facts:

Former Territorial Governor Alexander C. Hunt named Durango after a city in Mexico he had visited. The term is originally a Spanish family name of Basque origin.

Early mail delivery was a bit rustic – it was carried to town by anyone who happened to be going that way, and was dumped into a cracker box at a local store where anyone expecting a letter was welcome to come and rummage through the pile.

In pioneer times in Durango, the justice system was pretty loose – court was held in a large room over a general store and on at least one occasion during a murder trial, while the jury was out, the spectators cleared the floor and held a dance. When the jury came back, the verdict was read, then the dance resumed.

Other Places to Visit
The Animas Museum
The Durango Discovery Museum
Mesa Verde National Park

Best Times to Visit

Durango Fiesta Days
July 26-29
The oldest celebrated event in Durango, organizes the annual parade, street dance and rodeo that takes place the last weekend in July.
www.durangofiestadays.com

Main Avenue Arts Festival          
August 9-10
970-259-2606
Best artists in the area, plus food and music 
http://www.durango.org/

Durango Cowboy Gathering
October 2-5
970-749-2995
www.durangocowboygathering.org/


Byways
San Juan Skyway (also one of America's Byways®)
Trail of the Ancients (also one of America's Byways®)
Alpine Loop (four-wheel drive route)