Started in 1899 by Artus Van Briggle and world renowned for art nouveau styles with a silky matte glaze, the gallery Van Briggle Pottery (www.vanbriggle.com) has distinctive pottery pieces in the permanent collections at the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The studio has continued to produce classic Van Briggle pottery and new original works, including decorative tile.

At the time of this writing, the gallery was planning to move the 109-year-old business to a new location. Visit the website to find out the new location and whether they will continue to offer tours and on-site shopping.

Just northwest of downtown is historic Old Colorado City (24th through 27th Sts. along West Colorado Ave., www.shopoldcoloradocity.com), which was a town during the early gold rush days before Colorado Springs was developed. Now it’s a few blocks of specialty shops, art galleries, and antique stores mixed in with some restaurants and bars. To schedule a tour, call 719/302-2962 or visit www.old-colorado-city.com.