Florissant, Colorado
![A statue of an elk in front of the Florissant Museum](a-colorado/teller-county/florissant001k.webp)
The Florissant Museum
Florissant was founded as a mining camp back in the Pike's Peak Gold Rush days (1859). Sometime after all that hubbub died down a bit, the fossil beds were discovered a few miles south of town at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. The first settlers in Florissant came from Florissant, Missouri, hence the name.
I had no idea what to expect when I drove into town so I wasn't disappointed at all: there really isn't much of a town but the coffee shop/restaurant at the main intersection in town turned out to be excellent. The Pike's Peak Area Historical Museum just south of that same intersection was also really worth the time.
I came in on a Friday evening in early September and there was still substantial traffic headed west towards Fairplay and Breckenridge. Most of it just flew through Florissant so the few of us in the restaurant had a peaceful, quiet and very good meal with the whole place to ourselves.
![An excellent coffee shop and restaurant in Florissant](a-colorado/teller-county/florissant001g.webp)
An excellent coffee shop and restaurant in Florissant
![The Thunderbird Inn is what one sign says, the other signs all advertise beer](a-colorado/teller-county/florissant001a.webp)
On the highway in Florissant
![A restaurant and gun shop in Florissant](a-colorado/teller-county/florissant001b.webp)
The gun shop was busy but the restaurant was busier...
![A trinket shop on the highway in Florissant](a-colorado/teller-county/florissant001d.webp)
I didn't go into this shop, it wasn't open this particular Friday evening
![The office mall in Florissant](a-colorado/teller-county/florissant001e.webp)
The main office mall in Florissant
![The bank and the county human services office in Florissant](a-colorado/teller-county/florissant001i.webp)
The local bank, and I think the county human services office
Fast Facts about Florissant, Colorado
Formally Established: 1870
Elevation: 8,200'
Longitude: 105.2897°W
Teller County Related Pages
Cripple Creek - Florissant - Green Mountain FallsVictor - Woodland Park - Teller County
Gold Belt Scenic Byway - Mueller State Park
Pike National Forest - Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument