See also Boulder Art Fairs and Visual Arts Galleries

BOULDER COUNTY PARKS & OPEN SPACE MUSEUMS
303-678-6200.

• Agricultural Heritage Center: Farming at the turn of the 20th century. 8348 Ute Highway 66, west of Longmont, call for hours, 303-776-8848
• James F. Bailey Assay Office Museum: Site where prospectors brought ore samples to see if they had struck it rich. 6352 Fourmile Canyon Drive, west of Boulder, call for hours, 303-776-8848.

BOULDER HISTORY MUSEUM
Harbeck-Bergheim House, 1206 Euclid Ave. 303-449-3464. This museum is full of local artifacts, like the publisher’s desk from the 1890 Daily Camera and an early 1900s kitchen, complete with hand-powered vacuum. Join in for Game Day Sundays and Sundaes on Sundays (first Sunday of the month). Check the website for more information on exhibits and related programs.

BOULDER MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
750 13th St. (next to Dushanbe Teahouse), 303-443-2122. See website for locations and information on public programs.

BRADFORD WASHBURN AMERICAN MOUNTAINEERING MUSEUM
710 10th St., Golden, 303-996-2763. Opening Feb. 16, the new Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum is devoted to the stories of mountains and mountaineers. The only museum of its type in the United States, the museum will introduce visitors to the world of mountain and rock climbing and honor the achievements of mountaineers from America and around the world. Other exhibits deal with climate, science, cultures and the humanities as they relate to mountains.

CARNEGIE BRANCH LIBRARY FOR LOCAL HISTORY
1125 Pine St., 303-441-3110. Boulder’s original library building houses historic Boulder County photographs and manuscripts.

COLORADO HISTORY MUSEUM
1300 Broadway, Denver, 303-866-3682. In addition to excellent permanent exhibits, the museum presents the artifacts, photos and oral histories of the “Italians of Denver” through July 2008.

CU ART MUSEUM
Formerly Sibell-Wolle Fine Arts Building, 303-492-8003. The CU Art Museum is closed for construction through fall 2009. A new visual arts complex will house an expanded CU Art Museum. Please see website for updates on outreach exhibitions and events during the closure, or call for more information.

CU HERITAGE CENTER
Third floor of Old Main, University of Colorado campus, 303-492-6329 (call to arrange group tours). Located in the University of Colorado’s original building, the Heritage Center preserves CU -history in seven themed rooms, including the Architecture Gallery, the Distinguished Alumni Gallery, the President’s Room, and CU in Space.

CU MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Henderson Building, Broadway at 15th Street, 303-492-6892. The museum is the premier natural history resource in the Rocky Mountain regon. The building houses millions of geology, archaeology,
paleontology and zoology specimens, five galleries, a nature photography section, and more.

• Through May 15: What’s in a Name? Understanding the World of Plants, photographs and real specimens depict the human endeavor to name the flowers, grasses and trees that share our world

DENVER ART MUSEUM
100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway (on 13th Avenue between Broadway and Bannock), Denver, 720-865-5000. DAM makes its fabulous array of art and artists available to people no matter their means with First Free Saturdays, when the museum offers free general admission to Colorado residents on the first Saturday of the month. You could also join the “Untitled” party on the last Friday of the month (excluding Dec.) and enjoy art, music, performances and refreshments from 6-10pm. Call or check the website for information on lectures, tours, family activities, films and more.

• Dec. 15-April 23: George Carlson: Heart of the West, sculpture
• Feb. 23-May 25: Inspiring Impressionism
• Opening April 13: Gee’s Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt

DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE
2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, 303-322-7009, TTY: 303-370-8257. Don’t miss DMNS’s epic “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition.” The exhibit, which runs through Jan. 6, tells the story of the lavish vessel and of many of its passengers—from movie stars to immigrants—through the objects they carried. Then, Feb. 15-June 8, learn the story of gold and its ability to confer status and wealth throughout history. The museum’s regular exhibits focus on anthropology, geology, health sciences, paleontology, space science and zoology.

See showtimes for Phipps IMAX Theater (303-322-7009)

ESTES PARK MUSEUM
200 4th St., Estes Park, 1-970-586-6256. From the first native inhabitants to the early explorers in the mid-19th century, the Estes Park area has seen its share of heroes and villains. The museum weaves the tales of these local historical characters in presentations and exhibits. Through Jan. 6 see the contemporary paintings of L. Lawrence Libeck; and through April 11, an exhibit celebrates the watercolorist Herb Thomson. Check website for special events.

GOLDEN OLDY CYCLERY
17224 West 17th Place, Golden, 303-271-1998. The owner of this museum has re-enacted Thomas Stevens’ 1885 ride, on a Penny-Farthing bicycle, from Liverpool to Tehran. Displays include more than 60 classic bicycles and 70 recorded readings of Victorian cycling poetry. The expanded library now houses over 120,000 pages of pre-1900 cycling journals. Open by appointment.

GOLDEN PIONEER MUSUEM
923 10th St., Golden, 303-278-7151. Since 1939, this museum has been the repository of all things Golden, from Native American artifacts to antique musical instruments, vintage clothing and more.

LAFAYETTE MINERS MUSEUM
108 E. Simpson St., Lafayette, 303-665-7030. Refurbished 1890s coal miner’s home with displays of mining equipment and period household items.

LEANIN’ TREE MUSEUM OF WESTERN ART
6055 Longbow Drive (near Diagonal Highway and Jay Road), 303-530-1442 ext. 4299. Some 250 paintings and 125 bronze sculptures make this museum one of the world’s largest private collections of contemporary Western American art. Don’t miss the sculpture garden. It’s especially beautiful under a blanket of snow.

LONGMONT MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER
400 Quail Road, Longmont, 303-651-8374. An outdoor courtyard and four exhibit spaces encourage visitors to explore Longmont’s history and culture, including the achievements of Vance Brand, an Apollo astronaut and Longmont native. Be sure to explore the new permanent history exhibit that spans 14,000 years of Longmont and Front Range history.

LOUISVILLE HISTORICAL MUSEUM
1001 Main St., Louisville, 303-665-9048. Three historic buildings house this museum and its collection of coal-mining artifacts and old photographs. The smallest building re-creates a miner’s home. The museum currently features the exhibit “Remembering the Monarch Mine Explosion of 1936.”

LOVELAND MUSEUM AND GALLERY
500 N. Lincoln Ave., Loveland, 970-962-2410 (under Arts & Leisure). The 4,000-square-foot gallery hosts regional, national and international exhibitions, including world-class permanent local history displays.

LYONS REDSTONE MUSEUM
338 High St., Lyons, 303-823-5271. Gift shop and regional genealogy displays, housed in an 1881 redstone schoolhouse. Open daily through Sept.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN QUILT MUSEUM
1111 Washington Ave., Golden, 303-277-0377. A museum dedicated to the art of quiltmaking and quilt preservation, RMQM continues to expand its permanent collection of quilts. The museum presents 10 exhibits a year, highlighting -different styles, histories or themes.

WOW! (WORLD OF WONDER) MUSEUM
110 N. Harrison Ave., Lafayette, 303-604-2424. Interactive science and art exhibits, classes, performances and workshops for children and their families.

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