The town of Niwot stays true to its identity with locally-owned stores instead of big-box stores and free library stands instead of a gas station at every corner. Friendly, artful and locally loved, Niwot is the weekend getaway you didn’t know you needed.
Nestled amongst the views of the Front Range and Boulder’s distinctive Flat Irons, Niwot shines with a quaint downtown filled with art, music, shops, restaurants, a relaxing inn and spa, plus year-round signature events that keep people coming back year after year.
Where To Stay
Niwot Inn and Spa
Where: 342 2nd Ave. Niwot
The Lowdown: Begin your weekend by checking in to the Niwot Inn and Spa. The fully female-owned and operated inn is by far the best place to stay in town. Designed with relaxation and rejuvenation in mind, the Niwot Inn and Spa infuses luxurious surroundings and accommodations with personalized spa treatments. In-house spa treatments including deep tissue and Swedish massages, plus facials and more. All are available for booking during your stay.
Choose from 13 rooms, each designed with custom furniture and plush surroundings, plus exceptional amenities including stone fireplaces, spa steam showers and jetted Jacuzzi tubs. Beyond your room, enjoy a morning breakfast in the dining room or a wine and cheese happy hour. As an added bonus, you’ll conveniently be located within walking distance to almost everything in town.
Where To Eat
1914 House
Where: 121 2nd Avenue Niwot
The Lowdown: There are several choices in town for food, but why not kick off the evening with Niwot’s latest restaurant, the 1914 House? Focused on sustainably grown, high-quality local ingredients, the contemporary restaurant dishes out classic American cuisine and crafty cocktails. Dine inside or outside on the large patio with a fire pit and plenty of ambiance.
The menu offers everything from grilled ribeye and fried chicken to pecan-crusted trout and sea scallops. And for those who only eat vegetables, there are delicious vegetarian options like sweet potato and poblano enchiladas. Top it all off with one of their flavored margaritas or fanciful cocktails like their strawberry New York Sour.
Tip: After dinner walk next door to the Wheel House for a drink and live music.
Things To Do in Niwot
Self-guided Walking Tour of the Niwot Historic District
Where: 2nd Avenue, Niwot
The Lowdown: Niwot, which means “left hand” in Arapaho, was named after Chief Niwot, an Arapaho leader whose people were the first to arrive in the area before miners came in 1858. The town was first established in 1875, two years after the Colorado Central Railroad extended its tracks from Boulder. Today, much of what was built in the early 1900s still stands and can be seen along the town’s walking tour.
Take the self-guided walking tour along Second Avenue and see historical buildings such as the original drug store built in 1909 that later became the newspaper office for the Niwot Tribune. While the paper no longer runs, the sign still stands, and there are plans to convert the building into a bookstore. Another notable stop is at 195-A Second Avenue, the town’s old firehouse. Built in 1910, the structure has since moved from its original location and is preserved by the Niwot Historical Society.
Shopping
Where: 2nd Avenue, Niwot
The Lowdown: Second Avenue features a variety of art galleries, antique stores and locally-owned shops, perfect for a little retail therapy. From the Few of a Kind Mercantile store selling fancy soaps and unique cocktail elixirs to the antique shops loaded with buried treasures and colorful art galleries filled with work from local artists, there is enough to keep you window shopping for hours.
Art
Where: Community Sculpture Park, located at the West corner of Niwot Rd. and N. 79th St.
The Lowdown: You don’t have to step inside an art gallery to admire artwork in NiWot. Simply walk outside and take a stroll downtown or over to the sculpture park. Discover a variety of sculptures and art pieces designed and created by local artists. The most noticeable are the multiple sculptures in the shape of a left hand. Drawing on the translation of the town’s name, NiWot is home to the Left Hand Chairs Project. In 2013, local artists gathered to turn the concrete hand structures into works of art for all to enjoy. From eyeballs to pearls, frogs and fairies, little birds and sweet treats, these creations are clever, fun and uniquely Niwot!
Events
The Lowdown: Throughout the year, the town of Niwot hosts a variety of annual events. One of their most popular is the summer concert series, Rock and Rails. The event kicks off with a happy hour in the park with drink specials and opening music, followed by the headlining band. Held at Whistle Stop Park, the concert series takes place every Thursday evening, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. June through August.
Other events to mark your calendars for include the Why Not Niwot? juried art show, Lobsterfest, the Niwot Jazz Festival, First Friday art walks and a variety of holiday events.
Niwot is roughly 50 minutes north of Denver, 18 minutes northeast of Boulder.
I live in Niwot. The next time you are in Niwot , I suggest you visit the rest of it, i.e., Cottonwood Square which has a Tavern, a Brew Pub, a Market, Mexican restaurant, chinese restaurant several shops and even a Marijuana Dispensary