Downtown e-tour
Lift-1 Site and Willoughby Park | Skiers Chalet

< Lift-1 Site, 2000.© Ann Hodges photo
During the summer of 1946, the Aspen Skiing Company realized that Aspen Mountain would need to be serviced by chairlifts if it was to compete with Sun Valley. Ski pioneer Friedl Pfeifer approached Walter Paepcke and convinced him to raise $35,000 for a down payment, and construction began in August. The longest chairlift in the world was ready for an official opening on January 12, 1947. The Skiers Chalet, located uphill from this site (seen here in the background), has remained a popular steak house and lodge since the 1950s. In 1971, Lift-1 was abandoned and One-A, a 2-man chair, was installed nearby. In 1995 the Aspen Historical Society entered a lease agreement with the City of Aspen with plans to build a museum on this site, including contiguous Willoughby Park.

< One of the original 8-man boat tows is presently displayed on the lawn near the old lift tower.

^ In 1936 a 6-man "platform" tow" was in operation, and by the late 1930s, two 8-man boat tows were built to carry skiers up the mountain. These were the first lifts, attached to a cable and pulled up the mountain, powered by a mine hoist and truck engine.

^ Walter Paepcke, Governor Knaus and Mayor Robison at the dedication of Lift -1, the "World's Longest Chairlift" in 1947. Dignitaries from across the state attended.

^ Left: Iift-1, c. 1949 as the chairs and towers disappear over the ridge on their way to Midway, which was located at the top of present-day Lift #6.

^ Right: In the summer of 1999, trees and bushes, which had engulfed the old Lift-1 structure over the years, were trimmed and cleared away, revealing the old lift tower and bull wheel again.
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We hope you enjoyed the Aspen Downtown e-tour. When you visit Aspen, self-guided and guided tours are available. If you are interested in walking this route on a self-guided tour, pick up a Downtown Walking Tour brochure from the Aspen Historical Society or at the Wheeler Opera House Box Office at Mill and Hyman Streets.