History Colorado Opens Museums To Children & Teens For Free
DENVER (CBS4) - Starting Saturday, May 28th, all History Colorado museums will be free for children and youth age 18 and younger. This is a policy change, so there is no expiration date on it.
"There really is power in kids being connected to the history of where they're from. It's a building block of a strong identity, and then it also helps us build a future of an informed citizenry," said Dawn DiPrince, Executive Director of History Colorado.
History Colorado maintains 7 museums across Colorado:
- At Denver's History Colorado Center: kids can participate in a "Lego Scavenger Hunt," starting Memorial Day, to find 40 historic Colorado Lego creations or undertake history-tied arts and crafts by checking out the "Makerspace." They can also explore over 15 interactive history exhibits.
- At Pueblo's El Pueblo History Museum: kids get to interact with a recreated 1840s adobe trading post and plaza, educational exhibits, and an archaeological excavation site.
- At Montrose's Ute Indian Museum: kids get to learn about the Ute peoples while going inside teepees, learning about Bear Dances, and in July, explore the new "Naturescape" playground which will include simulated habitats from the animal world.
- At Fort Garland's Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center: kids can experience the original adobe military fort at the base of Mt. Blanca, plus a large outdoor grassy area with picnic tables and shade for weary summer travelers.
- At Trinidad's Trinidad History Museum: kids can explore the large museum campus with diverse historic buildings and heritage gardens while learning about the Santa Fe Trail.
- At Denver's Center for Colorado Women's History: kids get to explore what life was like in a historical mansion and check out a new exhibit, "More Than Place: Colorado, Women, and Land," where kids will learn about how women have played an integral and often invisible role in shaping Colorado's destiny.
- At Leadville's Healy House and Dexter Cabin: kids get to learn about the legendary Baby Doe Tabor and the storied Matchless Mine.
"We really believe that we're going to see families, whether it's a grandmother bring their grandchildren or a family unit, coming to our museums very regularly," DiPrince explained.
History Colorado is a division of the Colorado Department of Education and a 501(c)3 non-profit serving more than 75,000 students and 500,000 people in Colorado each year.
