Take Exit 98 B from Interstate 25 (it’s the same exit number whether you are coming from the north or from the south) which takes you on 1st Street in the heart of downtown Pueblo.

324 West lst Street: This excellent state operated museum features exciting exhibits and interpretetion of local and regional history. Please note that the museum is being expanded and is under construction until 2003. In the interim, please visit the temporary museum site on Victoria Street, just one block off 1st Street. The museum has information about the Byway and the region and a great gift shop and is a good place to start your Pueblo Loop Tour : (719) 583-0453.

210 N. Santa Fe Avenue: Here you can view permanent and changing art exhibits, see live dance and music performances and entertain your kids for hours in the new children’s museum. (719) 543-0130.

From lst Street head north on Santa Fe Avenue, Main Street, or Grand Avenue for a walking or windshield driving tour of downtown Pueblo. This is the office section of Pueblo where many of Pueblo’s businesses have their office headquarters. On street corners and hidden sidestreets, if you look, you’ll spy old art-deo signs, lounges dating to the turn of the century, and specialty stores tucked amongst the office buildings.

After you pass north through the downtown you’ll pass the gold-domed County Courthouse, seat of Pueblo County, and at 18th Street you’ll come to the turn-of-the-century Mineral Palace Park. Here you’ll find the Pueblo Arts Guild representing more than 200 local artists and artisans. Note the stonework throughout the park. You’ll see special stone theme repeated throughout our Pueblo Loop Tour.

When you leave Mineral Palace Park, take any street to the west and spend a few minutes to meandering through one of Pueblo’s upscale neighborhoods replete with victorian- era and turn -of-the- century residences. These tree-lined avenues of large homes are an interesting contrast to the small steel-mill worker homes that you’ll see later in the Pueblo Loop Tour.

419 W. 14th Street: This museum shouldn’t be missed. While in the northside, see the Victorian splendor of wealthy Pueblo entrepreneur John Thatcher’s impressive mansion. Eighty-five percent of the original furniture has been preserved and is on display. The third floor holds Andrew McClellend’s collection of archaeolgical wonders including an Egyptian mummy and a cross-section of Pueblo’s famous Union Avenue “hanging tree.” Enjoy a light lunch in the mansion’s carriage house. (719) 545-5290.

This wonderful civic effort was completed in Fall 2000. The Riverwalk, located in the center of Pueblo between the city office area and the historic Union Avenue District, meanders for one-third of a mile along the old course of the Arkansas River and is replete with waterfalls, grassy knolls, numerous special events, and even guided boat tours in season. A great spot any time of the day or year, the Riverwalk is especially appealing in the early evening as the city lights come on, the sunset casts its beautful hues over the water, and local families quietly stroll the Riverwalk’s well-lit walkways. (719)

This perfectly preserved 19th century enclave is a highlight of any visit to Pueblo or to western America. The Union Avenue Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and consists of beautifully intact red sandstone buildings making it one of the most historic half miles in the West. Turn West on “B” Street to see the impressive 1889 Union Railroad Depot. The interior of the Romanesque Revival-style building contains mosaic tile flooring, stained glass windows and hardwood wainscotting. Today, the Depot and surrounding historic structures house apartments, restaurants, shops, and galleries. You can pick up a free Walking Tour brochure at the El Pueblo Museum or from merchants along the avenue.

The new Heritage Center, located on west “B” Street just one block west of Union Avenue and across from the Union Depot, will house the collections of the Pueblo County Historical Society Museum as well as other collections related to SE Colorado history beginning in late 2001. (719) 295 1517.