Center for Advanced Psychoanalytic Studies
Aspen Travel, Accommodations and Things to Do
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Aspen Area Airports
The two commercial airports closest to Aspen are located in Colorado Springs (116 miles) and outside of Denver (221 miles). There is also a private Aspen local airport. Depending on where you are flying from and how or when you choose to fly, fares will vary. Visit the airports' web sites to find more information on which airlines offer service, as well as how to get to the meetings sites.
116 Miles from Aspen
More than 2 million passengers pass through Colorado Springs Airport (COS) each year. The airport serves as the first impression for thousands of visitors, giving them a breathtaking view of Pikes Peak and a taste of Colorado hospitality.
COS's three-level, 16-gate terminal facility, opened in 1994. In this 280,000 square-foot facility, numerous skylights and large windows provide panoramic views of Pikes Peak and Colorado's Front Range. Perhaps more importantly, COS is conveniently located near I-25.
Ground Transportation
The airport is within easy driving distance to various Colorado cities and tourist attractions, including 14 major ski areas. Travel time from the airport to downtown Colorado Springs is a quick 25 minutes, while Denver is a leisurely 70-minute drive north on I-25.
For information on ground transportation from Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, click below.
Denver International Airport
With more than 53 million passengers traveling through it each year, Denver International Airport is the 15th-busiest airport in the world and the fifth-busiest airport in the United States. The airport is also the primary economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $26 billion annually.
For information on ground transportation from Denver International Airport, click below.
221 Miles from Aspen
Aspen-Pitkin County Airport
Walter Paepcke and John Spachner founded the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport as a privately-owned, public-use gravel landing strip in 1946. The primary user of the airport at the time was the Aspen Institute, the forerunner to Aspen Airways. The original facility consisted of a log cabin terminal building and a gravel runway. In 1956, Aspen Airport Corporation officially deeded the Airport to Pitkin County making it a publicly owned public use airport, one of the requirements for federal participation in airport development. The Civil Aeronautics Administration and Pitkin County, as airport sponsor, funded the initial construction of Runway 15/33, a connecting taxiway, and an apron in 1957. The new 17,500 square foot terminal building was constructed in 1976 and was the first commercial building in the United States to use passive solar heating. The runway at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport was lengthened and widened in 1983 to be 7,006 feet long by 100 feet wide. In 2011 this runway was lengthened to its present size of 8,006 feet long by 100 feet wide. The entire terminal area was redeveloped in 1986 and 1987, which included new vehicular access roadways and the expansion of the terminal to its present size of 37,500 square feet. In 1999, the aircraft-parking area was again expanded to allow for more aircraft parking.
Conference Meeting Hotels
Aspen Square features over a hundred condominium suites outfitted with wood-burning fireplaces, full kitchens, private balconies, and more. These include fireplace studio suites and one, two, and three bedroom suites with multiple baths. A modern hotel with a distinctly mountain personality, Aspen Square rewards discerning travelers like you with the luxury of spacious accommodations, fine boutique amenities, and all the comforts of home right in the heart of downtown Aspen.
The Aspen Alps Condominiums property is situated on six acres nestled in the heart of Aspen, yet feels remote. The serenity of the Aspen Alps is just steps away from town and right next to Aspen Mountain, with the famous new Silver Queen Gondola conveniently next door. The Silver Queen is the longest single-stage gondola in the world, whisking riders from downtown Aspen to the top of Aspen Mountain in 14 minutes – a 3,267 vertical rise. Apartments on the hillside have ski-in and ski-out access. Meander through the grounds and winding pathways and discover the unique character of Aspen Alps. Aspen Alps features individually-styled condominiums, ranging in size from 2, 3, and 4 bedrooms.
Competitively-Priced Accommodations
(rates from tripadvisor.com)
Hotel Durant ($205/night)
122 E. Durant
970-925-8500
Hotel Aspen ($279/night)
110 W. Main St.
970-925-3441
Tyrolean Lodge ($175/night)
200 W. Main St.
970-925-4595
St. Moritz Lodge ($138/night)
334 W. Hyman Ave.
970-925-3220
Molly Gibson ($263/night)
101 W. Main St.
970-925-3434
The Inn at Aspen ($231/night)
38750 Hwy 82
970-925-1500
Snow Queen Victorian Lodge ($211/night)
124 E. Cooper Ave.
970-925-8455
Aspen Mountain Lodge ($199/night)
311 W. Main St.
970-925-7650
SOLD OUT FOR 2016
Annabelle Inn
Mountain Chalet
The Innsbruck
Aspen Meadows
Things to Do During Your Visit
Founded in 1949, the Aspen Music Festival and School is regarded as one of the top classical music festivals in the United States, noted both for its concert programming and its musical training of mostly young-adult music students. The typical eight-week summer season includes more than 300 classical music events — with concerts by five orchestras, solo and chamber music performances, fully staged opera productions, master classes, lectures, and children’s programming — and brings in 70,000 audience members. In the winter, the AMFS presents a small series of recitals and Metropolitan Opera Live in HD screenings.
The Isis Theatre renovation restored the original 1892 H. Webber Building, which received Historic Landmark Designation in 1995. By extending the building's east side by only thirty feet and excavating thirty feet below the existing structure, the Isis has become a five-screen multi-use theater, doubling Aspen's movie screen capacity. The two street-level theaters are each a full five feet wider than the width of the original Isis Theatre. All five theaters include state-of-the-art sound systems and soundproofing. Stadium-style seating increases both comfort and visibility.
A soaring lobby space illuminates Hopkins Street through original, historic, (and once-boarded) windows, providing a forum for the social interaction for which the Isis has always been known.
