Museums Archaeology
Colorado

Browse Museums

Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising
Fort Collins, Colorado

Archaeology, Art, General, History, Science, Specialized, University

The Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising is Colorado State University’s historic costume and textiles collection. Its mission is the exploration of the aesthetic, social, cultural and physical significance of textiles, dress and interior furnishings. The collection originated in the early 1950s as a small faculty teaching resource in the former Department of Home Economics; until 2009, storage and exhibition space in the Gustafson Gallery were housed in the Gifford Building.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver, Colorado

Anthropology, Archaeology, Children's, General, History, Library, Natural History, Nature Centers, Planetarium, Science

A variety of exhibitions, programs, and activities help Museum visitors experience the natural wonders of Colorado, Earth, and the universe.

Gustafson Gallery
Fort Collins, Colorado

Archaeology, Art, Culture, History, Science, Specialized, University

The Gustafson Gallery features regular exhibitions of creative student and faculty apparel design and merchandising scholarship.

Hotel De Paris Museum
Georgetown, Colorado

Archaeology, Art, Culture, General, History, Historic House, Specialized

Hotel de Paris founder Louis Dupuy, a native of Alencon, France, is considered the father of domestic science (today, we call it home economics). Dupuy's luxurious Norman-style inn made culinary history throughout the Western United States of America. Hotel de Paris Museum (HdPM) was Georgetown's first museum and created an interest in historic preservation in the Georgetown and Silver Plume communities. For over half a century, HdPM has educated school groups and the general public as to the importance of the hotel and to the diversity of the western silver mining community and the development of the Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District, the State of Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain area in the late 19th Century.

Overland Trail Museum
Sterling, Colorado

Archaeology, Culture, General, Historic House, Military, Park

At the Overland Trail Museum, located on Highway 6, east of the South Platte River in northeastern Colorado, your family can travel back in time and imagine themselves as part of the historic migration of gold seekers and early pioneers. Built in 1936, the museum was named after the Overland Trail stage route that branched off from the Oregon Trail in Nebraska and followed the south bank of the South Platte River through northeastern Colorado. This famous route was arguably the heaviest traveled road in America—and maybe even in the world—between 1862 to 1868.

Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center
Woodland Park, Colorado

Archaeology, Children's, General, Natural History, Nature Centers, Park, Science, Specialized

Visitors to the center enjoy its wide collection of fossilized animals from the late Cretaceous period. A movie in the center's theater shows how scientists dig up fossils and get them ready for display. Even better, visitors can peer through windows into the paleo lab and watch specimens being prepared.

City of Greeley Centennial Village Museum
Greeley, Colorado

Archaeology, Children's, Culture, General, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Library, Park, Specialized

The 30+ buildings set amid beautiful landscaping on 8 acres give the feel of a reproduction village showcasing how early Greeley and Weld County settlers lived, worked, played and worshipped. The High Plains area features Native American tipis, a homesteaders shack, chuck wagon and Warren Monfort farmhouse, where the 'Cattle Trails and Tales' exhibit traces the birth of the meat packing industry in Greeley. The central square features homes of various immigrant groups, a one-room school, church, railroad depot and streetcar. The 1920s business section has a working blacksmith shop, print shop and fire station with living quarters on the second floor. There is also an agricultural section with granary, silo and various farm implements.

Fort Morgan Museum
Fort Morgan, Colorado

Archaeology, Culture, General, History, Historical Society, Library, Nature Centers, Park

The Fort Morgan Museum tells the story of Fort Morgan, Morgan County, and NE Colorado. We have bones, arrowheads, an amazing soda fountain and many more items as part of our permanent exhibits.

History Colorado Center
Denver, Colorado

Archaeology, Culture, History, Historical Society, Library, Natural History, Science

True Colorado experiences come alive at the History Colorado Center! The landscape of Colorado was shaped over millions of years. Its natural beauty is diverse and unmatched. Its people? They're just as distinctive. Visitors of all ages will experience Colorado's rich history from a whole new perspective in exhibitions that blend technology, artifacts and environments to shape compelling stories. Prepare to traverse an 40x60-foot map of the state with a storytelling “time machine;” travel the plains virtually in a Model T; don a headlamp and descend into a hard-rock mine; and soar off the world’s first ski jump. Do all of these activities and more among Colorado’s most historic treasures.

