Manassa

Founded in 1851, Manassa is a small town in the southern San Luis Valley, most famous for its former boxing prodigy, Jack Dempsey.

The Statutory Town resides at 7,690 feet in Conejos County. While Conejos is the county seat and Antonito is the more popular county town because of its historic railroad, Manassa is actually the most populous municipality. In 2020 it recorded a population of 947.

It’s a farming and ranching community, with a few businesses including Val’s Place Restaurant, which serves Mexican fare year-round. There are no traffic lights in town. The Manassa Post Office has a zip code of 81141. The town was incorporated in 1889.

Things to Do

Jack Dempsey Museum Learn all about the “The Manassa Mauler”, Jack Dempsey. He was born in Manassa on June 24, 1895. The museum is open in June, July, and August, other times by scheduled appointment only.

Manassa Pioneer Days Three days of western heritage celebration held in mid-July. It’s one of the oldest festivals in Colorado, with events including a rodeo, horse racing, demolition derby, and parade.