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| Established | 1907 |
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| Location | 10 Cliff Road Manitou Springs, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 38°51′48″N 104°54′45″W / 38.8634°N 104.9124°W |
| Type | Archaeological museum |
| Website | www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com |
The Manitou Cliff Dwellings are a privately owned tourist attraction[1][2] consisting of replica Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings[3] and interpretive exhibits located just west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, on U.S. Highway 24 in Manitou Springs.
The attraction was established using replica and reconstructed Pueblo cliff dwellings[2] in 1904 and was opened to the public in 1907.[4] An associated private museum features commercially developed displays about Ancestral Puebloan peoples[5] including exhibits of archaeological artifacts, tools, pottery, and weapons from Indigenous sites and/or replicated by the company that operates the site.[2] The replica dwellings were created as part of a commercial venture to divert tourists from Southwest archaeological sites by creating a version of a Pueblo dwelling place that was more easily accessible to early 20th century American visitors.[2] Visitors can walk through the replica dwellings, and various displays and interpretive material attempt to imbue the entire attraction with a sense of authenticity, though the Manitou Cliff Dwellings are not themselves authentic.[2]
- ^ "History". Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
- ^ a b c d e Lovata, Troy R. (June 2011). "Archaeology as Built for the Tourists: The Anasazi Cliff Dwellings of Manitou Springs, Colorado". International Journal of Historical Archaeology. 15 (2): 194–205. doi:10.1007/s10761-011-0136-z. ISSN 1092-7697. S2CID 144387771.
- ^ Fowler, Don D. (1999). Harvard vs. Hewett: The contest for control of Southwestern archaeology, 1904-1930. in Assembling the Past: Studies in the Professionalization of Archaeology. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. pp. 165–212.
- ^ Anasazi Museum Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Lovata, Troy R. (2011-04-19). "Archaeology as Built for the Tourists: The Anasazi Cliff Dwellings of Manitou Springs, Colorado". International Journal of Historical Archaeology. 15 (2): 194–205. doi:10.1007/s10761-011-0136-z. ISSN 1573-7748. S2CID 144387771.