On Sunday, December 5th, 2010, Pikes Peak area bed and breakfast inns participated in a bed & breakfast (B&B) charity tour with 465 tickets sold and raised over $4,100 for the Old Colorado City Historical Society . The participating B&B’s will each receive a Certificate of Appreciation Award from the Old Colorado City Historical Society for their efforts. The tour raised funds for continued restoration and maintenance of the non-profit Historical Society’s history center. Following the event, tour organizer, Jo Cervone, said, “We’re thrilled with the overwhelming response of public support for the history center project and the support of the innkeepers who generously gave of their time and homes. Attendance of over 465 contributors will allow our organization to continue restoration work of the center which contains a museum, research library and bookshop. We are very excited about continuing this as an annual event." The bookstore also reported excellent sales during the tour day.

Local businesses supported the fund raising effort by donating time, volunteers, and their resources to promote the tour. The Old Colorado City Historical Society was assisted by B&B innkeepers and Society volunteers, in addition to the participating Pikes Peak area Bed & Breakfast Inns.

The eight local bed & breakfast inns took extra time from their busy schedules to decorate early for the holiday tour and welcome guests into their homes. The spirit of the season was created to feature this year’s theme “A Few of Our Favorite Things”, complimenting Victorian elegance to Western flair. Each of the inns were dressed in holiday regalia for the event with garlands, handmade ornaments, Christmas trees decorated especially to each inn’s decor, and thousands of Christmas lights! The bed & breakfasts generously donated a gift certificate toward a bed & breakfast getaway.

Participating bed & breakfast inns included:

Holden House 1902 Bed & Breakfast Inn

Old Town GuestHouse

Lennox House

Avenue Hotel Bed and Breakfast

Blue Skies Bed and Breakfast

Red Crags

Onaledge

Rockledge Country Inn 

The history center was built in 1890 as the First Baptist Church of Old Colorado City by architect Walter Farquhar Douglas. The History Center provides a museum featuring artifacts and bookshop was opened for refreshments and a B&B gift certificate drawing.  The maintenance of the History Center is an ongoing effort to showcase the heritage of the area and continual contributions are necessary to fund the historical society. Membership information and direct donations may be sent to Old Colorado City Historical Society, 1 So. 24th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904-3319.

Mark your calendars now for the 17th Annual Holiday Old Colorado City Bed & Breakfast Tour, tentatively scheduled for December 4^th, 2011. Special Bed & Breakfast lodging/holiday tour packages will also be available for the event.