A beloved Genoa roadside landmark is coming back to life

Just off Interstate 70 near the small community of Genoa stands one of the plains’ most beloved landmarks: the World’s Wonder View Tower, also called the Genoa Tower. Built in the 1920s as a roadside attraction along the early highway and the railroad, it was designed to pull travelers off the road for a look and a story. The good news is that it is coming back to life: a multi-million-dollar, state-funded historic restoration has reopened the tower, with its first phase complete and a museum, artisan shop, and artist residency planned.

Its most famous story is the claim that, from the top, you could see six states at once. That line has been repeated for nearly a century. It is best enjoyed as a piece of roadside legend rather than a surveyed fact — a fun claim, not a measurement to bank on.

For a newcomer, the tower is a window into a particular era of plains travel, when small towns along the highway competed to give passing motorists a reason to stop. It is the kind of place that helps explain why these little communities exist where they do — and now a great reason to pull over again.

Because the restoration is still rolling out in phases, it is worth checking current hours and status before you plan a stop. Learn the verified history through the Colorado Encyclopedia and History Colorado.