Colorado’s history and beyond are preserved and exhibited at museums all across the state. They’re a great way to learn about the past while appreciating the present. Colorado has all types of museums, from world-class art galleries to historic cliff dwellings.
List of Museums
Most of the museums in Colorado are open year-round. However, there are a fair share of seasonal ones, usually when it relates to a summer activity, such as a railroad museum, or if it’s outdoors, like the South Park City Museum, a relocated Old West town.
A
Amache Museum — Granada
American Mountaineering Museum — Golden
American Museum of Western Art – Denver
ANA Money Museum – Colorado Springs
Arvada Center History Museum — Arvada
B
Black American West Museum – Denver
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art – Boulder
Breckenridge Sawmill Museum – Breckenridge
Buell Children’s Museum – Pueblo
Buena Vista Heritage Museum — Buean Vista
Buffalo Bill Museum – Golden
C
Camp Amache Relocation Center – Granada
Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum – Dolores
Castle Rock Historical Society & Museum — Castle Rock
Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus — Denver
Clyfford Still Museum – Denver
Colorado Music Hall of Fame – Denver
Colorado Railroad Museum – Golden
Colorado Snowsports Museum – Vail
Colorado Sports Hall Of Fame – Denver
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center – Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum – Colorado Springs
Cozens Ranch Museum – Fraser
Creede Historic Museum – Creede
Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum – Crested Butte
Cripple Creek District Museum – Cripple Creek
Cripple Creek Heritage Center – Cripple Creek
Crow Canyon Archeological Center – Cortez
Crowley County Heritage Center – Crowley
CU Museum of Natural History – Boulder
Cussler Museum – Arvada
D
Delta County Museum – Delta
Denver Art Museum — Denver
Denver Firefighters Museum – Denver
Denver Museum Of Nature & Science — Denver
Depot Art Gallery – Littleton
Dinosaur Journey Museum – Fruita
Dragon Man’s Military Museum – Colorado Springs
E
Edwin Carter Museum – Breckenridge
F
Fiske Planetarium – Boulder
Forney Museum of Transportation – Denver
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery — Fort Collins
Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center — Fort Garland
Fort Morgan Museum & Library – Fort Morgan
Fort Sedgwick Museum & Depot Museum – Julesburg
Four Mile Historic Park – Denver
Francisco Fort Museum – La Veta
Frisco Historic Park & Museum – Frisco
Frontier Historical Museum – Glenwood Springs
G
Gates Planetarium – Denver
Gateway Auto Museum – Gateway
George Rowe Museum – Silver Plume
Ghost Town Museum – Colorado Springs
Golden History Museum & Park – Golden
Grover Depot Museum – Grover
Gunnison Pioneer Museum – Gunnison
H
Hahns Peak Museum – Clark
Hamill House Museum – Georgetown
Hard Tack Mine Tours & Museum – Lake City
Hinsdale County Museum – Lake City
History Colorado Center – Denver
Hotel De Paris Museum – Georgetown
J
Jack Dempsey Museum – Manassa
John Denver Sanctuary – Aspen
K
Kit Carson County Carousel & Museum – Burlington
L
Leadville Heritage Museum – Leadville
Limon Heritage Museum – Limon
Littleton Museum – Littleton
Longmont Museum – Longmont
Louden-Henritze Archeology Museum – Trinidad
Lyons Redstone Museum — Lyons
M
Manitou Cliff Dwellings & Museum – Manitou Springs
Manitou Springs Penny Arcade — Manitou Springs
Matchless Mine – Leadville
May Natural History Museum – Colorado Springs
Michael Garman Museum & Gallery – Colorado Springs
Mines Museum of Earth Science – Golden
Miramont Castle Museum – Manitou Springs
Mizel Museum – Denver
Molly Brown House Museum – Denver
Montrose County Historical Museum – Montrose
Morrison Natural History Museum – Morrison
Museo De Las Americas – Denver
Museum Of Colorado Prisons – Cañon City
Museum of Contemporary Art – Denver
Museum of Northwest Colorado – Craig
