Longmont

Longmont is a thriving town that embodies the nostalgic feeling that only a small town offers. Located near the county fairgrounds and filled with activities, adventure, a bustling nightlife of eateries, bars, and boutiques, Longmont is the “Gem City of the St. Vrain Valley” and a popular alternative to the university town of Boulder.

Take some inspiration from our list of things to do in Longmont, Colorado, and be sure to stop by the Native Roots Marijuana Dispensary when you’re in town! 

Longmont Museum and Cultural Center

Just a short six-minute drive from our nearby dispensary is the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center where visitors experience art and culture through immersive programs, exhibitions, and events. 

The Longmont Museum collection holds more than 27,000 artifacts, photographs, and documents depicting everyday life for farmers, factory workers, and businessmen in Longmont and the St. Vrain Valley. 

The museum is known for a regular rotation of exhibits exploring regional history and culture, as well as featuring internationally-known artists and indigenous artists. 

To get to the Longmont Museum from our nearby dispensary take S Sunset Street to Nelson Road and take a left and drive until the end. Take a right onto Ken Pratt Blvd. Take a right onto S Main Street, then a left onto Quail Road, and watch for signs to the Museum on the left. 

Longmont Farmers Market

The Native Roots Marijuana Dispensary in Longmont is right around the corner from the Boulder County Farmers’ Market. Featuring strictly local farmers and vendors, the Longmont Farmers Market is one of Colorado’s finest farmer’s markets. 

Integrating as a non-profit, BCFM works to establish seasonal marketplaces for local farmers and producers in Colorado, advocate for farmers year-round, support local agriculture, and provide equitable food access. 

To qualify for the Boulder County Farmers’ Market, vendors are required to be producers and farmers who call Colorado home and use high-quality ingredients free from high-fructose corn syrup, artificial ingredients, and preservatives. The market is a zero-waste market and vendors are also encouraged to reduce waste to zero. 

To get to the Boulder County Farmers’ Market, also known as the Longmont Farmers Market, from our nearby dispensary is easy. Take S Sunset Street to Boston Avenue and turn right. Look for signs on the left to enter the farmer’s market at Fairground Access W.  

Agricultural Heritage Center

The Agricultural Heritage Center is a great place to visit for the whole family. Admission is free, and although there are guided tours at 11:00 am during visiting hours, visitors are permitted to freely explore the gourds and buildings. 

Experience a glimpse into the history of agriculture in Boulder County, play with farm animals, explore interactive exhibits, and tour the historic buildings and heirloom gardens. 

The center serves as an educational gem for all ages and is the legacy of Shorty Lohr who sold the land along with a gift of $250,000 to Boulder County upon his death with the request that they build an educational center on the property.  

Shorty, the grandson of George McIntosh, an 1860-era pioneer of the Pikes Peak region, never married and inherited the land from his father George Lohr, who worked as a miner, soldier, farmer, and freight runner.    

Getting to the Agricultural Heritage Center from Native Roots takes only 10 minutes. Go north on Sunset Street and turn left onto 3rd Avenue and drive until the end. Take a right onto Hover Street and drive until you reach CO-66, turn left and look for signs for the center on the left. 

Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy

Have you ever toured a creamery to learn how cheese is made? Beginning in 1988 as a modest homestead with just 5 goats grazing in the shadow of Haystack Mountain, by 2017 this little goat farm transformed into an award-winning, world-class creamery. 

Learn how founder Jim Schott’s five-acre goat farm turned into a nationally sold cheese brand with more than 35 types of cheeses. Get your group together for this Colorado adventure in Longmont and learn all about the cheese-making process.

Tours are only $10 per person but require a minimum of 10 people. This trip makes a great educational experience for school groups, corporate team-building events, community groups, and senior outings. 

History of Longmont, Colorado 

Tens of thousands of years ago, many different indigenous peoples traveled and lived in the area today known as Longmont. Early groups such as Clovis, Folsom, and Plano peoples are known to have passed through Longmont, but the dry, harsh climate made continuous habitation in the area difficult. 

In recent history, encounters between European explorers and Native American peoples such as the Cheyenne, Lakota, and Arapaho occurred starting as early as the 1500s. The town of Longmont. as well as the most prominent mountain in northern Colorado, is named after one of the first American explorers to make it to the area, Stephen H. Long, who reached the St. Vrain Valley in 1820. 

The concept for Longmont was initially founded in 1870 by a group of wealthy elites from Chicago who came up with the idea to crowd-fund the construction of a new town in Colorado. They sold memberships to the new town, calling it the “Chicago-Colorado Colony”. 

They successfully planned and built a small town by 1871 with a main street, homes arranged in a grid, and three parks around the town. Irrigation canals were built first by farmers, then by larger industries, which provided a steady supply of water for farms and businesses. By 1889, the town hosted large-scale agricultural industries including a flour mill, vegetable cannery, and sugar factory. 

In the 1900s, Longmont survived two World Wars and the Great Depression, but by the 1970s the town's long-time employers, the local sugar factory and cannery, had both shut down. Growth slowed in the 1980s but picked back up in the 1990s during the tech boom. 

Today, Longmont is home to more than 100,000 residents. In 2021 the city honored its 150th anniversary by signing a first-of-its-kind historic Sister City agreement with Northern Arapaho.