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Will Rogers Shrine to the Sun

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A sign reading "Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun" in front of stone steps.
Jake Brownell / 91.5 KRCC
The entrance to the Will Rodgers Shrine of the Sun.
Will Rogers Shrine to the Sun

Looking out on Colorado Springs from Cheyenne Mountain, a curious shrine stands tall and rings out every 15 minutes. Made of granite cut from the mountain itself, it’s a tower that looks like something from a fairy tale with a clear view of every sunrise.

Spencer Penrose commissioned it in the ‘30s as his final resting place. Then a plane crash in Alaska took the life of Will Rogers, the wildly popular folk philosopher who famously "never met a man he didn't like.” In tribute, the Penrose mausoleum was christened the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun.

Ever since, Rogers' body has been in Oklahoma, as his spirit infuses Colorado’s "singing tower.” It tolls the time, and rings out a song three times daily, a cheerful reminder of the wisdom of Will Rogers, who once said, “Live your life so that whenever you lose it, you’re ahead.”


Colorado Postcards

About Colorado Postcards

Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.