This Colorado Stone Tower Fills The Air With Hauntingly Beautiful Music Every Time You See It
Perched high on a mountainside, this is the kind of place that stops conversations in their tracks and makes everyone look up at the exact same time. In Colorado, scenery already has a reputation for showing off, but this landmark adds something even more memorable to the mix.
Built in 1937 from sturdy granite, the tower honors a beloved American humorist while also serving as the resting place of a visionary couple whose influence helped shape an entire city. That history alone would make it worth a visit, but the real magic begins when the chimes start.
Every 15 minutes, music drifts out across the mountain air, creating a sound that feels peaceful, mysterious, and just dramatic enough to give you goosebumps. Colorado’s high places often leave a strong impression, but few do it with this much character.
Hearing a stone tower sing from 7,710 feet above sea level is the kind of moment that stays with you long after you leave.
The Chimes That Carry for Miles
There is something genuinely startling about standing on a Colorado mountainside and hearing music drift out of a granite tower every 15 minutes. The chimes at this place are not a recording or a speaker trick.
They are built into the structure itself, and on a clear day, visitors say the sound carries up to 20 miles across the Front Range.
At certain hours, a full song plays, giving the whole experience a ceremonial, almost cinematic quality. Noon brings a longer chime sequence that visitors tend to linger for, checking the time with unusual eagerness just to catch it.
Why It Matters: The shrine earned its name partly because of these chimes. It is called the Shrine of the Sun because the tower is the first point the rising sun touches and the last it leaves at sunset.
The music and the light together create something that is hard to describe but very easy to remember.
Pro Tip: Time your visit around noon if you want to hear the longer chime sequence. Arrive a few minutes early and find a spot on the upper overlook for the full effect.
A Tower Built With Remarkable Purpose
Spencer Penrose built this tower starting in 1934, after being diagnosed with throat cancer. Rather than stepping back from life, he channeled his energy into creating something that would outlast him by generations.
The result is a five-story granite structure standing 100 feet tall at an elevation of nearly 8,000 feet, housing hand-painted interior artwork and serving as a permanent resting place for both Spencer and his wife Julie.
The shrine was dedicated to Will Rogers, the beloved American entertainer and humorist who died in a plane crash in 1935. Penrose admired Rogers deeply, and the dedication gave the building a name that stuck long after the construction dust settled.
Insider Tip: The small museum near the parking area fills in the backstory beautifully before you ever step inside the tower. Spending 10 minutes there first makes the climb up those 94 steps feel considerably more meaningful.
Who This Is For: History enthusiasts, architecture admirers, and anyone who appreciates a place with a genuinely layered human story behind the stonework will find this stop deeply satisfying and worth every stair.
Views That Rewire Your Sense of Scale
Standing at the top of the shrine, 70 feet above the ground and 7,710 feet above sea level, the city of Colorado Springs spreads out below you like a map someone forgot to fold back up. On a clear day, Pikes Peak dominates the western horizon with the kind of confidence that makes every other mountain look like it is still figuring things out.
The tower has multiple overlook levels, so the view improves with every floor you climb. The top platform fits roughly six people comfortably, which means the experience stays personal even on a busy day.
A lower outdoor area two floors down offers its own solid vantage point for anyone who prefers a slightly less vertical finish to their visit.
Best For: Photographers, families with older kids, and couples looking for a genuinely dramatic backdrop that does not require a backcountry permit to reach.
Quick Tip: Bring a light jacket regardless of the season. Mountain air at nearly 8,000 feet has its own agenda, and it does not consult the weather app you checked before leaving the hotel.
The Arrival That Earns Its Reward
Getting to the shrine is its own small adventure. Access runs directly through the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo at 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, which means your drive up the mountain doubles as an impromptu animal sighting tour.
Giraffes, big cats, and mountain goats are visible from the road, and that is before you have even parked.
The road narrows at points and winds with enough conviction to keep drivers alert, but it is not genuinely frightening. Going slow and watching for oncoming vehicles on the corners is the sensible approach, and most people find the drive adds to the sense of arrival rather than detracting from it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid: Do not rely entirely on navigation apps for the route. Some mapping tools send drivers on alternate paths that skip the zoo entrance entirely, which creates unnecessary confusion.
Follow the zoo signage from the main road instead.
Planning Advice: The shrine is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 AM to 4 PM and is closed on Mondays. Verify your schedule before heading up the mountain, particularly if you are working around a zoo visit on a specific day.
Where Your Zoo Ticket Does Double Duty
Here is the kind of travel math that actually works in your favor. Admission to the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun is included with a Cheyenne Mountain Zoo ticket, and that zoo ticket remains valid for the shrine for up to 13 days after your zoo visit.
That means a family that spends Saturday at the zoo can return midweek for the shrine without buying anything extra.
Zoo season pass holders also receive access, making the shrine a genuinely free add-on for anyone already committed to the zoo for the year. For a place with 4.8 stars across hundreds of visitor accounts, the value proposition is almost unreasonably good.
Quick Verdict: This is one of those rare situations where the bonus attraction quietly outshines the main event for some visitors. More than a few people have admitted the shrine view was the highlight of their entire Colorado Springs trip.
Best Strategy: Visit the zoo first, then drive up to the shrine in the late morning. That timing puts you at the tower around noon, just in time to catch the longer chime sequence before heading back down for lunch.
The Interior Art That Stops You Cold
Most visitors come for the view and the chimes, but the painted interior of the shrine has a way of slowing people down in a manner they did not anticipate. The walls feature detailed murals and artwork covering historical and religious themes, including a small room off the lower staircase that contains a painting of Mary and Jesus.
The combination of rough granite and intricate painted surfaces creates a visual contrast that feels intentional and considered.
The shrine is three stories of painted stonework, and each floor offers something slightly different to look at before you reach the top. Friendly staff and knowledgeable groundskeepers are present during open hours and happy to point out specific details that casual visitors might otherwise walk past.
Who This Is Not For: Anyone expecting a sparse or minimalist space will be pleasantly surprised. This is not an empty tower with a good view.
It is a layered, art-filled interior with genuine historical texture on every surface.
Insider Tip: Ask the on-site guide to walk you through the artwork and memorial plaques. The context they provide transforms a visually interesting stop into something that genuinely sticks with you long after you drive back down the mountain.
Final Verdict: A Colorado Stop Worth Rearranging Your Day For
The Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun earns its near-perfect rating not through spectacle alone but through the combination of history, music, art, and elevation that almost no other single stop in Colorado Springs can match. The chimes play every 15 minutes.
The views stretch to Pikes Peak. The story behind the building is genuinely moving.
And the whole thing costs nothing beyond a zoo ticket most visitors already have.
Families find it manageable with older children who can handle 94 steps. Couples find it unexpectedly romantic, especially on a quiet weekday when the mountain feels almost private.
Solo visitors tend to linger longer than planned, which is usually the best sign a place has earned its reputation honestly.
Key Takeaways: Open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 AM to 4 PM. Accessible via the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo road.
Included with zoo admission, valid for 13 days. Ninety-four steps to the top, with resting landings at each level.
Chimes play every 15 minutes, with a longer song at noon.
Planning Advice: Call ahead at 719-578-5367 or check elpomar.org if you have accessibility questions. The first floor is navigable with mobility aids, though the upper levels involve stairs only.