Just south of the Arkansas River from Union Avenue is the Mesa Junction area, a small district of shops and restaurants most notable for hosting the Pueblo Library which is undergoing a $14,000,000 expansion into 2003. The library boasts an excellent Western History Collection and Genealogy Research Center which is worth a visit in its own right.

“The Blocks” is a residential area perched on the bluffs above the south side of theArkansas River dating to the 19th century. Benjamin Guggenheim, an early investor in the Pueblo steel industry, once owned a small home in area in the late 1800s before he became the rich industrialist now known to historians. Today, this area is a moderate-to-low income section of Pueblo that may well see a revival as efforts to incorporate this part of Pueblo into the ambitious Arkansas River Corridor Project take effect.

Southside Pueblo, bounded on the north by Abriendo Avenue, is an interesting section of the city that incorporates a mix of large Victorian-era homes with smaller working-class homes. The Abriendo Inn, one of the West’s premiere bed and breakfast lodgings, anchors the area. Formerly the residence of the owner of Walter’s Brewery, this turn-of-the-century Victorian mansion epitomizes Pueblo’s upscale lifeways and residences from that era.

Just three blocks away, the Pitkin Avenue Historic District boasts seven homes (all listed on the National Register of Historic Places), standing side by side that once housed officers and families of the Colorado Fuel & Iron (CF&I) steel mill. These elegant homes stand in interesting contrast to the steel worker’s homes located just a few blocks to the east in the Bessemer neighborhood.

This area of small residential homes and working-class bars and restaurants is one of the few intact mill-worker neighborhoods remaining in the western United States. These tiny homes, many no more than 700 square feet in size, once provided housing for many of the 7,000 steel workers employed by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation, the largest steel company to ever operate west of the Mississippi River.

The Pueblo steel mills, the city’s economic mainstay, along with the rest of America’s steel industry, went into a severe decline in the 1970s and early 1980s. Pueblo is still working hard to recover from the decline which left the city with fewer than 1,200 steel workers today.

The old CF&I Headquarters building, archives,clinic, and underground turnstile access to the mills have been recently purchased by a local non-profit organization which intends to open them to the public at a future date. In the meantime, try Gugliano’s delicatessan, Gus’s Lounge, or Latronica’s Italian Restaurant for a wonderful ethnic Italian food experience!

Prarie Avenue 3/4 mile south of Thatcher Avenue: A group of Pueblo businessmen started the Southern Colorado Agricultural and Industrial Association in 1872. In 1886, the Colorado State Fair rplaced the association. The Fair moved to its present location in 1901. Many of the buildings were constructed in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Today, the State Fair begins in late August and ends on Labor Day. It boasts an abundance of family fun and festivities. Throughout the year the Fairgrounds are used for a wide variety of special events such as antique automobile shows.

Goodnight Avenue and Pueblo Boulevard: The Pueblo Zoo and City Park are remarkable assets for such a small city as Pueblo. Many of the structures wer built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and are outstanding examples of the “rustic” style of architecture made famous by the National Park Service’s autocratic architect, Professor Meier who was based in Denver. His work was influenced by earlier architects who were active in Pueblo and the San Isabel National Forest -- Arthur Carhart and Frank Culley. This architectural style, which used large blocks of native stone and wood, is found throughout the United States at places like Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks.

Pueblo was one of the first places where rustic architectural style was employed and, the city today boasts many examples: Pueblo City Park and the Pueblo Zoo, Mineral Palace Park, Pueblo Mountain Park, the Colorado State Fairgrounds and the Pueblo Public Golf Course.

Today, the Pueblo Zoo boasts over 325 animals. You can experience a rain forest, enjoy underwater viewing of penguins, marvel at lion and river otter exhibits, meet domestic animals up-close in the Pioneer Ranch, and enjoy the antics of gibbons and sun bears at the Asian Adventure Exhibit. The Pueblo Zoo also contains beautiful and educational gardens, including a butterfly garden, an herb garden, a native prairie, Xeriscape and rock gardens.

The City Park, adjacent to the Zoo, has a “Kiddie Rides Park” which includes the “Jumping Horse Carry-Us-Over-Carousel” which first is on the National Register and first served Pueblo in 1914.

5200 Nature Center Road (off Pueblo Boulevard): Discover the plants and animals of riverside and grassland habitats while biking, hking, fishing, picknicking or viewing interpretive exhibits or the fascinating Raptor Center which rehabilitates injured hawks, eagles, owls and falcons. (719) 549 2414.

Located about 30 minutes west of Pueblo on Highway 78, the Pueblo Mountain Park is a hidden jewel located in the base of the Wet Mountains. Designed by Arthur Carhart in 1920 and built in the 1920s and 1930s, this quiet park is a showcase of the famous “Rustic” style of architecture best seen in the Main Lodge and the Ballpark. Visitors to the Park will enjoy a quiet, idyllic experience whether for a picnic or for an overnight stay. Beulah, a nearby mountain village, has a general store and gas station.

Located off Highway 50 six miles east of downtown Pueblo, this unique museum is a tribute to American military airmanship and is the largest collection of vintage aircraft on the Eastern Range. The aircraft display and the International B-24 museum occupy space on what was the Pueblo Army Air Base during WW II. The museum is free and open to the public seven days a week. (719) 948-9219.