Montrose County Historical Museum
Like many small towns along the Western Slope, Montrose has a strong history of pioneering and railroads. This museum displays and preserves the historic and cultural legacy of Montrose.
The museum is housed in the original 1912 Denver and Rio Grande Depot in downtown Montrose. In the late 1800s, the narrow gauge railroad passed through the depot, making it a great spot to learn about this period in history.
The Museums Of Western Colorado
This multidisciplinary museum is home to three separate sites in the Grand Valley:
- Cross Orchards Historic Site is located in Grand Junction and spans 12 acres. It includes historic buildings, railroad cars and vintage equipment, and agricultural artifacts.
- Dinosaur Journey Museum is a hands-on museum located in Fruita. Visitors can see actual fossils, skeleton casts, and animatronic dinosaurs.
- Museum of the West is located in Grand Junctions downtown area. Experience the real Wild West by flying a 1958 Cessna, learning about Ute and Fremont Rock Art, taking a seat in a tiny one-room schoolhouse, and more.
Dive Into History At The Museum Of The West
The Old West was a wild place. From cowboys and outlaws, legends and myths, boom towns and busts, the West has undoubtedly earned the title, Wild. You can rediscover all that history in Downtown Grand Junction at the Museum of the West.
For many in the Old West, there was no tool more important than ones pistol. Cowboys counted on them for protection, outlaws used them in robberies and sheriffs relied on them to keep the peace. A pistol can tell a story, and the Museum of the West has one of the largest historical firearm collections in the country.
Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley were famous across the United States. Their Wild West shows and sharp shooting displays entertained thousands of people. When their traveling show visited Grand Junction in September 1908, over 10,000 people were in attendance. A set of pistols given to Annie by her husband can be seen, as well as one of Buffalo Bill’s revolvers. It is believed that in his later years, Buffalo Bill started loading his revolvers with birdshot to make sure he could hit targets during performances.
Historical “Fort Worth Five” Photograph
Many uranium miners knew nothing about geography. Instead, they just walked around the wilderness with a Geiger counter until the thing started pulsating. So high was the demand for Geiger counters that Gordon Babble founded the Uranium Engineering Company of Grand Junction where he produced Geiger counters that quickly became known for their accuracy and dependability.
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Origins Of The Museums Of Western Colorado
The Museum traces its origins through many incarnations and names. The first vestiges of the museum can be traced to 1949 and an early building efforts by the Memorial Museum Association. In 1952, it is reorganizes as the Western Slope Museum Association, which assembles much of the museums core collection. Despite the associations efforts, there is no physical museum until 1965 with the incorporation of the Museum of Arts and Sciences. In 1977 name changes to the Museum of Western Colorado.
Since the name change, the museum has branched out onto additional campuses with varied foci. Yet, the core collection remains with the Museum of the West, focusing on the last 1,000 years of Colorado history from the Ancestral Pueblo to a 1958 Cessna. Over 100,000 visitors encounter the Museums of Western Colorado each year.
Museum Of The West Museums Of Western Colorado
Museum of the West, Museums of Western ColoradoGrand Junction“This is a great place to take the entire family”
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Thanks to the past support from our community, the Museums of Western Colorado has become the largest multi-disciplinary museum complex between Salt Lake City and Denver. It includes three major museum facilities Cross Orchards Historic Site, Dinosaur Journey Museum, and the Museum of the West the Loyd Files Research Library and four outdoor paleontology sites. We offer a multitude of programs and services including dinosaur expeditions and gift shops. Annually, over 100,000 people visit museum facilities and participate in our programs. The MWC is one of the most significant cultural institutions on the Western Slope and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mesa County.
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Do You Want To Find Out About The Real Wild West
Experience western Americana at its best through thousand years of history. Ride in a stagecoach, fly a 1958 Cessna from Walker Field, or gaze upon an ancient cup and ladle from the Anasazi. Study Ute and Fremont Art, see the real firearms that outlaws used, sit in a one-room schoolhouse, and visit the Pastime saloon all at the Museum of the West!
Our special exhibit currently in the Temporary Gallery explores 1920s Era Fashion & Culture. Come see it before its gone!
Museum Of The West Old Spanish Trail North Branch
Located at the renovated C.D. Smith Warehouse at 5th and Ute Avenue. The Museum of the West houses exhibits on Western Colorado with a regional perspective. Come explore the life and times of the people who formed and shaped the area we now call Grand Junction.
In the Native American Gallery, you will see items used for daily living and hunting. Learn how the Mountain men traveled the Old Spanish Trail to trade and guide explorers, eager to chart the unknown West. Ride in a reproduced Mud Wagon Stagecoach from the 1880s.
