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Art Museums & History Museums in Boulder County, Colorado
Agricultural Heritage Center: Farming at the turn of the 20th century. 8348 Ute Highway 66, west of Longmont, open Friday-Sunday through October. “Barnyard Critter Day” is June 27, 10am-4pm. 303-776-8848 James F. Bailey Assay Office Museum: Where miners took ore samples to see if they had struck it rich. 6352 Fourmile Canyon Drive, west of Boulder, open third Saturdays April-October, 303-776-8848 BOULDER HISTORY MUSEUM “The Power of Music,” a photographic exhibit of Americans and their musical instruments (1860-1915), runs through Aug. 8. On the first Sunday of every month, the museum offers free admission and free ice cream on the porch. Note that "free day" in July is the second Sunday because of the July 4 holiday.
BOULDER MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART (BMoCA) Admission to BMoCA is free during the Boulder County Farmers’ Market, Wednesdays 4-8pm and Saturdays 9am-1pm. Summer exhibitions open June 11 and run through Sept. 5. Social events include Pecha Kucha, a series of talks where presenters each show 20 slides and can only talk about each image for 20 seconds. See website for other museum events like lectures, demonstrations and classes. June 11: Summer Exhibitions Opening Reception, 5:30pm for members, 6:30pm for public
Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum Located in downtown Golden, this one-of-a-kind museum introduces visitors to the world of mountain and rock climbing. The first Wednesday of every month, the museum hosts the sPEAKers Series at 7pm; Thirsty 3RD Thursdays is a happy hour and music gathering the third Thursday of every month at 5:30pm. See website for details. CARNEGIE BRANCH LIBRARY FOR LOCAL HISTORY Boulder’s original library building houses historic Boulder County photographs and manuscripts. Children’s Museum of Denver Offers interactive playscapes, daily programming, storytimes and special events for children up to age 8. On the first Tuesday of every month, admission is free from 4-8pm. See website for special events. COLORADO HISTORY MUSEUM The Colorado History Museum is closed until the new History Colorado Center is ready in 2011. In the meantime, check the website for other Colorado Historical Society sites and museums around the state. Colorado Railroad Museum CRM’s sprawling, 15-acre grounds offer railroad cars and equipment; a roundhouse with visitors’ gallery for observing restoration work; a main building in the style of a 1880s depot; a reference library with 10,000 railroad-specific books; general store; and picnic area. CU ART MUSEUM The new “green” Visual Arts Complex, slated to open by the end of September, will house the expanded CU Art Museum and the Department of Art and Art History. Check the website for updates. CU HERITAGE CENTER Located in the University of Colorado’s original building, the Heritage Center preserves CU history in seven themed rooms, including the Architecture Gallery, the Distinguished Alumni Gallery, the President’s Room, and CU in Space. CU MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY The premier natural history resource in the Rocky Mountain region, the museum houses millions of geology, archaeology, paleontology and zoology specimens, five galleries, a nature photography section, and more. “Evolution: Here and Now,” on display through August, looks at the research of six CU scientists who are approaching the study of evolution from six vastly different directions. DENVER ART MUSEUM DAM makes its fabulous array of art and artists available to everyone with First Free Saturdays, offering free general admission to Colorado residents on the first Saturday of the month. You can also join the “Untitled” party on the last Friday of the month and enjoy art, music, performances and refreshments from 6-10pm. Call or check the website for information on lectures, tours, family activities, films and more.
