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Recent news releases are available
below. Please contact the Museum for more information.
Town of Estes Park
Press Releases
| Date |
News Release Title |
| November 11, 2009 |
Care of Photographs: An American Heritage Preservation Project |
| October 13, 2009 |
An American Quilt History |
| October 6, 2009 |
The Resourceful and Redoubtable Abner Sprague |
| September 28, 2009 |
Museum Hosts Emporia |
| September 22, 2009 |
Longs Peak: Nature, Mountaineers, and the National Park Service |
| September 22, 2009 |
Rocky Mountain Elk: A Local History Exhibit Opening |
| September 22, 2009 |
Hand-Coloring Greeting Cards for Kids |
| August 25, 2009 |
Hydroplant Closes for the
Season-Reopens June 1, 2010 |
| June 30, 2009 |
Community Case celebrates 150 years since Joel Estes’ arrival |
| March 3, 2009 |
Estes Park Museum receives grant from the IMLS |
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Care of Photographs at the Estes Park Museum: An American Heritage
Preservation Project
Join Estes Park Museum
Manager/Curator of Exhibits, Derek Fortini, at 200 Fourth Street when he
presents a program entitled Care of Photographs at the Estes Park
Museum: An American Heritage Preservation Project on November 14 at
2:00 p.m. With over 24,000 objects in the collection, curators are
confronted with many tasks to manage and care for the preservation of
objects. In 2008, the Estes Park Museum recognized that in order to
better protect and better serve the public, they needed to re-organize
one particular flat file storage cabinet that contained significant
oversized photographs, maps, and documents, and numerous pieces of
artworks. Both scholars and the general public come to the Museum
seeking answers to their questions regarding Estes Park History.
Objects in that cabinet ranged in age of creation from 1885 to 1990,
however these objects were difficult to access because of inadequate
facility space and organization. The primary concern for curators was
overcrowding. Every time an item was retrieved, the integrity of the
surrounding objects would be potentially sacrificed.
In an effort to reduce the
risk of harming these invaluable pieces, the Museum submitted a grant to
the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) American Heritage
Preservation seeking monetary support to acquire another flat file
storage cabinet and purchase archival materials to re-house those
objects. Upon being awarded the grant, the Curator of Collections
recruited the help of seven graduate students from the School of Library
& Information Management, Emporia State University to help with the
re-housing project.
Over the course of one
week, 413 objects were re-housed based on their shape and were stored in
shelves with enough room for protection and collections expansion. In
order to do so, all items were re-inventoried and corresponding files
were updated in the Estes Park Museum database. As a result of all the
hard work, the Museum will now be better able to access any of the
stored objects for promotion and use during programs, exhibit design, or
for research requests from the public. In this program, Fortini will
discuss how the project was executed with an inside look at current
conservation methods and a discussion about how to protect our precious
pieces from the past.
Back to Latest News |
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"An American Quilt History"
Join quilter and history enthusiast Paula
Neufeld on Saturday, October 24 at 2:00 p.m. for an exploration of the
functionality, art, and technique of quilts throughout history at the
Estes Park Museum. Neufeld will specifically discuss how quilts evolved
from utilitarian pieces, to cherished heirlooms passed down through
generations, to works of art hanging in museums. Whether traditional
quilts or contemporary masterpieces, questions exist about the origin of
patterns, how they moved across the country and how quilting evolved
into the industry it is today. Neufeld will guide participants on a
journey through time across America and tell stories of some of these
quilts and the quilters who stitched them. Neufeld, now a resident of
Loveland, Colorado, has been quilting for 30 years. The retired
operating room nurse calls quilting her “passion and sanity.” Neufeld
said, “With retirement, I am fortunate to be able to quilt as many hours
as there are in a day, and sometimes night.” With her strong interest
in history, Neufeld has been inspired to explore the context of quilts
in American history. Free and open to the public. Doors open at 1:30
p.m.
This program compliments a temporary exhibit
entitled Patchwork Storytellers that is on display until January
3, 2010 in the National Park Service Headquarters Building at the
Museum. The exhibit invites visitors to get to know quilts and what
they communicate through fabric, colors, and detailed patterns. Many
quilts are much more than patchwork – they are imaginative
storytellers. Come see historic quilts made in Estes Park and take part
in the Community Quilting Bee, an activity for children and adults to
make a quilt together.
