Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

A really interesting stop. The staff that greets us was very friendly and answered our questions about the shrine. The shrine itself was very interesting with a lot of artwork. There’s quite a bit of inclines walking and stairs so be prepared but the view from the top is spectacular.

A great historical location. Great place to see the valley down below. This has so much history. More than what I know. Beautiful location. Nice staircase up to the top. You can fit about 6 people at the top without being crowded out. And a lower location about 2 floors down. A total of 94 steps. 70 feet above the ground at a elevation of 7,710 feet.

You get access with your zoo tickets...good for 13 days past your visit. We went the same day we visited the zoo and are so happy we did. What a beautiful view.

I was a little confused how to get there cause maps took me a different way but that wasn't really the shrines problem haha. We loved this place. I don't think too many people know about it because we were the only ones there. It was so peaceful and so cool that you can go so high up in the shrine! You can see the whole city. I would definitely go again. Happy it was included in our zoo membership. It was nice seeing the animals when we drove through the zoo.

A beautiful mountainside tower overlooking town. The driver was very informative and nice to chat with. If you're planning a trip to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, it's worth checking out!

Beautiful historical site, it's very peaceful. It has a nice view when you go up, The grounds keeper gave us a short history of the shrine, we also went to the mini museum by the entrance/parking. It takes a short drive up from the zoo to get to the top. It's a bonus when visiting the zoo.

Such a beautiful place with breathtaking views. The story that’s behind the building is just super sweet. Glad we were able to explore the whole building!

Very interesting but beautiful shrine. Definitely worth visiting if you’re going to Cheyenne zoo. Plus you get to drive straight through the zoo on the way up to the shrine and get great views of the animals. By the parking, there is a small museum that gives the history of the shrine and the people it’s dedicated to. The shrine is painted on the inside and I believe is three stories tall with great overlooks at each floor. If you walk down the left staircase next to the entrance, there is a small room with a painting of Mary and Jesus. Overall great place

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I had no idea this place existed. The kids thought they were going to a castle. A very cool memorial to Will Rogers with a lightning fast pictorial overview of his life. Free with a zoo admission. Well worth anyone's time to see the shrine and views from it overlooking Colorado Springs.

Haven't been here myself, but my german in-laws say it has an amazing view. There is a small chapel with beautiful bells that I heard far from below. Seems like it would be worth checking out.

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.

This is a very cool spot in Colorado Springs. The views are incredible and the bells sound amazing, especially when you are sitting right on top of them. The climb to the top of the shrine is filled with amazing pictures and history. It's not a tough climb by any means. Overall a very cool place.

This place is just fantastic and well worth the price of a ticket to the zoo for the privilege to drive up, up, up the side of Cheyenne Mountain to experience this awesome tribute to Will and the Penrose family at 8,000+ feet. I can see the shrine from my home in the Springs and could not wait to visit it and the zoo. And, it was pretty cool to be driving your car thru the zoo to get to the shrine. You must go very slow, but after you get past the zoo property, the drive up the mountain is just breathtaking. Now.... my husband says he'll never go again, because he does not like heights, and a good friend never went up because of the crazy winds, but me and Mini Me and my friends will be going again for sure. Can't wait to get my camera back up there and see what I can capture next. I've added some photos so you too can enjoy the beauty this vantage point has to offer. Wow! Rocky Mountain High!!!

Will Rogers Shrine is really Penrose shrine, the man who built the Broadmoor Hotel. Mr. Penrose and his wife's remains are buried on the bottom floor in the chapel of the shrine. He named it Will Rogers Shrine because they were good friends and after Will Rogers died from a tragic plane crash, he decided to name it after Will Rogers. You have to buy ticket to enter the shrine, it's a combination ticket with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (which I highly recommend, even over the shrine). You have to enter the zoo and drive up to the shrine, the drive is pretty, a little scary. Once you get there, you can climb up to top, or just go around the outside to see the markings pointing to different structures/places down below (like Colorado Springs, the BroAdmoor,...etc. Nice picture spots. I would give it a 30min to an hour type of visit.

Fun place to bring the kids. I told mine that we would get to see a real-life castle tower -- and we did! The drive up the mountains is fun and the views overlooking the plains are fabulous. I'd recommend setting aside 60 to 90 minutes from the time you begin driving from the Cheyenne Mountain zoo entrance to enjoy the drive, shrine, and views.

The shrine is pretty and full of interesting murals and photographs of Wiley Post and Will Rogers. The view from up top is great. Love it!