Rich with history and innovative design, Boulder is home to many architecturally impressive buildings. 

1. Mesa Laboratory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research

Designed by architect I.M. Pei in 1961, the plans for the National Center for Atmospheric Research took inspiration from the history of Colorado and cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, with a modern perspective. The facility is split into separate “villages,” and is one of the designs that helped launch Pei’s career, which includes an expansive portfolio, including work on the Louvre.

Credit: Leonard Segel

2. Carnegie Library for Local History

Inspired by Greek architecture, the Carnegie Library for Local History was built in 1906. It remains a vital resource for Colorado history, and is located on Pine St. and Broadway in downtown Boulder. 

Credit: Lauren Walters

3. Chautauqua Auditorium

As a part of the original Boulder Chautauqua development, the auditorium opened to the public on July 4, 1898. Used as a space for concerts, shows and events, the venue has hosted a wide range of artists including Ziggy Marley, Amos Lee and Joan Baez.

Photo courtesy Colorado Chautauqua

4. Williams Village Towers

Originally completed in 1969, Williams Village has since grown to include newer buildings to provide more student housing opportunities. Stearns Tower stands out as one of the tallest buildings in Boulder, with stunning city views from a library located on the top floor. 

Credit: Carnegie Library for Local History/Museum of Boulder Collection

5. Harbeck-Bergheim House

The Harbeck-Bergheim House on 12th St. and Euclid Ave. most recently served as the Museum of Boulder prior to its relocation in 2018. Its said that while the building served as a personal residence, the top floor was used as a rollerskating rink. The space is now used by Women’s Wilderness, who occupies a quarter of the building and sublets to other groups focused on social and environmental justice issues. 

Credit: Lauren Walters

6. The Academy Nursing Home

Built in 1892 and located on Lincoln Pl. and Aurora Ave., The Academy Boulder was originally a Catholic boarding school for women. The building itself features Richardsonian Romanesque architectural details and has since undergone renovations. It is now a senior living community. 

Credit: Lauren Walters

7. Spruce Street Mansion

Believed to be one of the oldest standing buildings in Boulder, this historic mansion located on 11th St. and Spruce St. is now used as office space for the Community Foundation Boulder County, a local nonprofit organization.

Credit: Lauren Walters

8. Hotel Boulderado

Hotel Boulderado was the first luxury hotel in Boulder, after it opened to guests on New Year’s Day in 1909. To commemorate the rich history of the hotel, a grand ball is thrown each year on New Year’s Eve. 

Credit: Lauren Walters

9. Old Main

Constructed in 1876, Old Main was the first building built on the CU Boulder campus, and was the only building used by the university until 1884. While the campus has continued to expand, the building is still used for classes, office space and museum exhibits, such as the LEGO model of the campus. A restoration begin on the building in early 2024. 

Credit: Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado

10. Boulder Public Library

The Main Library was built in 1961 by architect James Hunter, who also designed several other prominent buildings in Boulder, including the Boulder Medical Center and Boulder Municipal Building. The space features a coffee shop, access to the Boulder Creek and exhibit space in addition to its expansive library collection. 

Credit: City of Boulder

Off

In early spring, beautiful clouds line the bright blue sky over campus. Surrounded by the Flatirons, these campus buildings embody a romantic Italianate style with red tile roofing, a style popular in the Mediterranean. Sandstone for the building walls is gathered locally from Front Range quarries.

Photo by Jacob McKinney

Off

If you search CU Boulder’s social tag, , on Twitter, you’re guaranteed beautiful photos of campus from CU scientist Tomoko Borsa. Borsa is the facility manager of the university’s COSINC facility, which houses sensitive and high-performance instruments, ranging from scanning electron microscopes to atomic force microscopes. 

Borsa, who is from Tokyo, is drawn to CU Boulder’s open and dynamic atmosphere, she said. Her favorite spot on campus is the giant field by the Leeds School of Business, on the east end of main campus.

