Castle Rock has always dominated the Golden landscape. According to Cathleen
Norman's excellent Golden walking tour guide, Golden Old and New,
As soon as
the streetcar reached Golden from Denver in the
1890s, local entrepreneurs offered attractions such
as burro rides up Castle Rock, the picturesque
basalt rock landmark that rears its head behind the
East Golden Area....
The burro rides
were followed in 1913 by a "funicular railway," which
carried passengers to a "tea-room, dancehall pavilion,
casino, and observatory" built by area businessman
Charles Quaintance. The railway ceased operations in
the mid-1920s, the dancehall burned in 1927, and the
land has stood empty since then.
Golden Old and
New is available through the museum's
book store!
