Entry No. 54 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: metal-sculpture
Iscariot (Octo-Maid)
A 12-foot metal sculpture of a woman fused with an octopus-mermaid hybrid — gills, fins, and tentacles — perched atop the downtown Traffic Management Center, created by artist Trace O'Connor in 2008. Most locals walk right past without ever noticing the creature looming overhead.
The move: Stroll west Colorado Avenue at dusk and challenge each other to be the first to spot the tentacled creature on the rooftop, then grab drinks once one of you finds her.
📍 Before you go She perches on the roof of the city's Traffic Management Center on the north side of W. Colorado Avenue, just east of the I-25 interchange — a working city facility, so the whole encounter happens from the sidewalk, not inside. A small parking area sits off W. Colorado Ave below the building, or leave the car in the downtown core and walk a few blocks west. At 12 feet tall and 19 feet wide in 4,200 pounds of reclaimed steel, she's easy to miss only because nobody thinks to look up at a traffic-operations roofline. Pair her with America the Beautiful Park a few blocks southwest, or work back east through downtown's other Art on the Streets pieces.
- 📍 Downtown Colorado Springs
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 234 W. Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3
last checked: 2026-06-09