# Visiting Colorado Springs with toddlers and little kids: the plan

> The zoo sits on Cheyenne Mountain southwest of downtown, Garden of the Gods is on the west side, and Penrose Library is downtown. Here’s a day or two, with nap time built in.

- Last checked: 2026-10-18
- One- and two-day plans with a nap in the middle
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/visiting/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/index.md
- City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/guide/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/llms.txt

## Top 4 can’t-miss spots

- **Cheyenne Mountain Zoo** (Southwest, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd.): Book timed tickets ahead. Site: https://www.cmzoo.org/
- **Garden of the Gods Park** (West side): Stop at the free Visitor and Nature Center. Cost: Free. Site: https://gardenofgods.com/
- **Penrose Library** (Downtown, 20 N. Cascade Ave.): Toddler Time is Tuesday mornings. Cost: Free. Site: https://ppld.org/
- **Library 21c** (North, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr.): Baby Time runs Monday mornings. Cost: Free. Site: https://ppld.org/

## If you have one day

1. **MORNING**: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (Book a timed ticket · Southwest, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd.). https://www.cmzoo.org/
2. **LUNCH**: Poor Richard’s (Pizza downtown · Downtown). https://poorrichardsdowntown.com/
3. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
4. **AFTER NAP**: Garden of the Gods Park (Red-rock walk · West side · Free). https://gardenofgods.com/

## If you have two days

Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2:

1. **MORNING**: Space Foundation Discovery Center (Tue–Sat from 10 · West side, 4425 Arrowswest Dr. · $7 kids, $13 adults). https://www.discoverspace.org/visit
2. **LUNCH**: Urban Egg (Downtown) (Brunch until 2:30 · Downtown). https://www.urbanegg.com/location/downtown-colorado-springs/
3. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
4. **AFTER NAP**: Library 21c (Library time · North, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. · Free). https://ppld.org/

## Where to stay

- **Penrose Library** (downtown): Downtown is central to both the zoo and Garden of the Gods. Near Penrose Library.

## Easy restaurants near the big stops

- **Urban Egg (Downtown)** (Breakfast, Downtown): . https://www.urbanegg.com/location/downtown-colorado-springs/
- **Poor Richard’s** (Café, Downtown): . https://poorrichardsdowntown.com/

## Rainy-day backup plan

- **Penrose Library**: Indoors.
- **Library 21c**: Indoors.

## Practical tips

- Zoo tickets: The zoo uses advance timed tickets, and big events sell out.

## Free and cheap wins

- **Garden of the Gods Park**: Free forever.
- **Penrose Library**: Free.
- **Library 21c**: Free.

All free things to do in Colorado Springs: https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/guide/#free


## Happening this week

- **Pumpkins in the Park** (Sat Noon–6pm) at Bancroft Park, Old Colorado City. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/#e-pumpkins_in_the_park
- **Trunk or Treat at Garden of the Gods** (Sun 1–4pm) at Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/#e-trunk_or_treat_garden_of_the_gods
- **Jack-o-Lantern Trail at Fountain Creek Nature Center** (Sat 5:30–7:30pm) at Fountain Creek Nature Center. $5 per person; members $4; prepaid registration required. https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/#e-jack_o_lantern_trail_fountain_creek
- **Venetucci Farm Pumpkin Fest: Witches & Wizards Weekend** (Fri 9:30am–2pm; Sat–Sun 9:30am–4pm) at Venetucci Farm. $8 grounds admission; ages 3 and under free; pumpkins $10. https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/#e-venetucci_pumpkin_fest
- **Boo at Briargate** (Sat 3–5pm) at The Promenade Shops at Briargate. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/#e-boo_at_briargate

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in Colorado Springs: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Colorado Springs for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is Colorado Springs kid-friendly?
For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our Colorado Springs guide lists 16 places we checked for little kids, plus 8 free places and 3 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 2 easy restaurants near the big stops and free storytimes at 1 library system. This week’s list has 37 dated outings for ages 0–6. See [free things to do in Colorado Springs](https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/guide/#free) and [this weekend’s list](https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/).

### How many days do you need in Colorado Springs with a toddler?
Two: the zoo one day, Garden of the Gods and a library storytime the next.