Boulder's Chautauqua Neighborhood

The Chautauqua neighborhood is one of Boulder's oldest. It's located at the base of Boulder's Flatirons, a spectacular setting that draws millions of visitors for hiking each year.

This historic area centers around the Colorado Chautauqua, founded in 1898 as part of a national series of cultural and educational summer retreats that were at the heart of the Chautauqua movement. Orators, performers and educators traveled to these retreats, bringing lectures, performances, concerts, classes and exhibitions to the public.

Today, people still visit for the cultural goings-on and performance venues at the Colorado Chautauqua, as well as the area's iconic natural lands, sprawling park, charming rental cottages and eateries.

Things to Do

• See the Flatirons, the iconic slanting rock formations that make Boulder…Boulder! Hike from Chautauqua Trailhead, snap pics or admire from a picnic blanket spread out on Chautauqua Park

• Check out some of the historic cottages and buildings in the Colorado Chautauqua, using our Historic Neighborhoods Walking Tour brochure as a guide.
• Have brunch on Chautauqua Dining Hall’s beautiful veranda.

• Run around the Chautauqua Playground, just east of Chautauqua Park. It's one of Boulder's best playgrounds, with a mini Chautauqua Playhouse where little ones can stage a performance and a mini Flatiron to climb on.
• Come for an evening at the Chautauqua Auditorium, a wonderful, wooden, barn-like building built in 1898, and hear famous singer-songwriters perform, watch a silent film — or spend a few days enjoying shows during the esteemed Colorado Music Festival.

• Grab a sandwich or a scoop of ice cream from the Chautauqua General Store and relax in the adjacent pavilion, recreated from photos of a very similar historical shelter that sat on this site in the late 1800s.
• Head up Flagstaff Road to discover miles more hiking trails at Realization Point, the Sunrise Amphitheater and Panorama Point overlook.

Where to Eat

Because the Chautauqua neighborhood centers around the historic Colorado Chautauqua and is otherwise largely residential, there are only a few places to dine out — but each is exceptional in a stunning setting at the foot of the mountains. 

Where to Stay

Stay close to nature at the Colorado Chautauqua, which offers historic cottages at the foot of the Flatirons.