Visit History Colorado
Expand Your Horizons. Inspire Curiosity. Experience Colorado Cultures.
Planning a trip to Colorado? Add stops to all of History Colorado’s 11 museums and historic sites around the state!
History Colorado offers hands-on experiences and interactive exhibitions that showcase the people, cultures, and stories that have shaped our state. Explore meticulously preserved historic homes, visit a 19th-century military fort and a re-created adobe trading post, or ride through the mountains on a railroad originally built in 1884 – these are just a few of the ways to experience the splendor of the Centennial State with History Colorado.
Our engaging and interactive locations are ideal not only for history buffs and families, but also for art lovers, nature enthusiasts, and anyone with a curiosity to learn more about what has made Colorado such a unique destination today and throughout the past. Plus, kids age 18 and under receive free general admission to all our museums every day!
Plus, History Colorado’s museums and historic sites are located near many of the state's most popular attractions, including national parks, ski resorts, thriving cities, quaint rural towns and an endless array of outdoor recreation, making them a perfect addition to any Colorado itinerary. Be sure to check out our event calendar to see what’s happening at History Colorado sites during your trip.
Discover our 11 museums and historic sites and start planning your trip today!
Interested in booking a group tour? Contact Jake Jensen at jake.jensen@state.co.us.
History Colorado Center - Denver
Our flagship location, the History Colorado Center in downtown Denver has more than 15 exhibitions that span four floors and capture the spirit of Colorado, including The Sand Creek Massacre: The Betrayal that Changed Cheyenne and Arapaho People Forever, which spotlights the living culture of the Cheyenne and Arapaho, two separate Tribes with distinct histories that were bound together forever after the tragedy at Sand Creek.
Other recent exhibitions include Virgil Ortiz’s Revolt 1680/2180: Runners + Gliders, a one-of-a-kind interactive experience that reimagines Puebloan time through Indigenous Futurism, featuring augmented reality, projection mapping, science-fiction storytelling, ancient artifacts, contemporary fashion design, and more. Visitors can also take a photo tour of our state’s exquisite beauty at Flow: On the River with John Fielder, showcasing the inimitable work of Colorado’s preeminent landscape photographer, or hear the stories of Colorado’s longest continuous residents, the Ute people, at Written on the Land, which shares their history in their own voices.
Additional offerings include the History Colorado Makerspace, where visitors of all ages can enjoy hands-on constructive experiences, and the on-site Café Rendezvous, offering a variety of breakfast and lunch fare with a uniquely Colorado twist.
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Distance to:
Denver Union Station - 2 miles
Denver International Airport - 25 miles
Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park® - 45 miles
Rocky Mountain National Park - 65 miles
History Colorado Center is located in downtown Denver’s bustling Golden Triangle Creative District, home to History Colorado’s Center for Colorado Women’s History and other cultural institutions such as the Denver Art Museum, Clyfford Still Museum, and the Colorado State Capitol, as well as dozens of unique shops, restaurants, cafes, parks, and more.
El Pueblo History Museum - Pueblo
The El Pueblo History Museum — nationally honored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services — incorporates a reconstructed and immersive 1840s trading post, an archeological site, and innovative exhibitions that explore the many cultural and ethnic groups of the region. Borderlands of Southern Colorado details the region’s complex geopolitical border history and ongoing borders of cultures, ethnicities, landscapes, industries, religions and identities. Or, visit You Should've Seen It: Pueblo's Mineral Palace, which follows the strange and little-known history of a now-demolished icon of the state. Located in downtown Pueblo, the museum is just steps from the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk, which includes one of the longest paintings in the world among many other art pieces, boat rides, restaurants, shops, and entertainment.
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Distance to:
Colorado Springs Airport - 43 miles
Royal Gorge Route Railroad - 51 miles
Denver - 114 miles
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - 123 miles
Denver International Airport - 130 miles
Center for Colorado Women’s History - Denver
The Center for Colorado Women’s History in Denver is a beautifully restored historic house museum that has been the home for inspiring women since 1883 and illuminates women’s impacts on both state and national history. Take a guided tour to learn about the many women who lived and worked in this home, and get an up-close glimpse of these families’ original belongings. In addition to guided tours, the Center for Colorado Women’s History currently features Vision and Resolve, an exhibition highlighting women and their social movements that have impacted Colorado’s history, on view in the exhibit gallery and throughout the entire home.
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Distance to:
Denver Union Station - 2 miles
Denver International Airport - 25 miles
Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park® - 45 miles
Rocky Mountain National Park - 65 miles
The Center for Colorado Women’s History is located in downtown Denver’s bustling Golden Triangle Creative District, home to the History Colorado Center and other institutions such as the Denver Art Museum, Clyfford Still Museum, the Colorado State Capitol, as well as dozens of unique shops, restaurants, cafes, parks, and more.
Ute Indian Museum - Montrose
Located in the breathtaking Western Slope of Colorado, the Ute Indian Museum in Montrose connects the historic and contemporary lives and culture of the Ute peoples, showing their deep traditions of adaptation and persistence through stunning exhibitions and features. The largest feature is the Ute Ethnobotany Garden, a haven for plants native to the Western Slope which have been used by Colorado's longest continuous residents for generations. The garden includes panels detailing the nutritional, medicinal, and practical uses of various plants and is joined by the new Naturescape Playground, an innovative public space where kids and families can connect with Mother Nature.