Take the elevator up the Tower for a fascinating, 360° view of the Grand Valley and the Old Spanish Trail. Exhibits provide information about the history of the Trail and the surrounding area.
The Old Spanish Trail, North Branch has a full and rich history dating back to the Native American trade and migration routes and continues to be of use today. Visitors can explore the trail by hiking, mountain biking, or on horseback. Mountain men traveled the Old Spanish Trail for trading and guiding explorers eager to chart the unknown West. Guests can learn more about The Old Spanish Trail at The Museum of the West and get their Passports stamped.
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Spooky Pub Crawl With Vida Jaber
Get in the spooky spirit with a walking pub tour with Museum of the West curator, Vida Jaber. Who was murdered in your favorite downtown pub? This walking tour will explore the early and colorful history where three local pubs have taken up residence. In between stops, tour participants will learn about the mysteries and murders of early downtown Grand Junction. All participants …
The Daily Opening Times Of Museum Of The West In Grand Junction
The following overview lists the visiting hours for Museum of the West in Grand Junction. The hours of the current day are highlighted. Please note that opening hours on special days or holidays may differ from what is displayed here. We therefore recommend you to always check the opening hours with Museum of the West before your visit.
Want to know when Museum of the West is open? These are the opening hours:
| Monday |
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Admission Prices & Discounts For Tickets To Museum Of The West In Grand Junction
The following overview lists the admission prices and various discounts and discount codes for a visit to Museum of the West in Grand Junction. All prices are displayed per age group or reduced rate group. You can also directly book your discounted online ticket for the Museum of the West here, if available.
Wondering what a ticket to Museum of the West costs? These are the prices:
New Exhibit At Museum Of The West
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Museum of the West in Grand Junction has installed a new contemporary Native American heritage exhibit. The exhibit is called The Art of Tradition, which features artists from all over the Colorado Plateau and Greater Southwest. Contemporary Native American art includes bronzes, pottery, and weaving. According to Libbie Early, with the Museums of Western Colorado, a key part of the exhibit is celebrating the artistic styles of how the peoples have adapted their artwork to reflect the changes of contemporary life. This exhibit will become one of their permanent exhibits.
The exhibit fits in our collections because it shows the contemporary side of Native American art, and it is exhibited right next to our historical Native American pottery collection. So it is really lovely to be able to walk from one gallery to the other and see the traditions of Native American art through hundreds of years, said Early.
This new exhibit is also the first exhibit at the museum to have complete Spanish translations and hopes to continue to offer language translations for future exhibits.
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Loyd Files Research Library
For the research-inclined, this museum also houses the Loyd Files Research Library. Its a repository of primary sources of information about the regions cultural and natural history. The collection includes photographs, manuscripts, maps, and more. Its also associated with the Mesa County Oral History Project, which collects and records interviews with Mesa County pioneers and their children.
Museum Of The West Historical Firearms
Posted Tags: museum, Museum Of The West, old west, Sheriff
Romanticized in countless movies, the Old West was the epitome of white hat law dogs versus black hat scoundrels. In reality, however, it was an unforgiving life on the high plains with days of never ending, back breaking labor by families just trying to make a life for themselves. Of course, gunfighters both good and bad existed, carrying some historic weaponry. At the Museum of the West in Grand Junction, Colorado, there are several exhibits displaying guns from famous historical figures Its worth the trip if you are ever staying or driving through.
Did any of these guns actually Win The West? Doubtful. More likely a solid lever action rifle or a double-barreled shotgun was the tool used most often to put food on the table and protect the homestead. But its still fun to romanticize the Old West anyway.
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This almost looks like one of those giant foam hats youd get at the county fair.
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Im a sucker for an old top-break revolver.
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Kid Curry of Butch Cassidy and The Wild Bunch fame.
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The Old West was full of robbers and bandits. Apparently at the same time.
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Buffalo Bill needs no introduction.
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Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum
This museum occupies one of the oldest buildings in Crested Butte. Starting out as a blacksmith shop in 1883, it later became known as the Crested Butte Hardware Store, aka Tonys Conoco. It has served as a local gathering spot for decades.
Today, visitors can learn about the local culture of Crested Butte, as well as the history of skiing, coal mining, and mountain biking through its exhibits.
The Gunnison Pioneer Museum
This museum aims to preserve the history of Gunnison Countys pioneers.
The 14-acre property in Gunnison has an impressive number of attractions and exhibits, like the towns old post office, railroad depot, school, pole barn, and more. Its an ideal place to explore the past and get a taste for what life used to be like for Gunnison Countys early settlers.
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