Castle Rock has always dominated the Golden landscape. According to Cathleen Norman's excellent Golden walking tour guide, Golden Old and New,
As soon as the streetcar reached Golden from Denver in the 1890s, local entrepreneurs offered attractions such as burro rides up Castle Rock, the picturesque basalt rock landmark that rears its head behind the East Golden Area....
The burro rides were followed in 1913 by a "funicular railway," which carried passengers to a "tea-room, dancehall pavilion, casino, and observatory" built by area businessman Charles Quaintance. The railway ceased operations in the mid-1920s, the dancehall burned in 1927, and the land has stood empty since then.
Golden Old and New is available through the museum's book store!