Back to Latest News |
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“The Resourceful and Redoubtable Abner Sprague” reenactment
Celebrate the sesquicentennial of Estes Park’s first settlers with a
program at the Estes Park Museum on Friday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m.
entitled, “The Resourceful and Redoubtable Abner Sprague.” Local
librarian and performer Kurtis Kelly’s first-person reenactment will
capture the spirited stories of a pioneer who witnessed change and was a
catalyst for it. The presentation will last approximately 45 minutes,
leaving time for a brief discussion about Mr. Sprague’s life and
contributions to Estes Park. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. This program,
sponsored by the Estes Park Public Library and the Estes Park Museum, is
free and open to the public.
Abner Sprague was a young man when he
and his father filed homestead claims in Moraine Park in 1875. By the
time of his death in 1943, he had built tourist lodges in Moraine Park
and Glacier Basin; explored the early trails and routes to the
Continental Divide; surveyed for the railroads and for the early roads
to Estes Park; designed town plans for Estes Park, Loveland and Fort
Collins as Larimer County Surveyor; operated a stagecoach line; and
written dozens of essays documenting the early history of Estes Park.
Kelly has been performing
in historic reenactments for over ten years. In addition to Sprague, he
has performed as the legendary F. O. Stanley and land baron Lord
Dunraven. “Hearing history from a first-person perspective allows it to
come alive,” Kelly says. “Through storytelling and personal anecdotes,
we feel a familiar connection to these individuals that makes us
appreciate them with renewed interest and new insights.” Kelly is a
staff librarian at the Estes Park Public Library.
Since 2002, Kelly has
worked with the Stanley Museum of Estes Park. He has led hundreds of
people in the popular “Ghost Stories of the Stanley Hotel” talks and
tours. He has shared ghostly lore in interviews with many regional
newspapers and radio stations and in a one-time segment on National
Public Radio.
Back to Latest News |
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Estes Park Museum hosts Emporia State University students to assist with
Heritage Preservation project
During the week of September 13-18, the Estes Park
Museum hosted eight graduate students from Emporia State University in
Kansas to assist with a conservation project funded by a grant from the
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The funds allowed for
the acquisition of a flat file case and archival supplies to alleviate
overcrowding in the Museum’s map, oversize photograph and paper
collections. The collections cover a broad period dating from Estes
Park’s early settlement in the 1880s, through the establishment of Rocky
Mountain National Park in 1915, to important commercial developments of
the late 20th century. The independent study students, coordinated by
Dr. Nancy Thomas, provided in-kind matching support for the project.
They worked all week to allow for more efficient and safer access to
these materials for researchers, and greater use at less risk for
exhibits, publications, programs and related activities.
The Museum received the grant in February for $2,255
from the IMLS American Heritage Preservation Program, which awards
funding “to preserve treasures that convey the essential character and
experience of the United States.” American Heritage Preservation Program
grants are used by small museums, libraries and archives to help care
for and preserve specific items, including works of art, artifacts and
historical documents. After the cabinet was received, it was a big task
to re-house and inventory some 400 oversized archival materials.
The graduate Library Studies students gained
valuable experience working with the collection, and the Museum is
grateful for their help in assisting with it. “The project went even
better than planned,” said Derek Fortini, Curator of Collections and
Exhibits at the Estes Park Museum. “With the students’ help, we were
able to expand our current [archival] storage, re-house every [oversized
archival] item and inventory them into the collections database. In the
end, we now have a better means to care for our collection, and the
process exposed the students to real-life archival practices. We
couldn’t have done it without this capable group of students.”
The students’ participation was an outgrowth of the
“Archives in the Park” program between Rocky Mountain National Park and
Emporia State University which began in 1998. The program was revamped
this year with independent study students. While the primary focus was
the Estes Park Museum’s re-housing project, other participants in this
year’s session included the Public Library and Rocky Mountain National
Park.
