Step through the Gates of The Fort…..
and learn what life was like at Bent’s Fort in the 1830s
The Tesoro Foundation Offers Historical Tours of The Fort

The Tesoro Foundation is proud to offer historical tours of The Fort in Morrison, Colorado. Tours are offered by appointment only for groups of 30 or more.

Situated in the Red Rocks country southwest of Denver, The Fort is patterned as a true replica of Bent’s famous fur trade Fort, built on the banks of the Arkansas River during the 1830s. Not a military Fort, Bent’s headquartered a vast fur trade empire when beaver hats were in vogue. Later, as an important stopping point on the Santa Fe Trail, Bent’s Fort was the jumping off point to Old Mexico for the twice yearly wagon trains carrying over $250,000 in trade goods.

Important Indian treaties were negotiated within its walls and it was used as a military operations base by Gen’l Kearney during the Mexican war in the summer of 1846.

Such Mountain Men as Kit Carson, Uncle Dick Wooton, Jim Baker, Tom Fitzpatrick and Old Bill Williams worked, played, slept, loved, drank, gambled and scrapped within Bent’s stout walls. In 1849, Wm. Bent blew up the Fort rather than sell it to the U.S. Government at a low price.

In 1962, Sam’l Arnold built to scale an adobe replica of Bent's Old Fort in the foothills southwest of Denver. Originally this fort was to be his private home. As construction costs mounted, he decided to turn the fort replica into a dining establishment serving foods of the Bent's Fort period. The Fort was built from 80,000 adobe and straw bricks by New Mexican workmen, and is the largest adobe building in Colorado and one of the largest adobe buildings in the world.

The tour focuses on the history of the original Bent’s Old Fort, the fur trade, and on Arnold’s famous replica. Visitors will learn about the history of Colorado’s Native Americans, Hispanics, and early pioneers, and how they lived, worked and played together.

The Foundation offers a walk-through tour with a historical interpreter in authentic attire.

Highlights Include:
Tour led by a tour guide in authentic historical attire
Mini Trunk Show filled with items that would have been found at Bents Fort
Authentic Native American tipi, complete with buffalo robe (summer only)
1840s Replica Cannons
Pillory

Tours last approximately 1/2 hour, but can be adapted to fit the group's time constraints.
Admission is $10 per person.

Tours are available by appointment for groups of 30 or more. To learn more or to book a group tour,
contact Sarah Shirazi at 303-839-1671 or via email at tesoroinfo@tesorofoundation.org.

Book a Tour of The Fort and step back into time! The Fort is just 22 minutes from downtown Denver, located on Highway 8, just north of the intersection with Hampden Avenue (Route 285)

Looking for information about The Tesoro Foundation's Educational Outreach
program specially designed for school groups? Click here.