Visiting the Air Force Academy While the Chapel Is Wrapped Up

The Cadet Chapel, with its seventeen aluminum spires, is the image most people carry of the Air Force Academy. Right now it is closed for repairs and sits inside a large protective box, with work expected to finish in 2028, so the spires themselves are not on view from the Chapel Trail during the work. That is worth knowing before you drive up, because plenty here is still open.

The newest reason to come sits just outside the North Gate, at exit 156 off I-25: the General Bradley and Zita Hosmer Visitor Center. You do not need a military ID or base access to enter it, admission is free, and it runs seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Inside are themed galleries and exhibits about the long path a cadet walks from the first day to graduation.

To go onto the base itself, visitors without a Department of Defense ID need a sponsored pass and a REAL ID, and there is a background check, so plan that step ahead. Once on, a short paved trail leads to the Honor Court overlook, which opens onto a wide view of Colorado Springs; on weekdays during the school year you can watch cadets march to lunch at 11:30 a.m. The 110-seat planetarium runs free shows, first come, first served.

Check current hours and the pass steps on the Academy’s official visitor pages before you go.