Derek Fortini will offer a special program
called Care of Photographs at the Estes Park Museum: An American
Heritage Preservation Project on November 14 at 2:00 p.m. at the
Museum. Participants will gain a behind-the-scenes perspective on
collections care at the Museum. Fortini will discuss the new
collections storage project funded by IMLS and what it took to re-house
over four hundred objects. This program is free and open to the
public. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services
is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000
libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create
strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and
ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination
with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture and
knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional
development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit
www.imls.gov.
Back to Latest News |
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Longs Peak: Nature, Mountaineers, and the National Park Service
The Estes Park Museum, 200 Fourth Street, will host
a special program on Saturday, October 3, at 2:00 p.m. titled “Longs
Peak: Nature, Mountaineers, and the National Park Service.” Colorado
State University professor Dr. Ruth Alexander will explore links between
changing recreational patterns, emerging environmental values, and park
management. The presentation will last approximately 45 minutes, leaving
time for a brief discussion. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. This program,
cosponsored by the Estes Park Public Library and the Estes Park Museum,
is free and open to the public.
Dr. Alexander will tell the story of the growing
popularity of Longs Peak among hikers and technical climbers, especially
after 1960, and how Rocky Mountain National Park responded to the
increased numbers of backcountry enthusiasts who wanted to summit this
stunning, alluring, and physically challenging fourteener. Longs’
popularity was growing just as the modern environmental movement and a
new wilderness ethic were emerging. Rangers and park officials at Rocky
Mountain National Park sought to figure out how best to manage
mountaineers on Longs Peak so as to ensure that they had a positive
“visitor experience.” The park also sought to protect the peak’s
natural and cultural resources and wilderness values. The high numbers
of backcountry visitors to Longs Peak raised the complicated question:
is a hike or climb on Longs Peak in the modern era a “wilderness
experience?”
This program is cosponsored by the Estes Park
Library and is one of several special programs sponsored by the Library
as part of the ‘Year of the Archive.’ The Library’s 2009 focus on the
Local History Archive will digitize local historic newspapers, digitize
and transcribe the oral history collection, improve collection storage,
provide web access related to the archive collection, and significantly
improve the computer catalog of items of historical value maintained in
the library’s historic collection. Funding for all of the Library’s
‘Year of the Archive’ efforts has been generously provided by the
Friends of the Library.
Back to Latest News |
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Rocky Mountain Elk: A
Local History
exhibit opens October 2
The Estes Park Museum,
located at 200 Fourth Street, will open Rocky Mountain Elk: A Local
History, a new temporary exhibit, on October 2 at 5:00 p.m. The
exhibit will explore how elk came to live in the Estes valley and it
will reflect on their tremendous impact here. The public is invited to
join Museum staff and Friends for a free opening reception from 5:00 -
7:00 p.m. on October 2. The wine and hors d’oeuvres reception is
sponsored by the Town of Estes Park and the Estes Park Museum Friends &
Foundation, Inc. Door prizes for visitors will be drawn at 6:30 p.m.
Rocky Mountain Elk: A Local History will be on display through
April 25, 2010 in the main gallery of the Museum.
The
elk population that inhabits the Rocky Mountains descends from a
Eurasian species that most likely migrated across the Bering Strait
twelve million years ago. Those elk claimed this portion of the
Southern Rockies as their home for the past twelve thousand years and
their descendents have become an integral part of the ecosystem. When
the original population in this area was decimated due to hunting in the
late 1800s, two groups consisting of 29 and 24 elk each were
transplanted from the Jackson Hole region of Wyoming in 1913 and again
in 1915. The elk we see in Estes Park today originate from those
groups. Due to their size, mating rituals, and prominence in Estes
Park, elk are a draw for millions of tourists annually.
Make a stop at the Museum during Elktober
and discover the unique role the elk have contributed to the Estes
valley’s history, from their interactions with Native Americans and
settlers, to current issues such as overpopulation and chronic wasting
disease. Objects on display include historic photographs of the elk
transplant project, artwork, and collectible souvenirs from the Elkhorn
Lodge. Interactive stations throughout the exhibit encourage learning
about the animal. Rocky Mountain Elk: A Local History will be on
display through April 25, 2010.
