Great museums tell compelling stories, wrapping visitors into their worlds and immersing them in the broad topics of history, art, culture and science. When a museum is done well, visitors emerge with lasting links to the information and the experience.

COURTESY ASPEN ART MUSEUM / DEREK SKALKO

While you may think that only cities have great museums, Colorado’s mountain towns offer four institutions that are leaders in their fields, with influence ranging from local to international.

ASPEN ART MUSEUM > Aspen

Even if you don’t think of yourself as an “art museum person,” the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) is worth your time.

COURTESY ASPEN ART MUSEUM STUDIO DUBUISSON

With no admission charge (thanks to a gift from John and Amy Phelan), there is no barrier to experiencing contemporary art in Aspen.

Housed in an airy, multi-story building sheathed in woven wood, the distinctive museum isn’t large. It features just six galleries, a black box theater, a gift shop and a rooftop cafe and deck. But it is important as the only accredited art museum on Colorado’s Western Slope.

The Aspen Art Museum does not have a permanent collection. Exhibits rotate frequently and incorporate a diverse range of media and taste.

“If you don’t see or experience something that captures your attention, come back again. There is always something new to see or do,” encourages Jeff Murcko, AAM communications director.

In addition to providing on-site exposure to the arts, AAM plays an important community role, collaborating with regional school districts and nonprofits to bring art to populations that otherwise might not have access.

While casual visitors may not feel the impact of the AAM’s outreach, all will feel welcome and free to explore their reactions to art in a distinctly relaxing way.

Take in one gallery or all six, but don’t miss the rooftop deck.

Or as Murcko puts it, “Come to the museum. Enjoy the view. Experience something beautiful, enriching and free.”

CANYON OF THE ANCIENTS VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM > Dolores

Canyon of the Ancients is a vast national monument in southwestern Colorado, a region of human population for over 10,000 years.

The Visitors Center and Museum in Dolores is a focal point for national and international researchers and archaeologists. It is also a must-see for anyone, of any age, who is interested in archaeology, history, culture and the mysteries of those who came before us.

Created from millions of artifacts excavated between 1978 and 1983, exhibits are hands-on, interactive and stunningly beautiful.

Native American consultants assist with research and interpretation, providing authentic knowledge and voices to the exhibits, which include a full-scale pit house and a timeline of artifacts showing evidence of migration, trade routes and crops. Hands-on exhibits include weaving on a Pueblo-style loom, grinding cord and touching artifacts such as bone drills, stone points, pottery and the like. Behind-the-scenes curation tours are also available.

Outside the museum, there is a paved, half-mile trail to Escalante Pueblo, dating from the mid-1100s, as well as gardens of native plants and a picnic area.

A perfect first stop before you set out to tour the Monument’s larger, more remote sites, the museum also stands alone as an enriching survey of human history, close to home.

ERIC COULTER / BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

COLORADO SNOWSPORTS MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME > Vail

When the Colorado Snowsports Museum was created in 1976, the founders wanted a central location, so they chose Vail.

Originally, the museum functioned as a repository of maps, photos, ski gear, 10th Mountain Division ephemera and more, displayed in a style that former director Susie Tjossem called “grammy’s attic.”

Recognizing the need for an upgrade, $2.6 million was raised, and in June 2018, a newly configured, highly digitized and more compelling museum reopened.

Interested in old ski maps and photos? What used to be a painstaking search through files is now a simple digital query on a large interactive table. Search for current resorts and find maps dating back to their founding. Search for lost resorts and discover the many ski areas that defined even the smallest Colorado communities.

Interested in skis, snowboards, boots and other equipment? Check out the decades of gear on display, ranging from the late 1800s to the present day. Another display, 100 Years of Ski Fashion, started as a temporary exhibit but is now one of the museum’s most popular attractions.

In addition to providing a history of recreational snowsports, the museum also has the “most comprehensive 10th Mountain Division artifact collection on display in Colorado,” according to Jen Mason, the current director.

“Every item in the museum is significant to the history of snowsports,” Mason explains. “Every item has a story to tell.”

NATIONAL MINING HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM > Leadville

During the 19th century, Leadville was the epicenter of Colorado mining. Today, Leadville remains a mining community and home to the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum.

Federally chartered since 1988, the museum’s focus is national, honoring the history of mining in every region of the country from 1776 to the present. But history isn’t the only focus. Equally important is the institution’s aim to help visitors understand how mining and minerals are essential to contemporary daily living.

“Our entire quality of life depends on mining,” explains curator Myles Gallagher. “From cars to computers to toilets, to fertilizer and farm vehicles, mining impacts our entire society.”

To learn more about the importance of mining, one exhibit, called The Magic of Minerals, engages visitors in a cross-section of a typical residence, pointing out the myriad products made possible by mining.

Housed in a grand Victorian school, the museum has an important gem and mineral collection, including samples on loan from the Smithsonian. Walk-through hard rock and coal mines give visitors a taste of working underground, while rotating art exhibits are often featured.

All told, 25,000 square feet of exhibits celebrate and tell the story of mining, not as something of the past, but as something that matters to each of us every day.

Originally published in the Winter 2020 issue of Spoke+Blossom

Something for Everyone: Mountain Town Museums