Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun
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Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun
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| Location | 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado |
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| Coordinates | 38°46′20″N 104°51′44″W / 38.77222°N 104.86222°WCoordinates: 38°46′20″N 104°51′44″W / 38.77222°N 104.86222°W |
| Area | 1.3 acres (0.53 ha) |
| Architect | Charles E. Thomas, Randall Davey |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP Reference # | 94001229 |
| CSRHP # | 5EP.2175 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 3, 1994 |
| Designated CSRHP | November 3, 1994 |
Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, also known as Will Rogers Shrine, is a commemorative tower and chapel on Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is named for Will Rogers, the American humorist, who died in a plane crash in Alaska in 1935 during construction of the shrine. It is also a tomb for the remains of Spencer Penrose – who built many of the city's prominent properties, including the neighboring Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and The Broadmoor resort – and his wife Julie. Completed by Penrose in 1937, the shrine is a 100 feet (30 m), five story observation tower that overlooks The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, and Garden of the Gods.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 for its artistic and architectural qualities.
The Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun is located at 8,136 feet (2,480 m) in elevation. It is about 1,500 feet (460 m) in elevation above Colorado Springs, and is also above the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on the side of Cheyenne Mountain. Views of the Rampart Range, Colorado Springs, and the plains can be seen from the site on a promontory on the mountain, which is accessed via the Cheyenne Mountain Highway. The road to the shrine is restricted at the toll gate to individuals who have purchased Cheyenne Mountain Zoo tickets.
The five-story commemorative monument and an adjoining one-story building with the chapel was designed by local architect, Charles E. Thomas, who was hired by Julie and Spencer Penrose, the philanthropist and developer who built The Broadmoor resort and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The monument is made of Romanesque Revival architecture with buttresses, an ornately decorated iron and brass door, and narrow leaded windows. It is 100 feet (30 m) tall. The shrine is partly named for the views of the rising and setting sun. Will Rogers, who died in 1935 in an airplane crash, is memorialized in images of his life displayed throughout the interior of the monument and in the name of the shrine. The shrine is also a memorial to the lives of Julie and Spencer Penrose, whose tombs are in the monuments lower level. The Pikes Peak Region's history is depicted in a 340 square feet (32 m2) mural by Randall Davey, an artist from Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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