Longmont, CO Area Guide

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Longmont, CO Area Guide

The City of Longmont, located a scant 30 miles north of Denver and 15 miles northeast of Boulder, is Colorado’s 13th most populous city. Named one of the National Civic League’s top ten “All-American Cities” in 2006, Longmont is well-known for its abundant natural beauty and adventure opportunities, scenic mountainscapes, glittering lakes, cosmopolitan culture and small-town charm. Longmont’s convenient location to bigger metro cities allows the city to have a lively cultural scene and diverse community, while its civic identity affords our citizens a quieter, more residential living experience. Longmont offers residents the best of all possible worlds. For the urban-minded, there are high-tech companies, new housing developments, a vibrant downtown lifestyle and an abundance of cultural arts events and nightlife hotspots. For the naturist, there are year-round outdoor activities, ranging from hiking, skiing, biking and horseback riding to sailing, swimming and exploring the wealth of open space parks in the area. History, nature, urbanism, activity and community—whatever world you want to live in, you’ll find it in Longmont, where all roads converge! To learn more about what Longmont has to offer, please visit:

Visit Longmont
http://www.visitlongmont.org/

Colorado Tourism Bureau
http://www.colorado.com/

Longmont, Co Tourism
http://www.colorado.com/Longmont.aspx

History

Longmont’s history begins in 1870, when a group of citizens from Chicago sold memberships to the prospective settlement, to be named "The Chicago-Colorado Colony." Profits from the membership sales purchased the large acreage in North Colorado that would be named Longmont in 1871, to honor explorer Stephen H. Long. Irrigation ditch systems were established, allowing the new settlement to prosper agriculturally, with wheat fields, fruit orchards, flour mills, vegetable canneries and Great Western Sugar Co. contributing greatly to the region’s early economy. In 1877, the extension of the Colorado Central Railroad line provided greater opportunities for growth, and by 1905, the Great Western Railroad constructed a feeder railroad line from Longmont to Johnstown, transporting the sugar beet harvest to the Longmont refinery. By the early 1940’s, Longmont had far outpaced the original city plans, continuing to grow and expand with each population influx. During World War II, a large number of Japanese-Americans relocated to Colorado from detention camps to work in the sugar beet fields; many chose to remain in the area following the war, bringing a greater cultural diversity to Longmont. Kanemoto Park and Tower of Compassion were built to honor their unique history. Longmont’s downtown, East Side Historic District and West Side Historic Districts are just a few of the other number of historic sites of interest in our area. All through Longmont, our diverse community history is alive in the architecture: from Victorian mansions to Tudor Revivals and new Urbanist reconstructions, there are historic homes, log cabins, refurbished mills, museums and tributes to our area’s pioneer days available for visitors to experience and learn from. To learn more about Longmont’s historic destinations, please visit:

History of Longmont
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/museum/research/history.htm

St Vrain Historical Society
http://www.stvrainhistoricalsociety.org/index.html

Historic Downtown Longmont
http://www.historiclongmont.org/

East Side Historic District
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/cnr/neighborhood_groups/historic_eastside.htm

Westside Historic District
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/planning/ldc/

Longmont Museum & Cultural Center
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/museum/about/index.htm

Kanemoto Park & Tower of Compassion
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/parks/park_list/overview/kanemoto.htm

Longmont Historic Structures
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/planning/ldc/index.htm

Colorado Railroad Museum
http://www.coloradorailroadmuseum.org/

Fort Vasquez State History Museum
http://www.historycolorado.org/museums/fort-vasquez-museum

Old Mill Park
http://www.stvrainhistoricalsociety.org/Old_Mill_Park.html

Colorado Historical Society
http://www.historycolorado.org/

The Callahan House
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/callahan/index.htm

Hover Home
http://www.stvrainhistoricalsociety.org/Hover_Home.html

Agricultural Heritage Center
http://www.bouldercounty.org/play/culturalhistory/pages/agheritage.aspx

Old St. Stephen's Church
http://www.stvrainhistoricalsociety.org/old_St_Stephens.html

Doughtery Museum
http://www.bouldercounty.org/play/culturalhistory/pages/doughertymuseum.aspx

Parks and Recreation

Colorado is a nature enthusiast’s dream, and Longmont’s outdoor beauty is certainly no exception. Not inclusive of our municipally maintained cultural and historic sites, Longmont maintains over 1,500 acres of parks, trailheads, open spaces, greenways and public use facilities for area residents to enjoy year-round. Our neighborhood parks total over 190 acres and our community parks provide over 230 sprawling acres and 7 greenways at Clark Centennial, Garden Acres, Quail Campus, Roosevelt, Sandstone Ranch, Golden Ponds, Izaak Walton Pond, Jim Hamm Nature Area, McCall Lake, McIntosh Lake, Roger's Grove, Sandstone Ranch and Union Reservoir. Boulder County's extensive hiking and biking trails, windsurfing, fishing and camping are just the beginning of the list of ways to enjoy the great outdoors in Longmont. Other popular spots for nature, wildlife and outdoor activities include Mead Skatepark, The Dirt Hills, Willow Farm Park, Pawnee National Grassland, St. Vrain State Park, the historic South Platte Trail, Marfell Lake, Boulder Reservoir, Wonderland Lake & Foothills Nature Center, Longmont Recreation Services' Centennial Pool, recreational American Discovery Trail and Poudre River National Recreation Trail, and the Pawnee Pioneer Trails scenic byway. To find out more about the nature, activities, sports and facilities available to enjoy in Longmont, please visit:

