Morrison, Colorado, known as Colorado's "Nearest Faraway Place," is located just a few hundred feet from one of Colorado's busiest highways, C470. It is famous today for being the closest town to Red Rocks, the famous outdoor amphitheater.
The idea for building the town began in 1872, when the Denver and South Park Railway was formed. The town was officially founded in 1874.
Hoping to benefit from the new railroad, a Scottish stonecutter named George Morrison moved his family from their home in nearby Mt. Vernon Canyon to the area that would eventually become Morrison in 1873.
Besides the railroad, which was eventually abandoned in 1933 after floods destroyed much of the area, the site was also near Bear Creek. This creek provided a way for gold miners to get themselves and their supplies to the gold mines just west of the Morrison area.
The Morrison family played a role in Morrison history for several generations. George's son Tom served as the town's first mayor. His grandson Pete was a silent movie star who returned to the area to live following the end of his career in the late 1920s.
The National Register of Historic Places includes over 70 structures or sites in the Morrison area. Many buildings date back to the time of the town's founding in 1874. Among these historic locations is the original home that George Morrison moved his family into in 1874, which is now operated as the Cliff House hotel.
