GATEWAY
VISITOR CENTER
1491 Argentine Street,
Georgetown CO
(303) 569-2405
At-a-Glance
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Location:
Exit 228 - Interstate 70. The Visitor Center is the first right before the traffic circle.
Hours:
9 am - 5 pm M-F.
Hours may be affected by federal holidays.
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Restrooms:
6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Gift Shop and Information Center
9 a.m. to 5p.m. daily.
Real time traffic information from CDOT monitors, access to COTrip website for travelers, and travel and local information services, along with a curated selection of souvenirs and collectibles.
Picnic area.
Dog walk.
Please note that overnight parking is not permitted.
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Altitude:
Altitude can have pronounced negative effects on some individuals. These effects can be mitigated by ascending slowly, limiting alcohol intake, and staying hydrated.
Clothing and Attire:
Georgetown tends to be significantly cooler than Denver all year long. Weather can also make quick, dramatic changes. Keep this in mind when packing, especially if you intend to venture out into nature.
SPF Protection:
The amount of UV rays that reach the Earth’s surface increase with altitude. Georgetown is 8,530 ft. in elevation, so be sure to pack strong sunscreen while visiting.
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Regardless of the season, road conditions are subject to frequent change due to weather or traffic.. We strongly advise visitors to check current road conditions using COTrip when making travel plans.
https://cotrip.org/home.htm
The I-70 Floyd Hill Project
The I-70 Floyd Hill Project will improve eight miles of the I-70 mountain corridor, from west of Evergreen to eastern Idaho Springs. The Project will deliver a third westbound I-70 travel lane, which will function as an Express Lane, to improve the current two-lane bottleneck. Other major elements include constructing a missing two-mile section of the frontage road between Evergreen and Idaho Springs, building an eastbound I-70 extended on-ramp for slow-moving vehicles, improving traffic flow and access at interchanges and intersections within the project limits, improving sight distance on roadway curves, improving the Clear Creek Greenway trail, and implementing environmental mitigation to create safer wildlife movements and improve air and water quality, stream conditions and recreation.
Construction began in July 2023 and is expected to conclude in late 2028.
A Private/Public Partnership
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Georgetown Trust joined forces to create a mutually beneficial facility: the Georgetown Gateway Visitor Center. The Trust had operated a small Visitor Center at this location at 1491 Argentine Street since 1996 in order to provide information about, and interpretation of the Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District.
Following the close of restrooms at the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels in 2001, CDOT required a new location for those services. The Gateway Visitor Center, constructed in 2003, was jointly financed by the partners, both of whom continue to support the project.
The response has been staggering! In the past 11 years, the Visitor Center has welcomed 3,955,338 visitors on the I-70 Mountain Corridor.
We are open 365 days a year and have not missed a single day in those years.
Restroom hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Information services and gift shop are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Visitor Center is staffed by paid staff and volunteers during all information service hours.
Stop at the Visitor Center for real-time traffic information from CDOT monitors, access to COTrip website for travelers, and travel and local information services. Also, learn about and celebrate the National Historic Landmark District through interpretive displays and films.
There is a picnic area, dog walk, and gift shop on-site for visitors to enjoy.
