The picturesque town of Morrison, Colorado, is located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains just west of Denver. Its quaint shops, historic buildings, and spectacular geological formations draw visitors from all over the world. In 1865, Canadian stone mason George Morrison purchased 320 acres and started a mill for grinding gypsum south of the Red Rocks at Bear Creek. He was attracted by the beauty of the area as a potential town-site and by the proximity of Bear Creek which today provides water for Morrison, Denver and nearby towns. In 1874, he filed a plat for the town and in 1906, sixty-nine voters approved incorporation of the Town.

Morrison, originally named Mt. Morrison, got its start in 1872 when a group of Denver businessmen incorporated the Denver and South Park Railway. The railroad was completed in 1874 and ran until 1925. It was eventually abandoned after the floods of 1933. However, during its life, the railroad was the town’s lifeblood. It carried stone and other products of Morrison’s quarries into Denver, brought tourists to the town and nearby Red Rocks Park and made Morrison a supply center for growing communities in the canyons and mountains to the west.

Morrison is home to 70 historical sites ranging from Railroad Station (1873) and Morrison School House (1875) to the Cliff House Lodge (1873), Morrison Cemetery (1868) and the Dinosaur Quarry Site. The first important dinosaur discoveries in the American west were made here in 1877 at nearby Dinosaur Ridge.

Morrison retains its historical roots, while providing visitors and residents with open-space parks, the Natural History Museum, scenic rock outcroppings, many fine restaurants, and concerts at the magnificent Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Consider making Morrison your hometown too with its homes ranging from classic western architecture, rural equestrian sites to newer mountain contemporaries. Morrison offers affordable home prices with an easy commute to the downtown Denver and the Denver Tech Center.