Aspen has the widest array of arts, educational and cultural events in the state (and probably the entire west). The city offers an eclectic life style appealing to a wide variety of people from the most physically active to those seeking to enjoy the cultural arts and intellectual pursuits.
Ever since Walter and Margaret Paepke discovered Aspen in the post-war 1940's, the Aspen ethic of "healthy mind, healthy body" has proven an irresistable attraction to many of the greatest talents of the twentieth (and twenty-first) century. It's often said that visitors "come for the winters, and stay for the summers," and many of them become eager year-round residents. No wonder, then, that Aspen is America's best-known mountain resort town.
First-time visitors to Aspen can help plan their trips far in advance by visiting the website
for the Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) website. Click here to get there!
Aspen Music Festival & School - The great granddaddy of the Aspen cultural scene, the Aspen Music Festival and School is one of the world's very best summer music experiences, featuring internationally-renowned conductors and musicians, performing right alongside music students destined to be the stars of tomorrow. AMF's Opera Theatre offerings take place at the Wheeler, as well as on the AMF campus.
Jazz Aspen Snowmass - This acclaimed summer school for jazz players at all levels also features a weekend-long jazz festival in June in Aspen, as well as one of the premier summer weekend jazz and rock festivals in Snowmass over Labor Day weekend.
Aspen Film (formerly Aspen FilmFest) - An international showcase of short-film, comedies, dramas, documentaries, and animation. Aspen Film's festival of internationally-acclaimed feature films takes place in September, while Shorts Fest takes place in April. Call 970/925-6882 for more information.
Theatre Aspen - Now experiencing a period of rapid growth, Theatre Aspen currently features professional talent performing a repertoire of plays in a state-of-the-art theatre tent in Rio Grande Park during the summer months.
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet - One of the nation's most exciting dance companies, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet features a summer season of modern classics by such choreographers as Lar Lubavitch and Moses Pendleton as well as selections from classical repertory.
The Crystal Palace Theater Restaurant, located at 300 E. Hyman Avenue in downtown Aspen, has for almost half a century provided some of the finest, wittiest, laugh-out-loud cabaret theatre to be found anywhere. A true Aspen original, from the fine food and drink to send-ups of politicos and celebrities that you'll want to hear again and again. For more information, call 970/925-1455.
Wheeler Film Society - All screenings take place at the Wheeler Opera House at 320 E. Hyman Avenue, downtown Aspen.
Isis Theater - Five screens, located at 406 E. Hopkins Ave. in downtown Aspen. For latest showings, call 970/925-7584.
Movieland Cinemas - Located off Hwy 82 in El Jebel - approximately 20 miles from Aspen. For latest showings, call 970/920-1300.
Thunder River Theatre Company - a year-round professional theatre and their new theatre is a great place to see concerts, and performing arts of all kinds. Located in Carbondale, it is home to the Valley's fastest-growing arts scene and well worth a visit. 970-963-8200
Anderson Ranch Arts Center - Nationally known arts center, featuring exhibits, workshops, and lectures. For more information, call 970.923.3181.
Aspen Art Museum - Featuring changing exhibitions with a special emphasis on contemporary art and offering year-round programs. For more information, call 970.925.8050.
Other great Aspen-area arts groups include:
Aspen Writer's Foundation
Aspen Community Theater
Aspen Choral Society
Aspen Stage on the Air
Redbrick Council for the Arts
Colorado Mountain College Center for Excellence in the Arts
Grassroots Television, Inc
Grassroots Aspen Experience
Aspen is about much more than world-class skiing and cultural performance events. Since the 1940's, Aspen has been a welcoming second home for some of the most extraordinary scientific, political, and socially-conscious minds in the world. You can still find them here year-round through many of Aspen's humanities groups, including:
The Aspen Institute
The Aspen Center for Physics
Aspen Historical Society
The Given Institute of the University of Colorado
International Design Conference
Aspen Center for Environmental Studies
Aspen Global Change Institute
Aspen Wilderness Workshop
CORE
Independence Pass Foundation
Rocky Mountain Institute
White River Interpretive Association
