There’s perhaps no better spot in Colorado to take an art tour via your bike than Fort Collins. The Choice City is a Platinum-rated Bicycle Friendly Community and maintains more than 200 miles of dedicated bike lanes and 50 miles of marked or signed bike routes. What’s even better is the city is home to a plethora of public art, from colorful pianos awaiting passersby nimble fingers to sculptures, murals, and even play structures that double as art. Explore and learn about Fort Collins’ family-friendly bikeways, parks, natural areas, neighborhoods, and public art by visiting some of the impressive art displays detailed below. Make it a game and download your very own Bikeway Bingo cards.
If you need a bike for your adventure, check to see if your hotel offers cruiser or e-bikes for guest use (yes, some do!) or consider renting a bike from:
• Gearage, a used outdoor gear and bike shop near Old Town Square in Downtown Fort Collins;
• Recycled Cycles, which features two locations in Fort Collins;
• Pedego, an e-bike store that offers by-the-hour rental;
• Or Spin, a e-bike and e-scooter share program.
Don’t forget to download bike maps for your adventure!
12 art installations to bike to in Fort Collins
“Western Snowberry Patch” by Lisa Cameron Russell
Installed in 2021, this three-paneled metal sculpture by Fort Collins artist Lisa Cameron Russell is inspired by shapes that celebrate the native vegetation seen throughout the gardens in City Park. See it near the restrooms in City Park.
“In Praise of the Poudre” by Andrew Dufford, Chevo Studios
Four undulating granite columns feature relief carvings of the plants, animals, insects and landforms found around, within and below the Cache la Poudre River. Together, these columns celebrate the elements of a healthy river ecosystem
“FLOW” by Jill MacKay
The blue sky and clouds are reflected in this grouping of boulders that feature a mirror mosaic. At the base of the boulders are photo luminescent stones embedded in flows like water toward the creek, illustrating the source and movement of water.
"Watershed Stones” by Richard Hansen
With only 15 inches of rainfall annually, treated water is a carefully manufactured supply that arrives only after completing the continuum illustrated in this environmental art piece. Using local materials Hansen’s use of water utilizes low flows…
“Gravity Course” by Joe McGrane
This interactive public artwork includes a Map Stone, which illustrates how stormwater travels through the neighborhood drain system and into the pond area. The map is activated by pouring water over the stone where it can flow into the basin.
"Sugar Beet Play Structure” by Mario Miguel Echevarria
This iconic beet-shaped play structure pays homage to the park's location, near the historic site of the Great Western Sugar Factory, where sugar beets were processed.
“Watermelon Slices” by Christopher Weed
An ode to Fort Collins’ farming history, these two larger-than-life steel pieces invite you to touch them and interact with them.
“Whitewater” by John Davis
Located in the overlook plaza on the river's south bank, this curving “wave” shaped structure mimics the waves of water in the rapids of the Cache la Poudre River below.
"Mountain Openings” by Robert Tully
Inspired by sandstone cliffs in the valley where Highway 14 (part of the Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway) splits from 287, artist Robert Tully made these towering sculptures using 140 tons of local sandstone combined with metal accents. The…
“Secret Garden” by Gunnar Anderson
This sculpture, which feels like a tree straight out of a Dr. Seuss story, is located at Westfield Park. The artist hoped it would inspire introspection on the part of the viewer.
Soup Can painted by Bruce Conway under the direction of Andy Warhol
Yes, the king of pop art, Andy Warhol, really did sign this giant Tomato Soup can when he visited the CSU campus in 1981. In fact, he signed three soup cans, all created in collaboration with Warhol for the visit, though only one is on display today.
“Triptych Wave Form” by James Lynxwiler
Reflecting light and movement, this series of three stainless steel sculptures embody a sense of water through vertical waveforms to create a focal point at the small on-site lake at the park.
Photos provided by the City of Fort Collins