Historic Gem for Family Gatherings and Retreats
✦ 8BR/5BA Arts & Crafts-era gem sleeps 18 (16 included in pricing)
✦ 8-10 person hot tub
✦ 250 MBPS Internet
✦ stunning mountain views from expansive patios, balconies, + decks
✦ fully equipped kitchen, w/ catering + private chef recs
✦ Intimate events permitted (approval & $975 fee)
✦ .5 mile walk to downtown Manitou Springs + Garden of the Gods
✦ located on a private compound
The space
The Onaledge house is a historic private mansion built in 1912. Perched in the geographical center of Manitou Springs, Colorado, easily accessible to and just 10 minutes from downtown Colorado Springs and 1.5 hours from Denver International Airport, Onaledge has been carefully preserved and retrofitted with modern amenities, but maintains the old-world charm and beauty. Step back in time - Explore the Ledges.
Onaledge is one of three houses located on the campus operated by the Smokebrush Foundation for the Arts, a non-profit organization that produces and presents innovative arts experiences that foster creativity and collaboration in the Southern Colorado community. The Foundation also operates Smokebrush Farm, a biodynamic farm which maintains Onaledge's grounds and grows food and rears animals throughout the campus.
Onaledge House and Rockledge House have hosted dozens of families and groups from all over the world. The distinctive environment is conducive to retreats, intimate events, and other gatherings. Scores of Yoga, spirituality, health & wellness, permaculture / biodynamic farming, men's, women's and other holistically-oriented groups have selected Onaledge as their special haven and meeting place.
Events. For gatherings and events of 50 or more people, we recommend you contact the separately owned Craftwood Inn next door to Onaledge , which is a professional, full-service wedding and other events venue.
The Onaledge house itself is a nationally recognized Arts and Craft era architectural masterpiece. Onaledge's Tudor-style exterior was made from Manitou Greenstone and stucco. Its first-floor interior features large, wood-floored rooms, stone hearths, decorative metal features, cathedral ceilings, and wooden trusses that line the ceiling in visually satisfying arches. Multiple stone patios and decking partially surround the lodge on three sides, along with fantastic views of the Rocky Mountains and surrounding tree-, rock- and ledge-scapes, making Onaledge an ideal space for family and other group gatherings and for intimate events. Read below for more information on special events at Onaledge.
Accommodations at Onaledge include two-bedroom/one-bath suites (3) and one-bedroom/one-bath rooms (2). Rooms are large but old-world cozy, and can sleep 20 guests, depending on the guests' desired configuration. Ask about changing the setup - fees involved. Guests May Not Move any Furniture.
Kitchen and Dining: Onaledge has a commercial Viking stove (with 2 ovens!) and a Stainless side-by-side fridge. There is a kitchen island, with plenty of pots, pans, and cooking utensils. There is also a separate buffet room for serving before one enters the dining room, fully stocked with coffee maker, coffee, tea, dishware, and silverware for 20. The dining room has a main table that seats 10, a round table for 4, and an ovular table with seating for 6-8. Families and groups also have the opportunity to dine outside on the stone porches and wood decks that wrap around three-quarters of the building. The wrap-around porches and deck are full of round tables and chairs, and the front porch has an outdoor ovular table for 2 overlooking the front and full mountain views.
Bathrooms: Onaledge has 5 spacious bathrooms, with plush towels and hotel-style toiletries provided. Two of the bathrooms have bidets. Four of the bathrooms have tubs, and all have showers.
The North exterior of Onaledge House features a large entertaining deck with tables, chairs, and a 10-person hot tub, all overlooking several magnificent greenstone terraces built during the 1930s (reportedly at a cost of over $1M) to line the grounds' North ridge. These terraces are ringed by steps we playfully refer to as "the Manitou InnClimb", which is Onaledge's mini-version of the famous Manitou Incline. Unlike the Manitou Incline, though, the InnClimb is a private venue. Do the Manitou InnClimb loop 17 times, and you will have hiked the Manitou Incline equivalent, right in your backyard! The terraces are also a great place to host a wedding or other event.
Back deck and Hot Tub. Onaledge's back deck is accessible via the buffet room, just off the kitchen and dining room. The deck normally seats 20 guests and contains a hot tub that seats 8-10. Try the Wide Open Patio on the back Ledge as well!
Guest access
Guests have exclusive access to the entire Onaledge House (3 floors) except the unoccupied basement/workshop. Guests have exclusive access to the stone and wooden decking around the house and have exclusive use of the hot tub. Guests may also access the outer gardens in front of the house and the terraces and steps ("the Manitou Inn Climb") behind the home, though their access to these is not exclusive as staff may be working in those areas of the grounds during guests' stay. Guests can also anticipate staff visits to the basement of the house (via a separate, outdoor entrance) to pick up trash and to handle other routine or emergency maintenance matters.
Guests should not wander behind the East to Rockledge House unless they are visiting other guests in their party who are staying there or attending Smokebrush Foundation programs or activities occurring there. Guests should not go beyond the West chainlink fence boundaries of the property to the Craftwood Inn without the Inn's permission. Guests may not venture beyond the property line at the top of the Manitou Inn Climb/Terraces and to the West as this is private property. Guests may visit the animal enclosure area North and East of the Inn Climb (via the steps) anytime; however, please do not enter the animals' enclosures.
Other things to note
Events, including Weddings: Onaledge House, is not a full event venue. We can host retreats, small events, and intimate weddings on the grounds and at the neighboring Rockledge House building for an additional fee, which varies depending on event size, space needs, etc. For weddings over 50 people, we recommend you contact the Craftwood Inn, a full-service wedding venue next door to OnaledgeHouse. note that The Craftwood Inn does not provide lodging.
As guests of the Onaledge House have the house and its immediate grounds all to themselves. However, Onaledge guests can sign up to participate in Smokebrush programs through the Foundation's website. Guests can also walk just a few steps past the top of the Manitou Inn Climb to meet the farm's tortoise, pigs, goats, and chickens while taking in surrounding vistas. Additional private accommodations for individuals and couples are available at the Smokebrush Foundation's Rockledge House, which is located adjacent to Onaledge grounds on the Smokebrush campus. See our Airbnb profile page on Airbnb for details.
