The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs has long been known for its massive and intricate gingerbread displays.
Every year since 1964, families from around the state have visited the five-star resort during the holiday season to marvel at that year's themed masterpiece, which is in the 2nd-floor lobby.
Past houses have been modeled after the hotel's 1919 chapel, a 50-square-foot chateaux, a near full-sized steam engine and a Hansel and Gretel house (the first Broadmoor gingerbread display made 34 years ago).
This year, the Broadmoor is celebrating its 100th anniversary. To wrap up the year's festivities, they created the largest house yet.
The 2018 display is a massive 13 ½-foot-tall, 120-square-foot gingerbread replica of the original 1918 Broadmoor resort.
According to the resort, it took four months of planning, 220 hours of baking and decorating, 10 pastry chefs and two carpenters to make the house.
Altogether, Broadmoor Executive Pastry Chef Adam Thomas says it includes:
- 958 lbs of powdered sugar
- 475 lbs of flour
- 650 eggs
- 19 lbs of holiday spices
- 200 lbs of honey
- 128 lbs of molasses
- 6 lbs of salt
- 78 lbs of assorted candy, gumballs, and fruit jellies
- 164 lbs of dark chocolate
- 89 lbs of butter
- 3 lbs of baking soda
- 10 lbs of heavy cream
- 2 lbs of fresh yeast
The display will be up at the resort until the first week of January 2019. The hotel grounds are open to the public until 2 p.m. Dec. 21 - Jan. 1. After 2 p.m., only hotel guests are allowed on the property during that time period.
The Broadmoor Hotel is located at 1 Lake Ave, Colorado Springs.