“History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul”
Take a break from your outdoor adventures and learn about the rough and tumble history of Durango, Colorado.
Iconic 1890's scene of downtown Durango where the Utes would trade and camp. Note the Strater Hotel on the far upper left.
Courtesy, La Plata County Historical Society
Come join Horsefly History Tours: History With a Bite! as we venture back in time to search for the hidden history lurking just out of sight in Historic Downtown Durango. If your jam is learning about dates and architecture these tours are not for you. HHT tours reveal the darker side of Durango's past; thus, "History With a Bite!"
Learn about Durango’s Wild West history and the characters and events that have shaped this town since it was founded in 1880 by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Together we will learn about the gunfights, ghosts, “soiled doves” and madams, outlaws, and the town’s one and only legal hanging. Durango has intriguing treasures to reveal…if only you know where to look.
Our Full Moon ghost tour will take you into a rare underground tunnel. Only Horsefly History Tours will guide you there. Along the way you will hear true ghost stories from the buildings and businesses that line Main Avenue. Restless spirits still roam the streets they did in life so long ago. Visit the site of the “hanging tree” where an angry mob of townsfolk lynched a murderous outlaw. Be silent as we listen for the voices of children who laugh and play in the dark. And brace yourselves for the grand finale where you will walk through a dark and creepy tunnel previously closed to the public. This tour meets at the Rochester Hotel (726 East 2nd Avenue). Feel free to arrive early and get a drink at their bar. Tour ends at the El Rancho Tavern (975 Main Avenue).