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Distance to:
Montrose Regional Airport - 6 miles
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - 15 miles
Telluride Ski Resort - 64 miles
Grand Junction - 64 miles
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad - 84 miles
Mesa Verde National Park - 140 miles
Denver International Airport - 300 miles
Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center - Fort Garland
Named a finalist for the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center allows visitors to explore life in a 19th century military fort by walking the parade grounds and touring original adobe buildings. The museum’s creative exhibitions include the newly opened buffalo soldiers: reVision, which disrupts the common narratives of manifest destiny and settlement of the American West through a more visual interpretation of the history and impact of the all Black Army regiments that were established in 1866 following the Civil War. The exhibition was created in collaboration with eight independent artists from around the country, whose creations range from prints layering historical photos and documents with contemporary drawings, to poetry which evokes the emotional toil of this part of our shared history.
Fort Garland is located near the Great Sand Dunes National Park, a natural wonder unlike any other in the United States, and makes for a great road trip from other History Colorado sites including Pike’s Stockade.
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Distance to:
Great Sand Dunes National Park - 27 miles
Pike’s Stockade - 39 miles
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad - 55 miles
Trinidad History Museum - 85 miles
El Pueblo History Museum - 97 miles
Colorado Springs Airport - 138 miles
Denver International Airport - 225 miles
Healy House Museum & Dexter Cabin - Leadville
Perched at an altitude of nearly two miles and surrounded by some of Colorado’s tallest mountains, the Healy House Museum & Dexter Cabin depict Western life in Leadville as a booming 19th-century silver mining town. These private homes were built in the late 1800s and restored and furnished to illustrate life during the bonanza mining period. Enjoy magnificent views as you stroll through the vibrant, lush gardens before taking a guided tour of these iconic structures.
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Distance to:
Breckenridge Ski Resort - 43 miles
Vail Ski Resort - 43 miles
Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park® - 57 miles
Denver International Airport - 124 miles
Trinidad History Museum - Trinidad
Trinidad History Museum features the historic Bloom Mansion and Baca House, two residences built in the late 19th century, as well as heritage gardens and the Santa Fe Trail Museum. Learn all about the region’s diverse cultural and ethnic heritage through lively events and exhibitions such as Borderlands of Southern Colorado and Children of Ludlow: Life in a Battlezone, 1913-1914, an award winning display that examines the Colorado Coalfield Strike and Ludlow Massacre through the eyes of the more than 9,000 children who endured the strike.
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Distance to:
Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center - 85 miles
El Pueblo History Museum - 86 miles
Colorado Springs Airport - 129 miles
Denver International Airport - 216 miles
Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park® - Georgetown
Located 45 miles west of Denver, the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park is one of Colorado’s most historically immersive experiences which offers daily train rides, mine tours, and gold panning demonstrations. An engineering marvel originally built in 1884, the railroad offers a wide variety of living history experiences, with special festive options available during winter holidays.
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Distance to:
Breckenridge Ski Resort - 37 miles
History Colorado Center - 45 miles
Denver Union Station - 45 miles
Denver International Airport - 69 miles
Rocky Mountain National Park - 73 miles
Fort Vasquez - Platteville
Visit the site of an 1835 fur-trading fort and follow the paths of founders Louis Vasquez and Andrew Sublette, who hired mountain men like Jim Beckwourth and Baptiste Charbonneau at their adobe outpost on the South Platte River frequented by the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Lakota people. Located just north of Denver, the Fort Vasquez historic site features a Welcome Center with interpretation, visitor information, and a gift shop.
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View photos from John Fielder's Colorado Collection of Weld County, where Fort Vasquez is located →
Distance to:
History Colorado Center - 36 miles
Center for Colorado Women’s History - 36 miles
Denver Union Station - 36 miles
Denver International Airport - 36 miles
Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park® - 78 miles
A view of the replica log fortress built by the men of the Pike Expedition in 1807.
Pike’s Stockade - Sanford
Pike’s Stockade is a historic site in the breathtaking San Luis Valley, seventeen miles southeast of Alamosa on the Conejos River in southern Colorado. It is a reconstruction of a log fortress built by United States soldiers on the Zebulon Pike Expedition in January 1807. The Stockade is an unstaffed historic site with lots to explore. In addition to the log fortress, the site offers educational panels, walking paths among scenic prairie land, restrooms, and picnic areas.
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Distance to:
Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center - 39 miles
Trinidad History Museum - 123 miles
El Pueblo History Museum - 135 miles
Colorado Springs Airport - 178 miles
Denver International Airport - 264 miles
Photo courtesy of Tara Koenke Photography
Grant-Humphreys Mansion - Denver
Located in the historic Quality Hill neighborhood, right in the charming heart of Denver, the beautiful Grant-Humphreys Mansion is a popular venue for weddings and special events. The mansion is surrounded by other historic buildings, and the area is home to some of the city’s best restaurants and bars.
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Distance to:
History Colorado Center - 1 mile
Center for Colorado Women’s History - 1 mile
Denver Union Station - 2.5 miles
Denver International Airport - 27 miles
Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park® - 45 miles