National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum
Leadville, Colorado

Archaeology, General, History, Library, Science, Specialized

Located in the famous 1880's silver mining boomtown of Leadville, Colorado at the top of Colorado's Rocky Mountains, the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum is a monument to the memory of the men and women who pioneered the discovery, development and processing of our nation's natural resources. Mining's colorful history is showcased throughout the facility.

Rocky Ford Museum
Rocky Ford, Colorado

Anthropology, Archaeology, Culture, General, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Library, Military, Park

EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF ROCKY FORD and life in the Arkansas Valley at the Rocky Ford Historical Museum. Housed in a Carnegie Public Library built in 1908, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Museum takes a broad look at the area history from 1878 to date. The collection includes objects documenting the Arkansas Valley Fair, Watermelon Day, the sugar industry and the everyday life of the people of the Arkansas Valley. Exhibits also focus on the geology, anthropology, and archaeology of the region. Highlights include an early Watermelon Day porcelain set from the Swink family, animals molded from beeswax, woolly mammoth skull, early fire truck and firefighting equipment, and memorabilia from prominent local families.

Surface Creek Valley Historical Society - Pioneer Town Museum
Cedaredge, Colorado

Arboretum, Archaeology, Church, Culture, General, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Park

The mission of the Society is to maintain a repository for the preservation of the history of the Surface Creek Valley and to operate and maintain Pioneer Town for the education and enjoyment of the public

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

Wednesday, February 5 - Friday, February 7, 2025

Ina Dillard Russell Library Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Hosted by: Georgia Association of Museums

The Whole Story Is The Meanin

“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”― Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners: Occasional Pros

Join us in Milledgeville, Georgia, for the annual Georgia Association of Museums conference as we explore the profound wisdom of Milledgeville author Flannery O'Connor’s words. In a world where narratives intersect and perspectives diverge, this theme invites proposals that delve into the essence of storytelling within museums and cultural institutions. Our work in the museum field requires us to look at stories from as many angles and perspectives as possible so that we might do our best to tell the “whole story.

Through thought-provoking discussions, interactive workshops, and engaging presentations, we will uncover the layers of meaning embedded within every artifact, exhibition, and historical account. Just as O’Connor masterfully crafted narratives that resonate with universal truths, museums hold the power to illuminate the whole story behind many objects, artworks, and cultural phenomena

We will examine how museums can embrace inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in their storytelling practices. By acknowledging multiple perspectives and amplifying marginalized voices, we can enrich our understanding of the past and present, fostering empathy and connection within our communities.

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

Monday, February 17 - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Hosted by: Small Museum Association

The annual SMA conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues.

We offer a large Museum Resource Hall and plenty of informal networking opportunities for you to talk with (and get ideas from!) other small museum professionals and volunteers

Theme for 2025: Make It Happen!!!

Is there an exhibit, program, or fundraiser that you've been talking about doing for years? Do you feel stuck because of procrastination, lack of board support, or insufficient funds? It's time to take action

At SMA 2025, small museum professionals will share their tips and tricks of how they made it happen!

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

Tuesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

Hosted by: California Association of Museums

CAM is hard at work planning for the 2025 conference, set to take place from February 18–22, 2025 in San Francisco. We look forward to highlighting best practices and innovative ideas from California's museum community

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2025. We will not be requiring proof of COVID vaccination/s, but highly encourage vaccination and boosters. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are also encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

For more information, please email programs@calmuseums.org.

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

Saturday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Inn at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Hosted by: Virginia Association of Museums

2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

September 10 - 13, 2025

Cincinnati, Ohio

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

Wednesday, September 10 - Saturday, September 13, 2025

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hosted by: American Association for State and Local History

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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