My husband and I recently participated in an Atlas Obscura event to get a peek inside the Wonder View Tower in Genoa, Colorado. I'd actually never heard of this place before a friend sent me a link for the AO tour event only days prior to the meet-up. Needless to say, I was hooked and immediately bought tickets.
The Wonder View Tower (and accompanying gas station, cafe, motel, and museum) was built in the 1920s as a tourist stop on Highway 24 (prior to the implementation of the US Interstate system), and was touted as the highest point between the Rockies and New York. The owners claimed visitors could see 6 states from the top of the tower (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, New Mexico, and South Dakota), though this has never actually been proven (nor disproven).
The tower changed hands several times before landing in the hands of a Mr. Chubbuck, and his family in the 1960s. Chubbock was a bit of a collector (read: probably hoarder), who spent decades filling this odd building to the brim with collections and oddities, making it a truly bizarre and unique place. He unfortunately passed away in 2013 and many of the most valuable things in this place were auctioned off. The building is also in complete disrepair and in some places, seems ready to collapse under the weight of nearly a century of time.
Luckily, Patricia Calhoun, co-founder and editor of Denver's Westword newspaper recently purchased the property with several friends and they have plans to restore this one-of-a-kind Colorado treasure.
To read more about the Wonder View Tower, click any of the below links:
New Owners Have High Hopes for the World's Wonder View Tower
See 6 states! Pickled freaks! Rocks! Antiques!
World’s Wonder View Tower Has A Vision For The Future
Making the ‘Wonder Tower’ wonderful again
World’s View Wonder Tower