Back to Latest News |
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Hand-Coloring Greeting Cards for Kids with Cheryl Pennington
Back by popular demand!
Children and their parents are invited to join artist Cheryl Pennington
from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. as she demonstrates the art of hand-coloring on
reproductions of classic Thanksgiving and Christmas greeting cards from
her grandmother’s collection, circa 1910. Space is limited and
reservations are required by calling the Museum at 577-3762 after
October 1. The program is free to the public and sponsored by the Estes
Park Museum Friends & Foundation, Inc. Included with each free
registration are three black-and-white greeting cards for coloring,
envelopes, the use of the artist’s colored pencils and refreshments.
Back to Latest News |
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Conservation Consultants Share their Expertise at the
Museum
August 18, 2009
The Estes
Park Museum received advice from two nationally-known museum specialists
in the first week of August under a Preservation Assistance Grant from
the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Preservation Assistance Grants
ensure that significant humanities collections in libraries, museums,
and archives are preserved and made available for research, education,
or public programming.
The consultants, Allen Bohnert and Sam
Anderson, identified the storage,
environmental, and lighting needs of the museum's collection. These
efforts will ensure the protection of over 22,000 artifacts, prints,
photographs, archives, and audiovisual materials that document the
history of Estes Park and surrounding communities.
Allen
Bohnert recently retired from a thirty-year career in curatorial
management with the National Park Service, most recently as Chief of
Curatorial Services for the Southeast Region. Among other posts, he
spent three years as the Regional Curator for the Rocky Mountain Region
in Denver.
Sam
Anderson is the principal of a New York-based architectural firm which
specializes in museums, archives, conservation centers and storage
facilities. The firm’s current projects include an expansion at the
Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, an art museum feasibility study at
Oberlin College, a facilities design for Harvard University Art Museums,
and an art storage facility for the Cooper Hewitt Museum at the
Smithsonian.
Museum director
Betty Kilsdonk commented, “I couldn’t be more pleased with what was
achieved through this consultancy. Allen and Sam are both very
accomplished in the museum field. Given their broad experience, it was
heartening to have them tell us they were impressed with how well we
have organized and cared for our collections. They offered concrete
recommendations for immediate and long-term improvements for the
Museum’s facilities.” The next step for the Museum is to receive the
consultants’ written reports.
Created in
1965 as an independent federal agency, the
National Endowment for the Humanities
supports learning in history, literature, philosophy and other areas of
the humanities. NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and
preserve knowledge, and bring ideas to life through public television,
radio, new technologies, museum exhibitions, and programs in libraries
and other community places. Additional information about the National
Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available on the
Internet at
www.neh.gov.
Back to Latest News |
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“F.O.
Stanley: A Life Well-Lived” re-enactment at Museum
August 11, 2009
The Estes Park Museum,
200 Fourth Street, will host a special program on Saturday, August 22,
at 2:00 p.m. titled “F.O. Stanley: A Life Well-Lived.” Estes Park
librarian and performer Kurtis Kelly will step into the role of the
legendary Mr. Stanley, whose famous hotel and hydroplant are celebrating
their centennial anniversary this year. The presentation will last
approximately 45 minutes, leaving time for a brief discussion about F.O.
Stanley’s enduring legacy. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. This program,
sponsored by the Estes Park Public Library and the Estes Park Museum, is
free and open to the public.
Kurtis Kelly will offer a
re-enactment of Freelan Oscar Stanley reflecting on a “life well-lived”
that encompasses Stanley’s New England heritage, his family’s successful
ventures into photography and steam car businesses, and his thirty-eight
summers spent in Estes Park. Stanley made an enormous and lasting impact
on the town’s early development, its infrastructure and its reputation
as a world-class destination for visitors.
Stanley reflected in 1928
that no visitor to Estes Park “has had a more varied experience than I
have had. For twenty-six consecutive years I have been a summer visitor
to Estes Park. This has given me an opportunity to watch its grow; to
see the village grow from one having only two cottages to having several
hundred cottages; to see the hotels increase from four to some
twenty-five; and the time required to go from Denver to Estes Park
reduced from an all-day’s journey to a comfortable ride in an automobile
in two and one-half hours.”
