5 Best Sights in Breckenridge, Summit County

Downtown Breckenridge's Historic District is one of Colorado's largest, with about 250 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The district is roughly a compact 12 square blocks, bounded by Main, High, and Washington Streets and Wellington Road. There are some 171 buildings with points of historical interest, from simple log cabins to Victorians with lacy gingerbread trim.

There are cabins available through the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association near Eagle, Vail, Leadville, and Breckenridge.

When gold was discovered here in 1887, the Country Boy Mine became one of the region's top producers---lead and zinc, which were vital for U.S. efforts in World War I and World War II, were big here, too. The gold mine tour takes visitors more than 1,000 feet deep into the mountain. Visitors can pet the donkeys that roam the area, pan for keepable gold, or go on a treasure hunt with a metal detector. The mine has a 55-foot ore-chute slide, historic buildings, and plenty of mining artifacts.

Dedicated to the 19th-century miner turned environmentalist who helped create Denver's Museum of Nature and Science, this museum hosts realistic stuffed animals and interactive exhibits like the hands-on taxidermy workbench.

The Summit County Huts Association has five backcountry cabins where skiers can spend the night (two are open for summer hikers). One popular touring route for backcountry skiing is the trip to Boreas Pass, just south of Breckenridge. The 6½-mile-long trail follows the route of a former railroad, with good views of distant peaks along the way.