DMMDT’s mission is to preserve, exhibit, collect and interpret the visual arts using miniatures, dolls and toys. The museum’s extensive collection includes permanent exhibits like miniature houses, trains and planes and antique dolls; temporary exhibits change every three months. Open Wednesday-Sunday. DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE DMNS features outstanding permanent exhibits, popular touring exhibits, an IMAX theater and the Gates Planetarium. “Body Worlds and The Story of the Heart,” running through July 18, reveals—through the lenses of anatomy, cardiology, psychology and culture—how the heart nourishes, regulates and sustains life. More than 200 human specimens are on display, including whole-body plastinates, organs and translucent body slices. Two IMAX films, “Arabia” and “Hubble,” run through Aug. 22. Dougherty Museum A collection of beautifully restored antique automobiles, including a 1915 Stanley Steamer, plus phonographs invented by Thomas Edison, antique musical instruments, and 19th-century farm equipment. Open Fri-Sun through Aug. 29, 11am-5pm. ESTES PARK MUSEUM Founded by volunteers in 1962, the Estes Park Museum collects, interprets and preserves local history and presents four temporary exhibits each year in addition to its permanent collections.
GOLDEN OLDY CYCLERY The owner of this museum has re-enacted Thomas Stevens’s 1885 ride, on a Penny-Farthing bicycle, from Liverpool to Tehran. Displays include more than 60 classic bicycles and 70 recorded readings of Victorian cycling poetry. The library houses over 120,000 pages of pre-1900 cycling journals. Open by appointment. GOLDEN HISTORY MUSEUMS GHM operates three historic sites in Golden: the Astor House Museum, Clear Creek History Park and the Golden History Center. Check online for details about each site and special events. LAFAYETTE MINERS' MUSEUM Refurbished 1890s coal miner’s home with displays of mining equipment and period household items. Open Thursdays and Saturdays 2-4pm, or by appointment. Leanin’ Tree Museum & Sculpture Garden of Western Art Some 250 paintings and 150 bronze sculptures make this museum one of the world’s largest private collections of contemporary Western American art. Don’t miss the sculpture garden. Open 8am-5pm weekdays; 10am-5pm weekends. Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum Housed in an 1893 blacksmith shop, the museum preserves Berthoud’s past through interpretive exhibits, school tours, lecture series and historic home tours. Open Wednesday-Sunday, 1-5pm or by appointment. LONGMONT MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER An outdoor courtyard and four exhibit spaces encourage visitors to explore Longmont’s history and culture. A permanent history exhibit spans 14,000 years of Longmont and Front Range history. See the MUSIC listings for information the museum’s summer concert series.
LOUISVILLE HISTORICAL MUSEUM Owned and operated by the city of Louisville, this museum features three historic buildings with an extensive collection of coal-mining artifacts and old photographs. The smallest building re-creates a miner’s home. Pick up a map of the Louisville Downtown Historical Walking Tour. Open every Wednesday and the first Saturday of each month, 10am-3pm. LOVELAND MUSEUM & GALLERY The 28,000-square-foot museum hosts history exhibits, arts classes, workshops, poetry readings and more, while the 4,000-square-foot gallery features regional, national and international exhibitions. “The History of Beekeeping in Colorado” is on display through Oct. 3. LYONS REDSTONE MUSEUM Gift shop and regional genealogy displays, housed in an 1881 redstone schoolhouse. Open daily June-September. Nederland Mining Museum Learn about hard rock mining, the tungsten boom and present-day conservation techniques at the museum. The historic Gillaspie House, built in 1907, displays clothing, accessories and furnishings found in typical early Nederland homes. Open weekends, May-September, 11am-3:30pm. Niwot Old Fire house Museum Original 1910 fire shed where the chemical firecart (now on display out front) was once stored. Open only during community events, or on walking tours given by the Niwot Historical Society, which operates the museum. Call Anne at 303-665-6932 for information. ROCKY MOUNTAIN QUILT MUSEUM A museum dedicated to the art of quiltmaking and quilt preservation, RMQM continues to expand its permanent collection of quilts. The museum presents 10 exhibits a year, highlighting different styles, histories or themes.
Wise Homestead Museum Artifacts, equipment, photographs and displays related to the history of the Erie area, plus a restored farmhouse dating back to the mid-1870s. Open Saturdays through October, 10am-2pm, and by appointment. WOW! (WORLD OF WONDER) MUSEUM Nonprofit children’s museum offers interactive science and art exhibits, classes, performances and workshops for children 1-11 and their families.
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