Kelly has been performing
in historic re-enactments for over ten years. In addition to Stanley, he
has performed as homesteader Abner Sprague and land baron Lord Dunraven.
“Hearing history from a first-person perspective allows it to come
alive,” Kelly says. “Through storytelling and personal anecdotes, we
feel a familiar connection to these individuals that makes us appreciate
them with renewed interest and new insights.” Kelly is a staff librarian
at the Estes Park Public Library.
Since 2002, Kelly has
worked with the Stanley Museum of Estes Park. He has led hundreds of
people in the popular “Ghost Stories of the Stanley Hotel” talks and
tours. He has shared ghostly lore in interviews with many regional
newspapers and radio stations and in a one-time segment on National
Public Radio.
Back to Latest News |
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Tour to explore historic lodge and homestead sites of RMNP
July 27, 2009
Join historian and author
Ken Jessen as he guides a tour of historic lodge and homestead sites in
Rocky Mountain National Park. This tour, sponsored by the Estes Park
Museum, is back by popular demand with new historic sites included. The
tour will be offered on September 9 and repeated on September 10 and
11. Reservations are required and can be made beginning August 1 by
calling 970-577-3762 or by visiting the Museum at 200 Fourth Street in
Estes Park. Because this is a van tour, the group size will be limited
to 13 each day. The tour will leave the Museum at 9:00 a.m. and return
at approximately 1:00 p.m. Light hiking is required. Transportation,
snacks and water are provided. Cost is $10 for members of the Estes
Park Museum Friends & Foundation, Inc., and $12 for non-members.
Participants will visit
and learn about many historic places in Rocky Mountain National Park
including the Glacier Basin Lodge site and Perry Cabin, Sprague Lake and
its surroundings, Hollowell Park’s CCC camp and sawmill sites, and Camp
Woods in rarely-visited Tuxedo Park. Also the tour will visit the
original entrance to the Park as well as the site of Sprague’s Lodge and
Resort, later known as Stead’s Ranch, in Moraine Park.
Ken Jessen has written
over 1,200 articles and 18 books. He is best known as author of
Ghost Towns, Colorado Style, a three-volume set covering over 600
town histories. Other books include Rocky Mountain National Park
Pictorial History, Estes Park – A Quick History, The Great Western
Railway, Out the Back, Down the Path – Colorado Outhouses, Railroads of
Northern Colorado, Eccentric Colorado and Colorado Gunsmoke.
Jessen has weekly history and arts columns in Loveland’s
Reporter-Herald as well as a radio show on KCOL 600AM.
Back to Latest News |
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Museum offers tour of historic Elkhorn Lodge and Guest
Ranch
July 23, 2009
The Estes Park Museum
invites you to travel 130 years into the past, to a time when large
dances, oyster suppers, and baseball and tennis games were a few of the
ways to relax while spending a summer in an Estes Park resort.
The Museum is offering a
unique tour of the Elkhorn Lodge on Monday, August 31 from 9:00
a.m. – 11:00 a.m., guided by Historian Laureate Jim Pickering. Preregistration
is required and there is a fee.
In 1875, William James
and his family settled in Estes Park to make a living through ranching.
After an inauspicious start involving filing a homestead claim,
undergoing a land dispute with Alexander MacGregor’s mother-in-law,
burning a barn, and swapping land with Reverend McCreery, James secured
a tract along Fall River. This became the site of the James Ranch in
1877.
As with most of the
original settlers of the area who were initially ranchers, the James
family quickly began to take in summer visitors, and the foundations for
Elkhorn Lodge were established. By 1880, with a rate of about ten
dollars a week for a cabin or tent house, the property could accommodate
between thirty-five and forty guests. In time, the grounds would grow
to look like a small city and become the largest tourist resort in Estes
Park. After the passing of William James in 1895, the rest of the
family continued as proprietors of the resort well into the middle of
the twentieth century.
