The Fort's nine dining rooms are
built around a central courtyard. On summer months a typical
Plains Indian tipi stands in the courtyard.
Bent's Quarters, a private dining
room, recreates much of the feel of the 1840s. A collection
of medicinal herbs from New Mexico and various items of the fur
trade period line the shelves: knives, beads, buckles, musket caps,
tobacco twists and "segars", tea bricks, loaf sugar,
Florida water, lucifers, and much more.
This room is perfect for corporate
meetings or intimate gatherings and will seat up to 48 people.
The St. Vrain Bar, on the west
side of the courtyard, is named for Ceran St. Vrain, partner of
the Bents. A French aristocrat from St. Louis, he brought
fine wines, crystal glasses, and damask tablecloths to the remote
West. Set in a niche in the wall of the bar is an adobe brick
from the original Bent's Fort. The herringbone planed ceiling
with its decorative bead is typical of the earliest New Mexican
planked ceilings.
The St. Vrain Council Room angles
off the St. Vrain bar and accommodates private parties and music
evenings. It features artwork by Carrie Arnold and Edward
Curtis, a corner fireplace, and French doors out to the courtyard. After
dark, the small fire in the courtyard glows orange through the
panes.
Adjoining the Tower Room is the
East Terrace, from which can be seen the magnificent panorama of
red rocks and Pike's Peak to the south and Denver and its suburbs
to the east.
The Main Dining Room, with its
fireplace and view of the foothills and lights of Denver and the
plains beyond, features a beamed ceiling, artwork, and authentic
mid-nineteenth-century artifacts. Throughout the building,
the vigas (log beam) were stripped by drawknife, and zapatas (footed
supports) were rough cut and then finished with a foot adz. All
wood surfaces were hand-planed to remove machine saw marks.
Overlooking the Main Dining Room,
The Grill is lovely for semi-private parties, with French doors
out to the garden and a view of the Denver skyline. The fountain
to the north is carved of pink Mexican limestone.
Two round bastions stand at the
northeast and southwest corners of The Fort. With their two-feet-thick
adobe walls, these were used for defense in the original fort. We
use the northeast bastion as a wine cellar, while the southwest
tower accommodates an intimate dining room with a fireplace and
a lovely view of the city lights. The Tower Room is furnished
with portraits of mountain men, William and Charles Bent, Uncle
Dick Wootton, Kit Carson, and Henry Clay.
The Outdoor Patio is delightful
during warm weather and a good place to gather when the cannon
are shot. What would a fort be without a cannon?