You Know You’re From Colorado If You Recognize At Least 9 Of These 11 Landmarks

The School of Mines “M”

“Even the Miners who were in school at the time do not agree as to when the M went up on Mt. Zion. Several use the year 1907, but most likely, the M was born on May 15, 1908 as was reported by the May 9 issue of the Golden Globe. It reported that the Colorado School of Mines would declare a holiday on this day “to place a big, white M on Mt. Zion.”” – School of Mines

Scar Mountain

One of the most visible features in the Colorado Springs backdrop is this huge vacant area of mountain-top caused by years of mining.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research

“The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is a federally funded research and development center devoted to service, research and education in the atmospheric and related sciences. NCAR’s mission is to understand the behavior of the atmosphere and related physical, biological and social systems; to support, enhance and extend the capabilities of the university community and the broader scientific community – nationally and internationally; and to foster transfer of knowledge and technology for the betterment of life on Earth.” – NCAR

The Air Traffic Control Tower in Stapleton

Stapleton opened on October 17, 1929, as Denver Municipal Airport. Its name became Stapleton Airfield after a 1944 expansion, in honor of Benjamin F. Stapleton, the city’s mayor most of the time from 1923 to 1947. This last remnant of Stapleton Airport will soon be transformed into a restaurant and office space.

The Spaceship House

Colorado’s infamous “Spaceship House” as many of us call it was designed by architect Charles Deaton (he also designed Arrowhead stadium) back in 1963. “Deaton, ran out of money before the house was finished, so it was never inhabited by the designer. The interior of the Sculptured House went largely unfinished and was vacant for almost three decades until entrepreneur and one-time Denver, Colorado economic-development chief John Huggins purchased the house in 1999.” It eventually sold two more times, most recently being sold in 2010 at a foreclosure auction for $1.5 million.

The Buckley Air Force Base Radar Balls

“Buckley AFB was originally constructed as an auxiliary landing field for Lowry Field in 1938. The geodesic domes many Aurora residents might refer to as “golf balls” are radomes which are operated by the Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado and the 2nd Space Warning Squadron. The domes themselves were built in the 1970s to protect sensitive radar equipment from inclement weather and temperature fluxes.” – Buckley AFB

Johnson’s Corner

Joe Johnson opened the iconic truck stop back in 1952. At that time it was the 5th location in Colorado and sat alongside what was then considered US Highway 87. Famous for its Cinnamon rolls, Johnson’s Corner was recently sold to Travel America after being a family owned business for over 60 years.

The Big Blue Bear

Colorado artist Lawrence Argent designed the 40-foot tall steel and fiberglass blue bear for the The Colorado convention center after seeing a photo in the newspaper of a black bear peering through a window. Since its installation back in 2005 it has undoubtedly become an iconic figure for the city of Denver.

The Blue Devil Horse

This 32-foot high mustang was designed by New Mexico artist Luis Jimenez. Commissioned back in 1993, the sculpture had to be completed by Jimenez’s sons after a portion of the horse fell on him and killed him in 2006. It was finally installed in 2008 has since been seen by millions of travelers to and from Colorado.

Horsetooth Reservoir

Horsetooth reservoir and its accompanying open space park are definitely an awe-inspiring sight. The reservoir was constructed in 1949 by the Bureau of Reclamation as part of its federal Colorado-Big Thompson Project. The construction of the reservoir inundated the community of Stout. Prior to construction, the majority of the town moved to a location that today surrounds Horsetooth’s South Bay, but a few building foundations, including that of the old school house, are now under water.