Hands-on History

Peel away the Wild West facade. Discover layers of the region’s past. Uncover the tracks and traces of those who came before us. Explore ancient ruins, revel in Western lore and strike gold with mining tales. From the very first people to call this landscape home, to the settlers and ranchers who left their own footprints, today’s Southwest reflects a rich cultural heritage. We invite you to step back in time and put your hands on history at these interactive sites.

ANIMAS MUSEUM

In Durango, one of the best places to learn more about the area’s history is the Animas Museum. Housed in the old Animas Schoolhouse building, old classrooms now hold the rich history of our railroad town. They also have a turn-ofthe-20th-century classroom and an original 1870s log cabin.

D&SNG MUSEUM

Take a step back in time when you visit this 12,000 square-foot museum. Housed in eight of the stalls of an old roundhouse, you’ll find the history of railroading, especially from the D&RGW line. Better yet, take a trip back in time on the vintage locomotive.

D&SNG SILVERTON DEPOT

Just a few blocks from downtown sits the Silverton Depot. Built as a temporary structure, it still stands today, a testament to tenacity. Stroll through the depot to see the waiting room, ticket office, coal room and coal dock. Outside the depot is Locomotive 493, built in 1902, forlorn but not forgotten.

HISTORIC JAIL AND MINING MUSEUM

This is a small museum with a big historic heart. The museum is loaded with information about the region told from the mining perspective with numerous other accounts of life in the mountains. The museum covers a wide range of mining history, while the old jail showcases what life would have been like for law breakers residing there.

OURAY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (OCHS) MUSEUM

The museum is housed in the original St. Joseph’s Miners’ Hospital that was built between 1886 and 1887. There are three floors with many exhibits to explore on everything from mining to ranching and railroading. Artifacts on display date all the way back to Ouray’s earliest days in 1875.

SOUTHERN UTE CULTURAL CENTER

The state-of-the-art Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum showcases the history of the Southern Ute Indian tribe, Colorado’s longest continuous residents. The permanent gallery chronicles the story of the Ute people from prehistory to modern times presented through photographic panels, audio-visual presentations and interactive electronics.

MESA VERDE

For over 700 years—from A.D. 550–1300, Mesa Verde was home to the ancestral Puebloans. Today, clues to their lives are revealed at 5,000 archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings, throughout the park. Experience the dawn of a civilization and explore by car, bike, foot or guided tour.

HOVENWEEP NATIONAL MONUMENT

As Mesa Verde National Park is known for cliff dwellings, Hovenweep is famed for its towers. Balanced on canyon rims and boulders throughout the 20-mile area, the towers’ original meaning and purpose are unknown. When you visit, take a short hike over mesa tops and through sagebrush to see these ancient structures, including a three-story tower and kivas.

CHIMNEY ROCK NATIONAL MONUMENT

Located south of Pagosa Springs, Chimney Rock National Monument preserves important Ancestral Puebloan archaeological and astronomical sites. When you visit, take a guided walking tour of the structures on the Chimney Rock mesa.

AZTEC RUINS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Follow the ancient passageways of the Pueblo society to a distant time. Walk the half-mile trail through Aztec Ruins to discover a 900-year old ancestral Pueblo Great House of over 400 rooms. Search the ancient mortar for the fingerprints of the past and listen for an echo of ritual drums in the reconstructed Great Kiva.