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Shrine of the Sun
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Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun
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| Location: | 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd., Colorado Springs, Colorado |
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| Area: | 1.3 acres (0.53 ha) |
| Architect: | Thomas, Charles E.; Davey, Randall |
| Architectural style: | Early Republic, Romanesque |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: |
94001229 [1] |
| Added to NRHP: | November 03, 1994 |
Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, also known as Will Rogers Shrine or 5EP2175, is the tomb which holds the ashes of Spencer Penrose (1865–1939), a philanthropist who contributed many of the most prominent landmarks in Colorado Springs, including the neighboring Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Broadmoor Hotel. Completed by Penrose in 1937, it takes the form of an 80-foot observation tower on the side of Cheyenne Mountain. It overlooks the Broadmoor Hotel, and from the tower one can see the entire Colorado Springs metropolitan area and Garden of the Gods.
Persuaded not to name the structure after himself, Penrose instead named it in honor of his friend, Will Rogers, the American humorist who died in a plane crash in Alaska in 1935, during construction of the tomb.
The shrine is open, weather permitting, every day of the year except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. The price of admission is included in the cost of tickets to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.[1]
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