Museum Of The Mountain West – Montrose
Museum of the West – Grand Junction
N
National Mining Hall Of Fame & Museum – Leadville
National Museum of World War II Aviation – Colorado Springs
Nederland Mining Museum – Nederland
North Park Pioneer Museum – Walden
O
Old Colorado City History Center – Colorado Springs
Old Town Museum – Burlington
Old Westcliff Schoolhouse & Museum – Westcliffe
Ouray Alchemist Museum – Ouray
Ouray County Museum – Ouray
Outlaws & Lawmen Jail Museum – Cripple Creek
P
Pagosa Springs History Museum – Pagosa Springs
Parkside Art Gallery & Café – La Veta
Penrose Heritage Museum – Colorado Springs
Peterson Air & Space Museum – Colorado Springs
Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center – Cascade
Pikes Peak Trolley Museum – Colorado Springs
Pioneer Town Museum – Cedaredge
Pioneer Village Museum – Hot Sulphur Springs
Play Street Museum – Colorado Springs
Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame & Museum – Colorado Springs
Pueblo Railway Museum — Pueblo
R
Red, White & Blue Fire Museum – Breckenridge
Redstone Castle – Redstone
Redstone Museum — Redstone
Rifle Heritage Center & Museum – Rifle
Rio Grande County Museum – Del Norte
Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center – Woodland Park
Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame – Colorado Springs
Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience – Cañon City
S
Saguache County Museum – Saguache
Salida Museum — Salida
San Luis Valley Museum – Alamosa
Silver Cliff Museum – Silver Cliff
Smokey Jack Observatory – Westcliffe
South Park City Museum – Fairplay
Southern Ute Museum & Cultural Center – Ignacio
Space Foundation Discover Center – Colorado Springs
Spanish Peaks Arts Council – La Veta
Summit Historical Society – Dillon
Swetsville Zoo – Fort Collins
T
Tracks & Trails Museum – Oak Creek
Trinidad History Museum – Trinidad
U
Underground Mining Museum – Creede
US Olympic & Paralympic Museum – Colorado Springs
Ute Indian Museum – Montrose
V
Vehicle Vault – Parker
Victor Lowell Thomas Museum – Victor
W
Western Museum of Mining & Industry – Colorado Springs
White River Valley Museum – Meeker
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum – Denver
World Figure Skating Museum & Hall of Fame – Colorado Springs
Y
Yampa-Egeria Museum – Yampa
Guide to Museums in Colorado
From the American Indians to the Old West gold rush, Colorado has a long rich history. Explore its culture at local museums around the state.
Whatever you’re into or want to learn about, chances are high you can find it here. Nearly every notable town has a museum of sorts, whether it’s about the town or county’s local history or something unique to the area. We have museums for: art, sports, trains, kids, miners, firefighters, jails, cars, dinosaurs, and on and on.
While visiting a museum might not be a hair-raising, adrenaline-packed couple of hours, it can certainly be thrilling. If you have a vivid imagination, they are skilled at transporting you back in time through photographs and insightful texts. Most people end up spending longer than anticipated at your average museum, enjoying every moment.
And museums are for kids too. Most realize it’s families on vacation, and do their best to cater exhibits to all ages. If you’re in Denver, visit the Children’s Museum at Marsico Campus, for a fun-filled afternoon of interactive exhibits. Even the Denver Art Museum has a section for kids to play in.
No matter what time of year or which part of Colorado you’ll be visiting, there’s always a lesson to be learned at a nearby museum. Fees are reasonable and generally go towards a rewarding cause, such as keeping the lights on. Support a local museum on this trip.
Related Activities
Let your mind wander to an ancient Ancient Puebloan village or learn about dinosaurs. See what’s left of many old towns from the mining boom. Or go inside a mine and experience Colorado’s history first-hand.
