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About Us

Drawing Closer to What Matters

A Bit of History

“I found the magnificent Pikes Peak towering immediately above at the elevations of over 14,000 ft., topped with a little snow.
I could not sleep anymore with all the splendid panorama of mountains gradually unrolling itself…”
-Palmer, in a letter to Queen upon his discovery of Glen Eyrie.

Founded in 1871, Glen Eyrie was the home of William Jackson Palmer. Palmer was a Brigadier General in the Union Army during the Civil War, president of The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, and founder of Colorado Springs. Palmer and his wife Mary “Queen” Mellen made Glen Eyrie their home. They had three daughters, Elsie, Dorothy, and Marjorie.

General Palmer died in 1909, and the Palmer sisters left the estate untouched for several years before finally selling it. The estate changed hands several times. In 1938 the property was purchased by an oil baron from Texas, George Strake.

The Strake family turned Glen Eyrie into their summer home, repairing and building up the property. It was not to last, however. The flood of 1949 wreaked havoc on the land, and with their children now grown, they determined to put Glen Eyrie back on the market.
Glen Eyrie was purchased as the headquarters of The Navigators in 1953, following an ambitious and miraculous campaign to raise the down payment of $100,000 dollars in only six weeks.
Today the Navigators still maintain Glen Eyrie as their headquarters as they live out their mission “To know Christ and make Him known, and help others do the same.” In addition, the hospitality ministry at Glen Eyrie strives to draw our guests closer to what matters by inviting people to join us for historic Castle tours, teas, overnight stays, personal retreats, conferences and more. Visitors can grab a coffee and browse books and gifts in the Glen Eyrie Bookstore, located in the historic Carriage House, or have afternoon tea served in the Castle Music Room. Guests can also stay overnight in the Castle or in one of the other six lodges on property. Wildlife is abundant, the views are spectacular, and a memorable experience is always waiting!
Learn more about the Navigators
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about our 150 years of history

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Our Mission

To create meaningful experiences through God-honoring hospitality with every visit.
At Glen Eyrie, we promise to stay true to our Navigator legacy by purposefully and thoughtfully inspiring wonder through our hospitality, nurturing of guests, and in the natural beauty of God’s creation. In this place of breathtaking grandeur, we create a uniquely sacred environment that opens the heart, mind, and soul to moments of reflection, discovery, heartening change, and genuine personal transformation, bringing our guests closer to what truly matters in life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately you can’t walk through The Castle without making a reservation for a Tour, Tea, or Overnight Stay. To make a reservation, please call us at 719-265-7050.

Glen Eyrie allows guests with a Tea, Tour or Overnight reservation to hike on the property provided the guest signs our waiver of liability prior to hiking.  Waivers may be obtained at the Front Desk in the Carriage House.

The Front Desk is open from 8:ooam to 9:00pm.

We are located about 17 miles northwest of the Colorado Springs Airport (approximately 25 minutes) See our Contact page for a map and directions.

Accordion Content
No overnight pets are permitted. Please be aware of herds of Bighorn sheep, deer, and a flock of turkeys.

We do not allow professional photography on our property unless you have been contracted for an event. If you are here as a guest for a Tea, Tour, or Overnight Stay you are welcome to take snap shots. See our photography policy on the “Visit Us” page.

We are next door neighbors with Garden of the Gods! Hop in the car and drive over in less than a minute, or take the paved trail to walk, run, or bike over to the Garden of the Gods park.
To respect every guest experience, Glen Eyrie is an alcohol and marijuana free property.

Glen Eyrie Staff

Dace Starkweather

Dace Starkweather

General Manager

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Derek Strickler

Director of Operations

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Tim Hart

Director of Finance

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Meaghan Hart

Programs & Guest Services Director

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John Walters

Director of Sales

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Lori Passaro

Senior Event Planner

Wendy Buckler

Volunteer Director

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Dustin Short

Housekeeping & Event Services Manager

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Linda Graf

Programs Manager

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Amy Burch

Bookstore Manager

3820 North 30th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904

Reservations: reservations@gleneyrie.org | 719-265-7050

Sales: sales@gleneyrie.org | 719-272-7700

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dace.starkweather@navigators.org

Dace Starkweather

General Manager

Leadership

Hailing from Spring Grove, IL, Dace originally discovered his love for hospitality by working at four diamond guest ranches for over a decade since college. After two graduate degrees, he is thrilled to have been able to land at Glen Eyrie as the General Manager of a historic property that serves the public with a missional heart.

When he’s not at The Glen, Dace loves to explore Colorado on the back of a horse or on foot with camera in hand, build forts with his nieces and nephews, and study Biblical archaeology of the Old Testament.

derek.strickler@navigators.org

Derek Strickler

Director of Operations

Leadership

Derek, a native of Bloomington, Indiana, moved to Colorado in 1994 when he began working with The Navigators at Eagle Lake Camps. Prior to moving to Colorado, Derek ran his own construction company. He graduated from Colorado Christian University with a degree in Organizational Management. He has served in a variety of roles and is currently the Director of Operations for Glen Eyrie Conference Center and Eagle Lake Camps. He has been married to his wife, Angie, for 20 years and they have 3 beautiful daughters.