  Submit feedback to the editor

Photos courtesy Tomoko Borsa

Related Articles

The CU Boulder campus nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills and front range. (Photo by Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado)

From miles away at an overlook in Longmont, CU Boulder’s signature red clay tile roofs — which cover at least half of CU’s 3 million square feet of rooftop — are prominent against the mountainous landscape. Behind campus, the sun shines on the front range of the Rocky Mountains. With views like this, it's no wonder National Geographic named Boulder the . 

Off

The long-awaited Rustandy Building held a virtual soft launch on Friday, Jan. 29. CU’s newest addition to campus connects the Koebel building, home of the Leeds School of Business, to the Engineering Center. The Leeds School of Business wrote that the building “represents a new era of collaboration and innovation at the CU Boulder campus” and that it serves to break down “traditional disciplinary boundaries in order to actively foster crossfunctional competencies in our students.” The building is named for Leeds alumnus Tandean Rustandy (Fin’87), founder and CEO of PT Arwana Citramulia Tbk, and one of Indonesia’s top businessmen. Learn more about the new building or register for the soft opening.

(Photo by Brad Haynes)

Off

As the semester closes and students get ready for winter break, temperatures in Boulder are cooling down. The came earlier than usual this year on Sept. 8, with the yearly average being Oct. 16. This year marks the only September date of first snowfall since 2014. With sunny days in the forecast, many CU students and skiing enthusiasts hope for more snow to come.

Photo by Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado

Off

Year round, CU Boulder is alive with color. Its vibrant hues evoke nature, beauty and serenity — a deep maroon on a building’s roof, the brilliant gold of fall foliage, forest greens cloaking the campus pines. We want to know: When you think of CU Boulder, what colors come to mind?

Email us at editor@colorado.edu.

Photos by Casey A. Cass

Off

With the semester underway and students back on campus, here are some of the protections CU Boulder is implementing for faculty, staff and students:

1. Before the first day of class in August, everyone took a required online course about COVID-19 safety.

2. Each day before coming to campus, students, faculty and staff are required to fill out a daily health form.

3. The university course schedule includes remote and hybrid classes, reducing the number of students on campus at any given time.

4. is limited by requiring a school ID swipe before entering. 

5. Open air tents with tables and WiFi provide students with a workspace.

6. Portable HEPA filters were added to classrooms, as well as using outdoor ventilation.

7. Weekly COVID testing is provided to students living in residence halls.

8. At the front entrance of buildings, hand-sanitizing stations are provided and disinfecting wipes are in every classroom.

9. Frequently-touched surfaces like doorknobs and lightswitches are routinely disinfected. 

10.  Masks and social-distancing are mandatory on campus at all times.

For more information about CU's effort to combat COVID-19, check out the university's dashboard, updated daily Monday through Friday.

Off

After spending the summer updating campus for the pandemic, CU Boulder officially welcomed students for the fall semester Aug. 24. Classes are both online and in-person, allowing for fewer students on campus at any given time, and masks are required on campus. Tents throughout campus give students safe, distanced spaces to work on homework or attend online courses.

Find out more about CU Boulder's efforts regarding COVID-19 health and safety measures. 

Photo by Joshua Nelson

Off

With the summer heat peaking, it’s a wonder that CU Boulder’s lawns stay pristine. Here are 10 interesting facts about CU’s irrigation system which gets the job done:

1. CU has the largest centrally-controlled irrigation system west of the Mississippi River.

2. All told, campus has over 66,000 sprinkler heads.

3. The sprinklers are controlled via radio signal.

4. Almost all watering is done between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.

5. Over 80 percent of the water comes from Anderson Ditch, which runs along Broadway from Boulder Creek.

6. CU estimates it saves $440,000 annually from using ditch water instead of treated city water.

7. The irrigation system is able to adjust water usage based on information provided from three weather stations on campus.

8. The campus has seven ponds which hold a three-day back-up water supply.

9. Five pump stations, located throughout campus, provide pressure to the irrigation system.

10. There are three full-time irrigation technicians.

Off