Overview Of Colorado Springs Ghost Town Museum
The Ghost Town Museum was established in 1954 and currently serves as a preservation of Colorados Wild West heritage. See, back in the olden days of the 1800s, 1858 to be exact, the Colorado area had a rallying cry, Pikes Peak or Bust. The significance of this phrase stemmed from the Colorado Gold Rush, when thousands of miners rushed the western frontier in search of gold. From the 1860s through the 1870s, individuals filled the West, turning it into their own functioning community. That was until the gold eventually ran out, and miners quickly abandoned the area, turning them into ghost towns.
Dont worry! Theres nothing to be afraid of because the museum isnt haunted or scary, but the area resembles a bygone era. The museum brings the site back to life by preserving a lost generation, and the town is an indoor collection of the same structures left behind from the 1870s.
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Ghost Town Museum Serves As A Permanent Example Of Colorados Wild West Towns
Today almost nothing remains of those exciting days of the old west a scattered pile of lumber, a tumbled pile of rocks, an occasional wagon wheel, or a piece of equipment. The rip-roaring camps of 100 years ago have faded into memories. The term ghost town is somewhat of a misnomer as theres nothing haunted or scary about these striking ruins of a bygone era.
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Adventures With Alan Visits The Ghost Town Museum
COLORADO SPRINGS In our exclusive new series Adventures with Alan, we’ll travel across Southern Colorado week-by-week to show you thrills and chills, hidden gems and well-known spots.
This week, our adventures take us to the Ghost Town Museum in Colorado Springs.
The museum has been opened to the public since 1954, and is now in its third generation of family operations.
It can be found inside the old Colorado Midland Railway Train Workshop, which dates back to 1899 and once served as a maintenance building for steam locomotives.
The museum famously portrays the Pikes Peak Gold Rush Era, a period of time from the late 1800s to early 1900s.
General Manager Dave Harris tells News 5 that the museum gives visitors the chance to see an authentic Colorado old west town from more than a century ago.
Towns like this thrived before the turn of the century, but were largely abandoned once mines were emptied of their treasures.
Today, remaining ghost towns and the Ghost Town Museum serve as a reminder of Colorado’s wild, wild west.
In the museum, you’ll find a collection of shops and businesses filled with authentic artifacts.
According to Harris, the buildings in the museum actually came from abandoned ghost towns in the Pikes Peak Region.
“All these buildings were basically reduced and taken down back in the 1950s and brought here and rebuilt, and each one of them is a small business as if it were in operation today,” said Harris.
Experience The Wild West Near Fort Carson At The Ghost Town Museum
The Ghost Town Museum is a fun, exciting experience for families to learn about the rich history of Colorados Wild West heritage. Families can explore artifacts, participate in gold panning, play in old-fashioned arcades, or watch flicks at the nickelodeon. Located in Colorado Springs, next to Fort Carson, the Ghost Town Museum is an ideal spot for military families to enjoy family time.
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What Folks Are Sayin
Unexpected surprise!
Weve roamed around a number old western towns and ghost towns through the years, but were very much surprised at how many authentic items this museum has. The collection is fantastic and creatively displayed inside of a buildingYou could almost imagine yourself in a John Wayne movie.
Fun time
Turned back the clock to another era. Great time with kids and seeing all the antiques on display. Panning for gold was a hit with all the kids from 12 to 70!!
What Is There To Do
Set those watches back, it’s time to travel back over 100 years to the very fascinating western past of Colorado! Ghost Town Museum is an amazing, fun and historic look at an old west town that used to actually thrive in the region back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Kids will love exploring the boardwalk which connects all of the authentic looking stores – from the Blacksmith’s Shop, to the general store, and of course that famous Saloon of the Western era!
Each of the stores are filled with hundreds and thousands of artifacts which capture what it would have been like to live during this remarkable era.
It was actually back in 1858 when this area opened up to the gold prospector. Gold mining was a significant factor that led to Colorado becoming a state, and the miners quickly populated the town – and thus settlement spread! It’s fascinating to walk through the Ghost Town Museum and think about all the people who would have lived in such a town. What would they have been like?
What would a gold mine town be without a little gold panning! During summer kids can actually pan for real gold, and of course if you are new to it, don’t worry – they’ll show you how!