In his free time, you can find Derek riding his bike or hiking, watching his kids’ sports games, and dreaming of new construction projects.

tim.hart@navigators.org

Tim Hart

Director of Finance

Leadership

After surviving many cold winters in Minnesota where he grew up, Tim decided to attend the University of Arizona. During his time in Arizona, Tim was led to Christ by The Navigators’ Ministry and had the joy of meeting his future wife, Meaghan. In 2007, he interned with Eagle Lake and fell in love with Colorado and the ministries of The Glen Eyrie Conference Center and Eagle Lake Camps. After graduating a year later with a Degree in Business, majoring in Finance, he joined the Glen Eyrie Group as a Staff Accountant. Tim has been serving in his current role as Director of Finance since October of 2012 and loves using his gifting to serve the ministry that was key in bringing him to faith and helping him grow spiritually.

When he’s not crunching numbers at Glen Eyrie, Tim loves being active and enjoying the great state of Colorado. His activity of choice is road cycling, but when the weather is cold, he enjoys skiing as well. Tim also values spending time with his family and investing in the next generation.

Meaghan.hart@navigators.org

Meaghan Hart

Programs & Guest Services Director

Meaghan attended the University of Arizona, which is where she was introduced and became involved with The Navigators Ministry. While there, she met her future husband, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, and moved to Colorado Springs where she began her career at Glen Eyrie. Serving in a variety of roles, she has enjoyed being involved in many aspects of event planning during her time at The Glen. She feels privileged to serve in the ministry that was foundational in helping her grow in her faith.

When not at Glen Eyrie, Meaghan enjoys maintaining some semblance of order in her home and entertaining guests: pretty much what she does at work! She chases her toddler and a crazy dog around, and keeps sane by running and cycling, and just being outside in the wonderful Colorado weather. She also loves digging into the Word.

john.walters@navigators.org

John Walters

Director of Sales

Sales & Event Planning

John has served in several different roles and capacities over his many dedicated years on the Glen Eyrie team: Executive Chef, Food and Beverage Director, Deputy Director of Operations and now as the Director of Sales.

He is a native of Colorado and enjoys being outdoors in the mountains camping, riding ATV’s, and most importantly spending time with his family.

Lori.passaro@navigators.org

Lori Passaro

Senior Event Planner

Sales & Event Planning

Lori has been involved in the Hospitality business for the past ten years and loves serving guests and creating memorable experiences. She is honored to be an Event Planner at Glen Eyrie!

When she’s not at The Glen, you can find her curled up with a good book, working outdoors in the garden or barn, and playing with her dogs or riding horses.

wendy.buckler@navigators.org

Wendy Buckler

Volunteer Director

Wendy developed a love for volunteer ministry while attending UC San Diego and serving as a student leader with Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship. She worked at an insurance company, an oil company, and a philanthropic organization prior to Glen Eyrie, but her favorite job is being mom to her three awesome children. She has enjoyed using her gifts at church as a worship leader, Sunday school teacher and Bible study writer. She is passionate about the Lord and loves to tell His story, whether through speaking, singing, or writing. Wendy can often be found cheering on the sidelines of her kids’ sporting events. While she enjoys hiking with her husband and dogs in the beautiful Colorado mountains, she spends lots of time daydreaming about their next trip to the beach.

dustin.short@navigators.org

Dustin Short

Housekeeping & Event Services Manager

Dustin was first introduced to the Glen while his dad, Frank, was attending seminary in Colorado Springs. Frank served as the Housekeeping Manager, which meant Dustin spent his Saturdays from the ages of 9 to 12 here on property coming to work at the Glen with his dad. Who would have guessed that 15 years later he would move back to the Springs, start working at the Glen, meet his future wife, AND become the manager of Housekeeping as well! Through this journey Dustin has really been able to clearly see Gods hand in his life. Dustin has loved every minute of working on property! Outside of the Glen Dustin enjoys spending time with his wife Lexi and their dog River, playing the drums at various worship events, enjoying the beauty of Colorado and of course talking about all things Star Wars and Superhero related.

linda.graf@navigators.org

Linda Graf

Programs Manager

Linda grew up in upstate New York and met her husband David at Nyack College. For three years after their marriage she worked in advertising on Madison Avenue in New York City. After their move to Colorado 30 years ago, she worked in several Christian organizations doing marketing and database management. For the past twenty years she served as Worship Ministries Director at Front Range Alliance church in Colorado Springs, also working in women’s ministry and occasionally going to prison! She has 2 grown children and eats lots of homemade ice cream.

amy.burch@navigators.org

Dace Starkweather

Bookstore Supervisor

Sales & Event Planning

Amy was born and raised in the Colorado Springs area and has loved Glen Eyrie most of her life! A passionate reader and coffee drinker, the bookstore is the perfect place for her. She loves to spend her free time writing, cooking, and seeking out new adventures in the mountains.