Pikes Peak Radio & Electronics Museum

Tesla in Colorado Springs

Tesla arrived in Colorado Springs in May 1899. A friend and patent lawyer, Leonard E. Curtis, on being advised of Tesla's work, offered to find land and provide power from the El Paso Power Company. Support also came from Colonel John Jacob Astor. With $30,000 from Astor, the inventor prepared at once to move to Colorado.

Writing on photo says, "Experimental Station in another place of development. Discovery of "Standing Waves" made July 3, 1899"
The Union Printers Home on Union Blvd, built in 1889, can be seen in the background.
The metal mast is 142 feet high with a huge copper ball on top.

Tesla sits below the Tesla Coil in the building shown in the top photo.
The coil creates millions of volts of electricity with a frequency rate of 100,000 alterations per second.
Tesla's experiment burned out the dynamo at the El Paso Electric Company and the entire city lost power.
The power station manager was very upset, and insisted that Tesla pay for the damage.

Above photos with permission of The TeslaSociety.com

The Alta Vista hotel on Cascade avenue is where Tesla stayed while in Colorado Springs.