Most date night ideas in Colorado Springs come down to the same three restaurants and whatever is playing. That is fine occasionally. It is also why the sixth one in a row starts to feel like an obligation.
So here is a list built around what you actually do together, sorted by when you are free. Some of these have a bar attached and some do not. None of them require one, which matters more than people admit, whether somebody is not drinking this month, is driving, or just does not want the evening to end at a table.
If you want the broader version of this list without the couples framing, things to do at night covers it.
Afternoon: Start Outside
A daytime date in this city is mostly a question of which direction you drive, and the ones worth repeating usually cost nothing.
North Cheyenne Cañon is the easy answer. The road runs up into the canyon from the southwest side of town, Helen Hunt Falls sits near the top with a short walk to a viewing bridge, and you can turn it into twenty minutes or three hours depending on how much you want to climb. It is free.
Seven Falls, at the Broadmoor, is the paid version with the stairs and the lit falls, and it is worth checking that it is open for the season before you drive out.
For something neither of you has done, the Paint Mines Interpretive Park is about 45 minutes east near Calhan. White and orange clay hoodoos, badlands terrain, nothing like the rest of the Front Range. It closes at dusk, there is no shade, and it is exposed to the wind, which in late fall is the whole story.
Afternoon Indoors, When the Weather Turns
When the forecast kills the hike, the two reliable indoor afternoons in this city are the zoo and Ivywild.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is built into the mountainside, so you are climbing either way. Feeding the giraffes is the thing everyone remembers, and the Mountaineer Sky Ride chairlift puts the whole city underneath you for a few minutes.
Ivywild School is an old elementary school turned into a block of food, drink and shops. You can make it a whole afternoon or just a stop for dessert and coffee, and it works whether or not anyone is drinking.
Evening: Pick Something You Have to Do Together
The evening dates that stick are the ones where you are both bad at something, because that is the part you talk about afterward.
The Millibo Art Theatre near Ivywild runs circus, improv, cabaret and theater in a small room, which means a show you will actually have opinions about instead of one you watch in silence.
Swing dance lessons in Old Colorado City are the high-risk, high-reward option. The Loft runs social dance nights with lessons, and published schedules disagree on which nights, so check before you plan around it.
If you want a loud one, indoor karting at Overdrive Raceway up in Northgate is competitive in the way that tells you something about a person. The Summit at Interquest is nearby for bowling, arcade and laser tag under one roof when you want to keep the night going.
In season, a Switchbacks match at Weidner Field downtown is a cheap night out, and the stadium is walkable to the rest of downtown afterward.
Late Night: Somewhere to Land
The hard part of a Colorado Springs date is not the plan, it is the hour after it. Most of this city closes earlier than people expect.
Our bar on North Academy is open until 2am every day and has no alcohol in it, which makes it a straightforward last stop whether you have been drinking or not. There are darts, a shelf of board games, a Switch usually hooked up to one of the TVs, Wi-Fi and outlets, and nobody rushing a table. Kava is 18 and up, and we do not serve it to anyone who is pregnant. Monday and Wednesday from 6 to 9 the kava is half off, which is on the specials page along with everything else running that week.
If you are still around at 1am, the whole room drinks a shell together, in 60 seconds or less. Hours, directions and what is on this week are on the Colorado Springs page.
Three Plans, Start to Finish
If you would rather not assemble one, take one of these.
The cheap one. North Cheyenne Cañon in the afternoon, Helen Hunt Falls and back. Pick up something to eat on the way back into town. Finish with board games somewhere open late. Total cost is gas and dinner.
The weather-proof one. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in the afternoon, giraffes and the chairlift. Dessert and coffee at Ivywild. A show at the Millibo if the night is right. All three are within a few minutes of each other on the south side.
The late one. Karting at Overdrive, then bowling or the arcade at Interquest, then down the hill for the 1am shell. This one runs until the city runs out, which it will before you do.
Whatever you pick, check hours first. Winter hours in Colorado Springs are shorter than summer hours almost everywhere, and more than one date night here has ended in a parking lot in front of a locked door.
Frequently asked questions
What are good date night ideas in Colorado Springs that do not involve drinking?
North Cheyenne Cañon and Helen Hunt Falls in the afternoon, the Paint Mines near Calhan, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, a show at the Millibo Art Theatre, indoor karting at Overdrive Raceway, bowling and arcade at The Summit at Interquest, and a late stop somewhere open past midnight. None of them require a bar.
What are some cheap date ideas in Colorado Springs?
North Cheyenne Cañon and Helen Hunt Falls are free. The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is free and about 45 minutes east. A Switchbacks match downtown is inexpensive in season, and walking Ivywild for coffee and dessert costs very little.
Where can couples go late at night in Colorado Springs?
Later hours are the exception in this city. Kavasutra on North Academy is open until 2am daily, and a few downtown food spots run past midnight. Most everything else closes earlier than people plan for, and earlier again in winter.
What is there to do on a date when the weather is bad?
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is largely outdoors but works in most weather. Otherwise Ivywild School for food and dessert, the Millibo Art Theatre for a show, indoor karting at Overdrive, or bowling, arcade and laser tag at The Summit at Interquest.
Do you need a reservation for any of these?
The outdoor ones, no. For a show at the Millibo or anything with a start time, buy ahead. Our Colorado Springs bar does not take reservations, so walking in is the only way, and there is usually room.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Kava is served to adults 18 and up and not to anyone who is pregnant.