Will Rogers Shrine

Went to the Cheyenne Mtn zoo in Colorado Springs and asking about the tower above us. Found out it the shrine of the sun tower was included with our admission. Highly recommend taking the trip up, even though it slow going.

Finally made it to the Will Rogers Shrine situated above the zoo. To get to it you enter the gate to the left of the ticket booths at the zoo and drive up the road that is in the zoo. It's not a long ride but it is steep. (We took our half out of the middle. Make sure you have good breaks for the drive down!)Putting the shrine on the bottom of our list of things to see in Colorado Springs, we were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed it. The shrine itself is beautiful (made from one boulder), and the view is probably the best in the area. On a clear day you can see 130 miles eastward. If you like old movies you will recognize the pictures of Mr Rogers with some movie stars (Shirley Temple for one). There's a wonderful display of pictures and murals in the shrine. This place will be one of our destinations of choice to take out of town friends. Enjoy!

For about the first 30 minutes of our visit here we were the only ones and it was stunning to have the entire place to ourselves. There are many photographs depicting the life of Will Rogers (including one with Billie Burke aka Glinda the Witch of the North!) as well as the plane crash that took his life. The views are absolutely breathtaking; 360 degrees of unobstructed view. Brass markers show various points of interest. We were there as the bells were tolling and echoing in the cold air. The best part was sitting in the quiet on a bench in the sun listening to the wind moving through the trees. In nature's wisdom it sounded just like the surf of the Pacific Ocean. It was amazing and I could have stayed and listened to that for hours. Admission is included in the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo price and so be sure to take the drive to the top. There is a small chapel where Julie and Spencer Penrose are interred. There is also an education center that tells of their lives. I found it very interesting that the Penrose family could be traced back to the 1700s and William Penn.

Hiya! Big tourist here, all the way from Indianapolis. We happened upon this after attending the Cheyenne Mountain zoo. The entrance to the shrine is part of the zoo so we had to go! When we got to the shrine, the gentleman working, George, was so informative and welcoming. He had so much respect for the property and even gave us advice on where to hike. Excellent view and experience altogether. 10/10 would recommend!!

If this was the "extra thing" you basically got for free along with your admission to the zoo, then it would be a heck of a thing. For those of us who did not actually want to visit the zoo, but still had to pay for it to visit this place, it was somewhat annoying, but still worth it. The views from here are incredible, seriously. The shrine itself is a nice tower, with a chapel, some rooms, and a whole lot of stairs leading one up to even better views.

I'm sure that my experience would have been better if the weather had been more favorable. It was really cold and windy when we visited. Due to some flurries and fog, the views weren't as spectacular as I'm assuming they normally are. But the views were nice nonetheless. I would say, that you should set aside about an hour max for your visit. And that includes the drive up and back.The drive up is easy and the grounds are well maintained. We climbed all the way up the shrine, only to find that the door at the top was locked. So we settled for the lower observation deck.If we return to Colorado Springs, we will visit again on a clear day.

Best view in town! Not sure if you can pay to just go to the shrine, but admission is included in your zoo ticket. This would be a killer location for a wedding. What a cool place, this weekend was the first time I'd ever been in my many years of living in The Springs.Crazy fact: The shrine was built from one 6,000 cubit foot boulder, and did not use lumber or nails. Completed in 1937.

This was a pretty decent addition to my trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The inside of the shrine is adorned with pictures of Will Rogers (which wasn't my cup of tea), and the view of Colorado Springs is magnificent (seriously). You can see everything from Garden of the Gods all the way to Fort Carson. The drive up is treacherous in bad weather, so try to head up on a nice day. Honestly I won't go back unless I want to show someone who hasn't been there before. But it was cool.

Very historic and unique site. Being from Oklahoma, it's nice to see Oklahoma's favorite son memorialized else where. The pictures are great but the views from the shrine are amazing. If you plan on going to the zoo, make time for this as well.

Amazing views. Possibly one of the best places to visit in America, never mind Colorado.The first stage is driving slowly through the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and up a mountain road. The road is wide and well-maintained, but skittish people might not love this part.Park when you reach the shrine. If you want to learn more about Will Rogers (and other notable figures), head to the exhibits. The pictures alone are worth the trip.When you're ready to check out the view, head to the shrine for some stair climbing. There are a few balconies, but (naturally) the highest one is the best. On a clear day, the view of Colorado is breathtaking.