New Event Venues Abound in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs has been steadily growing its appeal as a meetings destination, with new lodging and a variety of group-friendly venues debuting over the past several years. A recent visit to the second-largest Colorado city offered samples of all the new things to see and do in the shadow of Pikes Peak's purple mountain majesty.

New hotels opened in 2024

The 375-room Hotel Polaris at the Air Force Academy just opened this past November, though based on our experience last month, the property is already operating as smoothly as one that's been in business much longer. Beautifully appointed with a mid-century modern aesthetic, the Hotel Polaris offers 26,000 square feet of meeting space, and it will host Northstar's Destination West hosted-buyer event April 27-29, just as the leaves begin to open on the hillsides.

Among the unique amenities at the hotel are three flight simulators, allowing guests to test out the pilot's seat in a Boeing 737-Max or one of two F-16s. I did pretty well doing virtual touch-and-gos in the 737 from the Colorado Springs airport, and then flew around Queenstown, New Zealand, for a few minutes.

Guests looking to chill out rather than take off will find relaxation on the treatment menu at the Ascend Spa on site.

A new visitor center for the academy and Colorado Tourism is being built next door, its silhouette that of a stealth bomber taking off; already it is connected to the hotel by a pedestrian bridge. While the center at this time will not be hosting groups indoors, the Hotel Polaris team anticipates being able to set up events for several hundred people on the visitor center's outdoor patio and along the bridge, which is wide enough to hold large banquet rounds.

Another new property, the remodeled 128-room Mining Exchange Hotel, debuted in June 2024. The original building, which dates back to 1902, first served as a stock exchange for precious metals before serving as a hotel for most of its existence; the safe and vault doors have been preserved, along with vintage curiosities. The property features nearly 11,000 square feet of meeting space, a full-service spa, an art gallery and two food-and-beverage outlets.

Unique off-site venues

The new Ford Amphitheater — not to be confused with the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, Colo. (check which venue you want before purchasing tickets!) — opened its doors in August. The 8,000-seat, open-air theater in Colorado Springs hosts concerts, private events and more, with sweeping views of the sun setting over Pikes Peak. To make the evening even more special, there are 90 VIP suites, each with its own fire pit.

Debuting in 2021 was Weidner Field, home of the United Soccer League Championship's Colorado Springs Switchbacks, who won it all in last year. Groups from 20 to 400 people can host events on the field or in several club areas throughout the stadium.

The city also gained a TopGolf facility in 2021. Along with the sports bar and restaurant, there are more than 70 all-weather bays for practicing, team-building and playing Toptracer games, plus several private event spaces. Also opened that year is the iFly indoor skydiving venue for the more adventurous crowd. Other nearby attractions include Overdrive Raceway, an indoor go-kart track; two Magnum Shooting Centers for those who want to test their aim; and Dart Wars North (think paintball, but with Nerf guns and no splatter).

Sports fanatics will love the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, which opened in 2020. Here interactivity is the name of the game. On the outside, the design of the museum mimics the movement of an athlete’s discus throw, low to high, with the Flame Café off to the right representing the discus. Inside the venue, your RFID visitor badge interacts with the exhibits, keeping track of the sports you liked and generating content specific to your accessibility needs and interests. When you leave, the information — photos, videos and bookmarks — is stored in a digital locker you can access again later. A longtime skier, I loved trying to match the tracks of a downhill race. There are many other opportunities to test strength, speed and more. Several areas are available for events, as is a full buyout of the facility.

The Flying W Ranch, though totally destroyed by the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire, was rebuilt on another part of the property's 1,500 acres and reopened in July 2020. The glorious new event barn (with radiant-floor heating) hosts up to 950 people inside and on the covered and heated patios. For outdoor events, long picnic tables made out of Waldo fire debris range along a small hill. A rodeo can be held for your group of up to 2,000 people, and activities such as axe-throwing and archery are available. You can also book the second-oldest Western singing group in the land, the Flying W Wranglers.