Ouray's Unique Attractions

• Address: 533 Main St, Ouray, CO
• Hours: Typically daily, from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM. Call ahead.
• Distance from us: 1.4 miles

Ouray Alchemist Museum is a museum that specializes in the history of pharmacy and medicine. They have a huge collection of various historical pharmaceutical and medical products and artifacts. Many of their products are related to the wild west and to Colorado in particular. They also have a frontier drugstore replica on display.

Ouray Alchemist Museum is easy to find: It's located just behind the Aspen Drug Store. Tours are conducted by pharmacists Curtis Haggar and Nancy Haggar. Because space at the museum is limited, tours need to be scheduled ahead of time. There is also a small fee for tours.

If you're interested in taking home a souvenir from your visit to Ouray Alchemist Museum, you can visit their gift shop, which has collectibles, t-shirts, and antiques.

• Address: 420 6th Ave, Ouray, CO
• Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10:00 AM until 4:30 PM; Sunday, 12:00 PM until 4:30 PM
• Distance from us: 1.3 miles

Ouray County Museum has a vast collection of memorabilia related to Colorado's history. Distributed throughout the museum's three floors and 27 rooms, you'll find a number of unique displays, including a blacksmith shop, a collection of minerals, an authentic old-west jail cell, and a replica of a mine.

The building housing Ouray County Museum was originally St. Joseph's Miners Hospital, and several of the exhibits in the museum reflect that heritage. You'll see a wide variety of medical instruments and hospital furnishings in some parts of the museum. Ouray County Museum also has numerous historical photos for you to enjoy.

Ouray County Museum is maintained by the Ouray County Historical Society. Members of the society sponsor several summer events, including historical lectures, a dinner and show, and a hike to the Cork Screw Railroad bed.

• Address: 533 Main St, Ouray, CO
• Hours: Daily, from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM
• Distance from us: 1.4 miles

Ouray Via Ferrata is an outdoor adventure route that runs over the Uncompahgre River and Ouray Ice Park, along the east side of the Uncompahgre Gorge. Basically, you travel along narrow ledges, vertical and horizontal rock structures, and rock walls while very, very high in the air.

The route combines ladders, bridges, rungs and cables to help you manage the course. Along the entire route, you are connected to a safety cable. The entire trek takes 2-4 hours, and is, to some extent, physically demanding. You'll need a climbing harness, helmet, approved leash, and gloves. If you don't have the required equipment, you can rent it from Ouray Via Ferrata.

Beginners are welcome, and you do not need to be an experienced climber. You do need to be in reasonably good physical shape, and be able to deal with heights of up to 40 feet. Costs vary, depending on the number of people in your group. If you do the course by yourself, the cost can be quite expensive. Call ahead for current pricing.

• Address: 95 Gold Mountain Trail, Ouray, CO
• Hours: Typically, 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM
• Distance from us: 2.5 miles

The Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tour is a tour of an authentic, turn-of-the-century Ouray mine. You'll get to experience what day-to-day life was like for a Colorado miner in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The tunnel you get to explore is the Syracuse Tunnel, located in Gold Mountain. The tour is led by a highly-trained guide, who will share his or her knowledge about the Syracuse mine and about mining, in general.

Besides the actual mine tour, you can also try gold panning in a Gold Mountain stream. You can also enjoy a Miner's Breakfast consisting of eggs, meat, and buttermilk pancakes. If you'd like to take home a souvenir, you can visit the Treasure Chest gift shop. There, you'll find toys, jewelry, and a variety of other mining-related gifts.

Reservations are not needed. Prices are reasonable. Kids are welcome.