Theatre Aspen's award-winning shows are presented in the heart of Rio Grande Park, along the Rio Grande Trail, just next to the river. With daytime views of Aspen Mountain and nights filled with stars, theatre-goers are treated to an experience that combines dynamic professional theatre with the excitement of being outdoors.
Theatre Aspen's professional productions feature the best of Broadway talent, as well as local performers, offering musicals, plays, new work, and family-friendly shows that are perfect for a summer vacation.
In 2012, the Hurst Theatre and lobby were renovated, complemented by sumptuous gardens and ponds designed by the City of Aspen Parks Department. New eco-friendly, compostable bathrooms, located along the Rio Grande trail next to the theatre, were completed for the summer of 2015.
It’s a great time for the Wheeler! The house today is the envy of theatres big and small around the world. The Wheeler is privileged to partner with such internationally-renowned groups as the Aspen Institute, Aspen Film, National Public Radio, the Aspen Writers’ Foundation, National Geographic, Mountainfilm In Telluride, the Aspen Center for Physics, and, of course, the Aspen Music Festival and School.
For 125 years, the story of the Wheeler has been the story of the town. Through boom and bust and boom again, both building and town have shown a resiliency and tenacity that have defied the odds. Now, well over a century after the silver boom came and went through Colorado, one can tour the mining ghost towns, including Independence and Ashcroft, where only the bleached bones of so much promise and activity remain. In the end, it’s the vibrancy of a culture that demonstrates the difference between survival and extinction. In Aspen, the heart of that culture has always been centered on the corner of Hyman Avenue and Mill Street.
The Aspen Art Museum is a non-collecting institution exhibiting the newest, most important developments in international contemporary art. The innovative and timely exhibitions, education, and public programs, immersive activities, and community happenings actively engage audiences in thought-provoking experiences of art, culture, and society.
Founded in 1991 and entering its 26th season, Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The mission of JAS is to present and preserve jazz and related forms of music through world-class events, performances, and education programs.
JAS has grown from a simple 3-day event in Aspen to a complex set of multi-day festivals in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado; a summer series of weekly performances; diverse year round music education programs; and the addition of the JAS Café Downstairs @the Little Nell, featuring outstanding jazz musicians throughout the year. For seven years JAS produced the Sonoma Jazz + Festival in Sonoma, California.
The original June 1991 festival was inspired by its prestigious sister festival in Marciac (southwest) France, a charming village of 1,000 in the rolling hills of Gascogne, near the Basque country.
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's bold vision – top global choreographers, distinctive groundbreaking repertoire, and virtuoso dancers – has fostered a jewel of a dance company in the American West.
The company’s pioneering spirit arises from a dual set of home cities: Aspen, nestled in the Rocky Mountains, and Santa Fe, gracing the Southwestern plateau. Shaping the cultural landscape of these communities – and influencing the dance field at large – is a contemporary ballet company now two decades old.
A deep commitment to curating new ballets while cultivating choreographic talent has resulted in a catalogue of adventurous repertoire. A European sensibility glossed with American ebullience forges ASFB’s aesthetic, as the company has come to epitomize the contemporary-classical genre.
The dance company sits at the heart of an unusually multifaceted arts organization. ASFB dance invention flows from this solid foundation, a wellspring of creativity.
The Aspen Choral Society (ACS) began in 1977 when an aspiring young conductor and former Aspen Music Festival Conductor Fellow, Ray Vincent Adams, with the Crystal River Orchestra and a small group of valley locals, presented performances of Handel’s Messiah. As interest in choral singing increased valley-wide, the ACS incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1995.
The ACS added performances of choral masterworks and made its Harris Hall debut in 1999 with performances of Mozart's Requiem. In 2000, the ACS expanded the choir to include the Glenwood Springs Community Chorus with rehearsals and performances of the Messiah in Glenwood Springs as well as Aspen. These performances are very popular and are often presented to standing-room-only audiences.
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC.The Institute has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also maintains offices in New York City and has an international network of partners.
The Institute's mission is to foster leader-ship based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. It does this primarily in four ways:
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Seminars, which help participants reflect on what they think makes a good society, thereby deepening knowledge, broadening perspectives, and enhancing their capacity to solve the problems leaders face.
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Young-leader fellowships around the globe, which bring a selected class of proven leaders together for an intense multi-year program and commitment. The fellows become better leaders and apply their skills to significant challenges.
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Policy programs, which serve as nonpartisan forums for analysis, consensus building, and problem- solving on a wide variety of issues.
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Public conferences and events, which provide a commons for people to share ideas.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center recognizes human beings’ lifelong need to develop personal creativity and to discover, learn, and grow. Artists of all levels come from across the country and around the world to explore new ideas, hone their art-making skills, and engage in meaningful dialogue at the Ranch.
Both an international center and a close community, Anderson Ranch welcomes adults, art students, children and teens ― from beginners to the leading artists of our time.
Located just 15 minutes from Aspen, Anderson Ranch Arts Center has served as the artistic and cultural hub of the Town of Snowmass Village since 1966, providing time and space to artists — from beginners to experienced practitioners — to create, discuss and discover.
The Aspen Historical Society actively preserves and passionately presents Aspen's local history in an inspired and provocative manner that continues to anchor our community and its evolving character. The Society enhance the lives of those with whom it works and the community in which it thrives.giving visitors a compelling reason to visit and even move to beautiful Aspen/Snowmass.
Postcard from ca. 1920 of Main Street, Aspen, CO. (Aspen Historical Society)