The Fort is a full-scale adobe replica of Bent's Old Fort — Colorado's legendary 1830s fur-trading post on the Santa Fe Trail — built in the foothills near Morrison, Colorado. Constructed from more than 80,000 handmade mud-and-straw adobe bricks and designed by renowned adobe architect William Lumpkins, the building opened as a restaurant in February 1963 after founders Sam'l P. Arnold and Elizabeth "Bay" Arnold commissioned it as a family home. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Set on 50 acres among red rock formations with sweeping views of downtown Denver and the foothills, The Fort offers eight private dining and event spaces accommodating groups from 16 to 115 guests, with full and half buyouts available for larger gatherings. Spaces range from the intimate Tower Room to the grand St. Vrain Room, alongside covered patios with firepits and an outdoor terrace. Private events run from June through mid-October for outdoor celebrations, with indoor spaces available year-round.
The kitchen focuses on Colorado frontier cuisine — bison, elk, quail, fish, and other Rocky Mountain specialties — drawing on historical research into pioneer and Native American foodways. Entertainment add-ons available for private events include axe throwing, Native American dancers, live musicians, and wildlife encounters.