Ghost Town Museum also have fun, hands-on activities, including great old time arcades. Plenty to keep the family entertained, and it’s great for kids to learn all about this iconic era, and what it really would have been like.
Saddle up partners, its the Old West come back to life!
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Come Visit Goldfield Ghost Town
Come and visit Goldfield Ghost Town today! Walk down Main Street, explore the many shops and historic buildings. Tour the historic Mammoth Gold Mine and visit the Goldfield Museum. Pan for gold then take a ride on Arizonas only narrow gauge train. Youll also get to witness an old west gun fight performed by the famous Goldfield Gunfighters! Spend a fun filled day, rich in wild west history!
Back in the 1890s Goldfield boasted 3 saloons, a boarding house, general store, blacksmith shop, brewery, meat market and a school house. Just when it looked like the town would outgrow Mesa, the vein faulted, the grade of ore dropped and the town died a slow painful death.
After several unsuccessful attempts to reopen the mines, the town did come to life again from 1910 on and off until 1926. After more than 115 years, travelers from all over the world still visit this gold mining town located on the historic Apache Trail and enjoy the excitement and grandeur of Arizonas wild west!
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Ghost Town Museum Cost
Admission is affordable for adults, it costs $7.50 per ticket, for children 6-16 years old, tickets cost $5.50, and children below age 6 get in for free. If you plan on going with a group of ten or more, you can get $1 off each ticket. Schools and daycares on field trips only need to pay $3 per person, and gold panning is also included in the ticket prices.
Theres Something For Everyone At The Ghost Town Museum
There are plenty of ways to get involved and participate at one of the coolest museums in Colorado springs. Check out the preserved towns, which feature authentic buildings and artifacts from the Pikes Peak region that have been preserved for generations. Or, get hands-on by cracking a butter churn, testing your marksman skills at the shooting gallery, playing arcade games, and panning for real gold.
Dont forget to check out the gift shop because you can purchase trinkets, treasures, and T-shirts for all ages. No matter what you decide to do at the Ghost Town Museum, theres something for everyone to enjoy.
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Ghost Town Museum Is Born
Ghost Town Museum evolved from a desire to preserve this era for generations to come. Our town is an indoor collection of the very structures that were left to decay around the Pikes Peak region, all looking much as they would have 100 years ago. An impressive array of everyday artifacts is displayed in each building.
The museum is housed inside a historic stone structure. In 1899, the Colorado Midland Railroad constructed it as a maintenance building for the steam locomotives that hauled gold ore to the Golden Cycle Mill, once located across the street from the museum. The Roundhouse next door and the Ghost Town Museum are all that remain of the operations of the Golden Cycle Company, which closed the facilities in 1949.
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Ghost Town Wild West Museum
Selected by Mobile Travel Guide and Family Circle Magazine as one of the fifty-five special attractions of America. The Ghost Town Museum in Old Colorado City allows you to explore a town that existed long before smart phones and text messages. From fun games to interesting tidbits of history, the museum has plenty to offer to people of all ages.
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We Have Arrived In The Past
From the moment you walk in you are immediately overcome with a sense of astonishment and intrigue that can only be related to that of walking into Disney World. The large warehouse room is set up like an old western street complete with: saloon, kids shooting range, and even a wild west barber shop. Just outside this room is an area where you can pan for gold just like they did back in the 1800s. The next room transports you into a historically accurate wild west home that will put your modern day home into a unique perspective. Finally upon exiting the tour you are shown a brief informative video that explains things such as why these towns came to be called ghost towns and the historical significance of the location of the museum itself.
The Ghost Town Museum was a fun and quaint place to visit. A fantastic adventure for kids and a very interesting and informative experience for adults The Ghost Town Museum is an intriguing experience for all.
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The Wild West Preserved
Ghost Town Museum serves as a permanent example of Colorados Wild West towns. There are many hands-on activities for the young and old: Crank a butter churn. Operate an old-time arcade or nickelodeon. See a short film on the gold mining era. Pan for real gold in the seasonal panning areas! Shop for Colorado gifts, have a picnic, or sip an old-fashioned sarsaparilla. The museum is handicap accessible.
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