Manitou Springs, Colorado - Authentic Indian Cliff Dwellings

Manitou Springs, Colorado - Authentic Indian Cliff Dwellings

Ancient Indian cliff dwellings conveniently located near other authentic tourist attractions. Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Manitou Springs, Colorado - Authentic Indian Cliff Dwellings

Unfortunately, these are not as authentic as suggested in the first entry. The stones were taken from a collapsed Anasazi site in southwest Colorado, shipped to the present location, and assembled to look like Anasazi-style buildings, some of which are believed to be replicas of buildings in Mesa Verde National Park. I also seem to remember that only a small percentage of the stones were original, and the rest of the walls were fabricated.

Personally, I felt cheated when I went there and felt like it was anything but authentic. [Laura Bloom, 01/28/2009]

Manitou Springs, Colorado - Manitou Cliff Dwellings

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings ARE real. They were "rescued" by a Colorado College Archaeological Class (CC is in nearby Colorado Springs) around 1905 from a site that was about to be flooded. I'm sure they have been stabilized (and possibly enhanced), but they were built by the Anasazi.

While I agree with many of your points (the museum is better than the actual ruins; the gift shop sells some nice Native American-made objects), I think it's a disservice to list the "fakery" tip as the first update. It is (IMHO) a nice little "roadside attraction" that will educate you and your kids...and you surely can't climb about on the ruins at Mesa Verde! [Spencer, 03/09/2007]

Manitou Springs, Colorado - Manitou Cliff Dwellings

Only portions of these dwellings were moved here. Native Americans have lived in this area long before European history starts to account for. Many tribes had used the site as a sacred gathering place for hundreds of years, but if you started to tell the truth they might want it back. [toby lloyd tafoya joseph, 03/09/2007]

Manitou Springs, Colorado - Manitou Cliff Dwellings

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings are not fakes; they were actually relocated from the Mesa Verde area after the turn of the century by Manitou businessman William Crosby. The stones were labeled and photographed and reconstructed in their present location with the assistance of archaeologists. The cliff dwellings are authentic, although they were originally located in Mesa Verde. [cathy, 10/16/2006]

[RA: It could be argued that removing an entire cliff dwelling from its remote natural location and rebuilding it closer to tourists involves a certain degree of fakery. But perhaps we should show more appreciation for the effort!]