12 miles south on Castle Creek Road. A good example of the basic structure and layout of the old mining towns. The town was bypassed by the railroad and ceased to exist in 1890.

Aspen Art Museum

590 N. Mill St., 970/925-8050

Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. 10-6, Thurs. noon-8, Sun. noon-6.

Admission charged

Top local and national artists exhibit their work here. A complimentary gallery tour with wine and cheese is held every Thursday at 5.

Aspen Center For Environmental Studies

Hallam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, 100 Puppy Smith St., Aspen

970/925-5756.

Children and adults alike will enjoy this wildlife sanctuary and research center. The facility sponsors snowshoe walks with naturalist guides in winter, and backyard-wildlife workshops that teach children to create a mini sanctuary in their own yard. In summer there are bird-watching hikes and special Little Naturalist programs for four- to seven-year-olds, which include nature walks and arts and crafts.

Independence Ghost Town

15 miles east on SR82

970-925-3721

Guided tours June, July, August 11am and 1pm.

Small admission fee for tour

this is the remains of the Roaring Fork Valley’s mining community. It boomed during the gold discoveries of the 1870’s and closed up in the decline of the mines in the late 1890s.

Jerome Hotel

330 E. Main St.

970/920-1000.

Named after the town's most prominent early citizen, Jerome Wheeler, this enduring landmark was opened in 1889, at the height of Aspen's prosperity. The ornate lobby, bar, and restaurant of the elegant redbrick hotel re-create fashionable turn-of-the-20th-century living.