Structures on the August
31 tour may include the cabin that also served as Estes Park’s first
school in 1884 (an initiative by the James family), the Coach House
which served as a center for entertainment, the “Chapel” cabin with its
distinctive Rocky Mountain Rustic architecture, a guest cabin, the
original lodge and the later, larger “Main Lodge” with rooms for 180
guests, a dining hall, a ballroom with spring-loaded floor, and more.
A free pre-tour
program by Jim Pickering on the history and significance of the
Elkhorn Lodge will be offered on Sunday, August 30 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30
p.m. at the Estes Park Museum, 200 Fourth Street. Chairs will be
reserved for all tour participants. Additional limited seating
will be available to the public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Special guest will be Pieter Hondius, grandson of the Elkhorn's founder,
William James.
The tour group
size is limited to 40. Registration with payment is required beginning
August 3 by calling 970-577-3762. Cost is $7 for members of the Estes
Park Friends & Foundation, Inc., and $12 for non-members. Participants
will meet at the Elkhorn Lodge, located at 600 West Elkhorn Avenue.
Now through October, the
Museum, located at 200 Fourth Street, is open Monday through Saturday
from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00
p.m. The mission of the Estes Park Museum is
to collect, interpret and preserve local history, as well as to present
exhibits, programs and events for the education and benefit of residents
and visitors of all ages. For more information call the Estes
Park Museum at 586-6256. Admission is always free.
Back to Latest News |
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Expert discusses history and collection of antique jewelry
July 21, 2009
Join local antiques
expert Bob Fixter at the Estes Park Museum, 200 Fourth Street, as he
presents antique pieces from his collection and discusses the history
and collection of jewelry on Friday, July 31 at 7:00 p.m. The program
will last about an hour, with time for questions and discussion of
participants’ specific concerns to follow. This program is free and
open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Fixter will show jewelry,
extending from Egyptian and Roman times through the nineteenth century
as well as Art Nouveau and contemporary pieces to demonstrate changes in
styling and manufacturing. He will discuss how to determine the age and
origin of jewelry, factors influencing its value, and the care of
antique pieces. Special attention will be given to pocket watches and
the evolution of gearing that has occurred over the centuries. In
addition to jewelry from Fixter’s collection, pieces from the Museum
will be on display.
Currently the owner of
Fall River Jewelry, Inc., in Estes Park, Bob Fixter is a graduate
gemologist of the Gemological Institute of America as well as a graduate
jeweler of the Canadian Jewelers Institute. For 25 years, he served as
general manager for a Midwest jewelry corporation. He is a Fellow of
the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and has received a
National Designer’s Award for his outstanding work with jewelry.
Back to Latest News |
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Hydroplant
Closes for the Season - Reopens June 1, 2010
August 25, 2009
The
Historic Fall River Hydroplant, listed on the National Register, was
built by F. O. Stanley to provide electric power to the Stanley Hotel
when it opened in 1909 and was the exclusive source of electricity for
the Town of Estes Park until the 1940s. Visit the Hydroplant to learn
the details of its fascinating story. Hours are 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
daily except Mondays. Located at 1754 Fish Hatchery Road, the
Hydroplant’s last day of the season will be September 6, 2009. It
will reopen June 1, 2010. Admission is free. Private tours are
available for a small fee by calling 970-577-3762. For more information,
visit
www.estes.org/hydroplant.
Back to Latest News |
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Estes Park Museum Community Case display celebrates 150 years since Joel
Estes’ arrival
June 30, 2009
To celebrate the
sesquicentennial of Joel Estes’ arrival to the area, a new exhibit in
the foyer of the Estes Park Museum features a display assembled by
Colleen Estes Cassell, a descendant of Estes Park’s namesake. The
Community Case display, featuring photographs and other Estes family
memorabilia, will run until January 2010 at the Museum.
An Estes family reunion,
celebrating the 150th anniversary, will take place in Estes
Park at the end of July. Over 80 family members are expected to
attend. The first reunion occurred in 1927 when the Town of Estes Park
honored Joel and his family with the granite monument at the present
intersection of Highway 36 and Fish Creek Way, near the site of the
original Estes cabin. It wasn’t until 1981, however, that the Estes
family reunions became a tradition. The photographs of numerous past
reunions in Estes Park are a testament to the pride of Joel Estes’
family in their ancestor and the area which he settled.
