The Estes Park Museum

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.   

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.    

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.