3 Offbeat Things to Do in Aspen

Published On: March 10th, 2019|Categories: Aspen, Blog, Things to Do|Tags: Ashcroft Townsite, Aspen, Fun, Ghost Town, Hunter S. Thompson Shrine, Magic Mushroom House, Offbeat, Things to Do|

If you’re buying a home for sale in Aspen, check out these three offbeat things to do – they might just become your favorite in-town activities when ski season is over. At the very least, you’ll love taking your visiting family and friends to see them.

3 Offbeat Things to Do in Aspen

Magic Mushroom House
Ashcroft Townsite
Hunter S. Thompson Shrine

Magic Mushroom House

The Magic Mushroom House is really something to see. Architect Andre Ulrych – who had never built a house before – created this mountain oddity while using mushrooms and LSD. It took him 6 years to finish, and while it’s not necessarily consistent in style, it is really cool – and many artists and celebrities have stayed in the home (including Andy Warhol and Hugh Hefner).

Ashcroft Townsite

The Ashcroft Townsite, founded by two prospectors in 1880 (Charles B. Culver and W.F. Coxhead), is an abandoned ghost town near Aspen. By 1885, it was home to six hotels and 20 saloons – enough to rival Arizona’s Tombstone. But when plans for a railroad stop fell through and silver stopped coming out of the mountain, the town fell apart – everyone moved to Aspen. By the end of 1885, only 100 residents remained. The town revived in the 1930s, but after the end of World War II – where one of the local resort founders died in combat – the U.S. Forest Service took over. Now, the Aspen Historical Society runs it, and it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s fabulously preserved and definitely a must-see.

Hunter S. Thompson Shrine

There’s a shrine for Hunter S. Thompson in the Snowmass ski area near the famed author’s former home in Woody Creek that consists of a bench and several trees dedicated to him. Fans – those from a group called “GLUM” (Glorious Leaders of the Underground Movement) – update it every year on President’s Day. You’ll find photos, articles and interesting items hung from trees.

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