Longmont City Parks
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/parks/park_list/index.htm

Colorado State Parks
http://www.parks.state.co.us/

Longmont Greenways and Trails
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/parks/park_list/greenwaylist.htm

St. Vrain Greenway Trail System
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/parks/park_list/greenwaylist.htm#stvrain

Sandstone Ranch Park
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/parks/park_list/overview/sandstone.htm

Barbour Ponds State Recreation Area
http://www.discoveringcolorado.com/barbsp.htm

Willow Farm Park
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/parks/park_list/overview/willowfarm.htm

Pawnee National Grassland
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps

South Platte Trail
http://www.rivertrailonline.org/

Boulder Reservoir/ Marfell Lake
http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1267&Itemid=3684

Wonderland Lake, Trailhead & Foothills Nature Center
http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3790&Itemid=1035

Discovery Trail and Poudre River National Recreation Trail
http://www.rivers.gov/wsr-cache-la-poudre.html

Pawnee Pioneer Trails Scenic Byway
http://byways.org/explore/byways/2113

Longmont Memorial Rose Garden
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/parks/park_list/overview/roosevelt.htm

Saint Vrain State Park
http://www.parks.state.co.us/Parks/StVrain/Pages/StVrainHome.aspx

Sports and Activities

Longmont Municipal Golf Ranges
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/golf/index.htm

Longmont Recreation Services' Centennial Pool
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/rec/gen/cent.htm

Sunflower Farm
http://www.sunflowerfarminfo.com/

Mile-Hi Skydiving
http://www.mile-hi-skydiving.com/

Fair Winds Hot Air Balloon Flights
http://www.hotairballoonridescolorado.com/

Attractions and Activities

For residents who love the excitement of the city but hate the hassles that often accompany urban life, Longmont offers a wide range of cosmopolitan opportunities without sacrificing the quiet pace of a residential suburb. Downtown Longmont is the city’s heart and hub, with an eclectic, vibrant collection of businesses, boutiques, shops, eateries, nightlife hotspots and historic structures. Family events, live music, cultural exhibits, art showings and scheduled performances add to the urban atmosphere; public art and outdoor courtyards contribute to the small-town charm that makes Longmont stand apart from other cities. Locally, the Hero's eXperience, Kids' Park Lafayette, Longmont Museum and Cultural Center, Tower of Compassion and the Firehouse Art Center are a few attractions for entertainment, relaxation and enjoyment, as well as the unique businesses, boutiques and eateries of Downtown Longmont, including Irresistible Books, Orange Door, Stonebridge Games, Used Book Emporium and Rockin Robin’s Retro & Resale. Nearby, the Promenade Shops at Centerra offer other entertainment options for Longmont locals to enjoy.

Theatre, Culture and The Arts

Longmont Art in Public Places
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/museum/aipp/sculptures.htm

Hero's eXperience
http://attractions.uptake.com/colorado/boulder/the_hero_s_experience_9815118.html

Kids' Park Lafayette
http://attractions.uptake.com/colorado/lafayette/kids_park_lafayette_29130085.html

Longmont Museum and Cultural Center
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/museum/

Kanemoto Park & Tower of Compassion
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/parks/park_list/overview/kanemoto.htm

Firehouse Art Center
http://firehouseart.org/

Longmont Chorale
http://www.longmontchorale.org/

Longmont Symphony Orchestra
http://longmontsymphony.org/

Artwalk Longmont
http://www.artlinklongmont.org/

Jesters Dinner Theatre
http://www.jesterstheatre.com/

Longmont Theatre Company
http://www.longmonttheatre.org/

Shopping, Dining, Leisure and Attractions

Downtown Longmont
http://www.downtownlongmont.com/

Promenade Shops at Centerra
http://www.thepromenadeshopsatcenterra.com/

Barbed Wire Books
http://www.barbedwirebooks.net/

Orange Door
http://www.orange-door.com/

Stonebridge Games
http://www.stonebridgegames.com/

Used Book Emporium
http://www.usedbookemporium.net/

Rockin Robin’s Retro & Resale
http://rockinrobins.net/

Longmont Dining Guide
http://www.visitlongmont.org/dining

Events

Festivals and special events in Longmont offer the opportunity for neighbors to meet neighbors and come together as friends. In addition to the many fine lectures, performances and workshops scheduled by the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center, there are a number of festivals and events available to our residents, including the Flatirons Mineral Club Annual Gem & Mineral Show, Chautauqua Silent Film Series, Mud Hen 5K Race, Underwater Easter Egg Hunt, Longmont Kinetics Sculpture Race at Union Reservoir and the Boulder County Parade and Chuckwagon Breakfast. To learn more about the events, activities and festivals of Longmont and Boulder County, please visit:
Longmont Festivals and Special Events
http://www.visitlongmont.org/things-to-do/festivals-special-events

Rhythm on the River
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/rotr/

Flatirons Mineral Club Annual Gem & Mineral Show
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/community/fmc/fmcshow.htm

Chautauqua Silent Film Series
http://www.chautauqua.com/silent_film_series.php

Mud Hen 5K Race
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/rec/special/MudHen.htm

Underwater Easter Egg Hunt
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/rec/special/aquatic.htm

Longmont Kinetics Sculpture Race at Union Reservoir
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/rec/special/kinetics.htm

Boulder County Parade and Chuckwagon Breakfast
http://www.facebook.com/BoulderCountyFair