Joel Estes and his son
Milton first encountered the uninhabited mountain valley in 1859 while
on a hunting expedition. Milton wrote of their “surprise, wonder and
joy at beholding such an unexpected sight.” The following year father
and son returned to build a cabin along Fish Creek and to make a living
by hunting, fishing and raising cattle. Eventually their wives and
children joined them, staying until 1866 when, following a harsh winter,
the family moved out of the area.
The Estes Park Museum
Community Case features temporary exhibits of historic significance. If
you or your organization has a personal collection of objects that you
would like to display in the Community Case, please call 970-577-3762.
Now through October, the
Museum, located at 200 Fourth Street, is open Monday through Saturday
from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00
p.m. Current exhibits at the Museum include Patchwork
Storytellers, an exploration of quilting in Estes Park,
located in the National Park Service Headquarters building and Altered Landscapes in the main gallery.
The mission of the Estes Park Museum is to collect, interpret and
preserve local history, as well as to present exhibits, programs and
events for the education and benefit of residents and visitors of all
ages. For more information call the Estes Park Museum at
586-6256. Admission is always free.
Back to Latest News |
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Historian Laureate Jim Pickering to offer downtown history tour
June 23, 2009
Discover the hidden past
with Estes Park Historian Laureate Jim Pickering on a Walking Tour of
historic downtown Estes Park. The tour, sponsored by the Estes Park
Museum, will be offered on Thursday, August 20 and repeated on Thursday,
August 27. Both tours run from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., meeting in
Bond Park, downtown Estes Park. Space is limited. Reservations are
required and can be made beginning July 1 by calling the Museum at
970-577-3762. The cost is $5 for members of the Estes Park Museum
Friends & Foundation, Inc. and $10 for non-members.
The village of Estes Park
was platted by Abner Sprague in April of 1905. Within weeks, lots along
the street he named “Elkhorn” were taken up and new businesses were
planted. Within a decade the basic footprint of the town we know today
had put down roots. Walk along historic Elkhorn Avenue with Estes Park
Historian Laureate Jim Pickering and see the present through the eyes of
the past.
Now through October, the
Museum, located at 200 Fourth Street, is open Monday through Saturday
from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00
p.m. Current exhibits at the Museum include
Patchwork Storytellers, an exploration of quilting in Estes Park,
located in the National Park Service Headquarters building and
Altered Landscapes in the main gallery.
The mission of the Estes Park Museum is to collect, interpret and
preserve local history, as well as to present exhibits, programs and
events for the education and benefit of residents and visitors of all
ages. For more information call the Estes Park Museum at
586-6256. Admission is always free.
Individuals interested in
supporting the Museum can join the Estes Park Museum Friends &
Foundation, Inc. for as little as $30 annually. Benefits include
invitations to special events, receptions and tours such as the Cheley
Camp tour and other historic tours. Members also receive discounts on
retail purchases at the Museum Shop, a complementary Friends publication
and a subscription to the quarterly newsletters Museum Pieces and
Friends to Friends.
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The Cheley
Camp
tour returns by popular demand
June 23, 2009
On Tuesday, July 21, the
Estes Park Museum is sponsoring a tour of the historic Cheley Colorado
Camp from 10 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. This tour is facilitated by the
Estes Park Museum and guided by Cheley Camp staff. Space is limited.
Reservations are required and can be made beginning July 1 by calling
the Museum at 970-577-3762. The tour is free for members of the Estes
Park Museum Friends & Foundation, Inc. and $5 for non-members, payable
by cash or check the day of the tour.
Estes Park was a sleepy
mountain town in 1921 when Frank Cheley founded Cheley Colorado Camps as
the Bear Lake Trail School at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National
Park. Just 24 campers attended that first year. By 1926, the camp grew
to accommodate 60 boys who swam in the frigid lake and ate meals at the
Bear Lake Lodge. By 1927, the camp outgrew the available space and the
Cheley Colorado Camps moved to its present location off Fish Creek Road,
where its legacy continues today.
