Museums
Golden
As the first territorial capital of Colorado, Golden houses a high concentration of specialized museums.
Colorado Railroad Museum: A 15-acre railyard featuring over 100 historic locomotives and passenger cars. It offers train rides on select days and deep dives into the state’s narrow-gauge railroad history.
Mines Museum of Earth Science: Located on the Colorado School of Mines campus, this museum features one of the state’s best mineral collections, including a moon rock from Apollo 17 and an indoor walk-through mine. Admission is free.
Golden History Museum & Park: The museum explores the town’s origins, while the adjacent outdoor History Park features authentic 1800s cabins, a schoolhouse, and a blacksmith shop. Admission is free.
Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave: Perched atop Lookout Mountain, this museum details the life of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his world-famous Wild West shows.
Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum: The only museum in the U.S. dedicated to the history and culture of mountain climbing.
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum: A niche destination featuring rotating exhibits of historic and contemporary quilts, preserving the art of quilt-making.
Foothills Art Center (Astor House): Recently renovated and moved into the historic Astor House, this center hosts high-quality contemporary art exhibitions.
Morrison
Morrison is the epicenter of Colorado paleontology, where many of the world’s most famous dinosaur species were first discovered.
Dinosaur Ridge: An outdoor “living museum” where you can see over 300 dinosaur tracks and fossilized bones embedded in the rock. The Visitor Center features an indoor exhibit hall and a discovery lab.
Morrison Natural History Museum: A hands-on museum famous for its guided tours. Visitors can often watch paleontologists at work in the lab and even touch real fossils found in the local area.
Red Rocks Park Visitor Center: While primarily a concert venue, the Visitor Center features the Performers Hall of Fame and exhibits on the geological formation and musical history of the world-renowned amphitheater.
Evergreen
Evergreen offers a mix of local heritage and mountain-community culture.
Hiwan Heritage Park & Museum: Set in a grove of old-growth Ponderosa pines, this 17-room log mansion was originally a summer home. It now serves as a museum highlighting local history and Native American artifacts. Note: As of early 2026, the museum is launching a refreshed tour experience.
Center for the Arts Evergreen (CAE): Located in a historic former church, this facility functions as both a gallery for local artists and a museum-style space for rotating fine art exhibitions.