Colfax combines historic sites with a range of recreational opportunities: a museum and distinctive buildings tell the story of the city, while parks, golf, and water activities offer other ways to spend your time. When planning your stay, start by deciding how you’d like to get to know Colfax: mainly through its history, outdoor activities, or an event?
Historic Sites and the Mineral Water Story
Mineral Springs Park is a historic park at the northern entrance to Downtown Colfax. Its distinctive features include a 1933 brick building in the Craftsman style, with a pavilion and spring house. Woman’s Club Park is another historic park, located in the southeastern part of Historic Downtown Colfax. It has a terraced amphitheater and a stage that is occasionally used for local concerts. The two parks differ both in their locations relative to Downtown and in their features: one has the 1933 building, while the other has a terraced layout with a concert stage.
The Colfax Historical Society and Museum displays artifacts from Colfax’s history. Exhibits include topics such as Colfax mineral water bottling and hotel advertising. These displays connect with the former importance of the mineral water industry, which brought thousands of visitors to the city each year for about four decades. Here, you can explore the story through both specific museum objects and the industry’s impact on visitor numbers at the time.
The historic Colfax Public Library is another architectural landmark. Built in 1913 with funds from the Andrew Carnegie Library Grant Program, it retains its original 1913 Tudor Revival exterior. The Spring City Commercial Historic District in Colfax offers another glimpse into the past and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Parks and Outdoor Activities
Quarry Springs Park is a 480-acre recreation area just north of Downtown Colfax. It offers primitive camping, as well as canoeing and kayaking. If you’re considering camping during your travel dates, check current availability. Canoeing is also possible on the South Skunk River. When planning, you can choose between camping, canoeing, or kayaking at Quarry Springs Park and canoeing on the river.
Golf is another highlight: Colfax Country Club has a nine-hole golf course and a full-size driving range. If you’d like to include golf in your travel plans, you can choose between the course and driving range as separate offerings. Along with the water activities, these options broaden the ways to enjoy Colfax beyond its historic sites, without giving all activities the same focus.
Events and Swimming Lessons
Held annually in July, the Jasper County Fair in Colfax includes a horse show. The fair offers family entertainment and promotes agricultural education for young people. If you’d like to plan your trip around the fair, check the specific event dates for your travel year.
The Colfax Public Swimming Pool offers swimming lessons. Alongside parks, golf, and water-related activities, this gives travelers looking specifically for swimming lessons another option to consider. These different focuses can help you choose what to do in Colfax based on your interests.
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