Cheley now hosts more
than 1,000 campers annually. The camps are among the oldest in the
country, and they have brought thousands of campers and their families
to Estes Park over the years. Join the Estes Park Museum and the staff
of Cheley Colorado Camps to learn more about the camp and tour Cheley’s
magnificent rustic stick architecture cabins and lodges.
Participants with
reservations should carpool when possible as parking is limited. Meet
at the Ski Hi Lodge at Cheley Camp beginning at 9:45 a.m. on July 21.
Travel about 4 miles south from Estes Park on Colorado Hwy 7. Turn left
onto Fish Creek Way. Then go 0.2 mile and continue straight ahead onto
the dirt road as Fish Creek Way curves to the left. Follow the winding
main road for 1.3 miles to the lodge. Volunteers will direct you to
parking.
Now through October, the
Museum, located at 200 Fourth Street, is open Monday through Saturday
from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00
p.m. Current exhibits at the Museum include
Patchwork Storytellers, an exploration of quilting in Estes Park,
located in the National Park Service Headquarters building and
Altered Landscapes in the main gallery.
The mission of the Estes Park Museum is to collect, interpret and
preserve local history, as well as to present exhibits, programs and
events for the education and benefit of residents and visitors of all
ages. For more information call the Estes Park Museum at
586-6256. Admission is always free.
Individuals interested in
supporting the Museum can join the Estes Park Museum Friends &
Foundation, Inc. for as little as $30 annually. Benefits include
invitations to special events, receptions and tours such as the Downtown
Walking tour and other historic tours with guides including Estes Park
Historian Laureate Jim Pickering. Members also receive discounts on
retail purchases at the Museum Shop, a complementary Friends publication
and a subscription to the quarterly newsletters Museum Pieces and
Friends to Friends.
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Estes Park Museum receives grant from the Institute of Museum
and Library Services
March 3, 2009
The Estes Park Museum has received a grant from the Institute
of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) American Heritage
Preservation Program, which awards funding “to preserve
treasures that convey the essential character and experience of
the United States.” American Heritage Preservation Program
grants are used by small museums, libraries and archives to help
care for and preserve specific items, including works of art,
artifacts and historical documents. Nearly 190 million objects
in U.S. collections are in immediate danger of deterioration
according to the Heritage Health Index Report, a 2005
study produced by IMLS and Heritage Preservation.
The $2255 award, which was announced by IMLS on February 23,
will fund the purchase of a flat file case and archival supplies
to alleviate overcrowding in the Museum’s map, oversize
photograph and paper collections. The collections cover a broad
period dating from Estes Park’s early settlement in the 1880s,
through the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park in
1915 to important commercial developments of the late 20th
century. The project will allow more efficient and safer access
to these materials for researchers, and greater use at less risk
for exhibits, publications, programs and related activities.
IMLS received 202 applications for this inaugural American
Heritage Preservation Program competition. Eligible
applications were distributed among peer review groups for
evaluation and numerical scoring. Final funding decisions were
made by the IMLS Director Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice. A total of
53 institutions, or 26% of total applicants, received the award.
The program is being underwritten by Bank of America.
IMLS grant reviewers commented, “It is evident that [The
Estes Park Museum] performs many types of projects that improve
the housing and care of its collections,” and also noted the
Museum’s “strong involvement with providing responsible
collection care at its institution.” Further, IMLS reviewers
observed that the Estes Park Museum project “will have a
positive impact on the community through use and public
programming.”
The acquisition of the new storage case and re-housing and
cataloging of collections materials will take place during the
spring and summer of 2009. In addition, the Museum’s Curator of
Collections and Exhibits will offer a public program featuring
the project on November 14 at 2:00 p.m. at the Museum. At the
program, participants will gain a behind-the-scenes perspective
on collections care at the Museum.
“At the Estes Park Museum, we are constantly working to
ensure the objects placed in our trust are managed in the most
professional way possible,” noted Director of Museum/Senior
Center Services Betty Kilsdonk. “This grant will support our
continuing efforts to make our collection well cared for and
accessible to researchers.”
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary
source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and
17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong
libraries and museums that connect people to information and
ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in
coordination with state and local organizations to sustain
heritage, culture and knowledge; enhance learning and
innovation; and support professional development.
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