Colorado Experience

During the time of racial segregation, Lincoln Hills, the only all African-American resort west of the Mississippi River, provided a shelter from the storm.

Born with two strikes against her, Dr. Justina Ford overcame barriers of race and gender to become the first African-American woman to practice medicine in Colorado and delivered over 7,000 babies.

The boom and bust of a homesteading community on Colorado's eastern plains.

While American troops were fighting abroad in World War II, over 7500 Japanese-Americans found themselves interned in the Granada War Relocation Center.

From exotic animals to opposing prohibition, nothing was too extraordinary for the entrepreneur dubbed a master "promoter" and his sophisticated wife. Delve into the affluent life of Colorado Springs' pioneering couple.

Colorado's once industrial capital has long been the battleground for competing countries and interests.

The first 150 years of the University of Denver are explored in this Colorado Experience.

Uncover the secrets of the United States Air Force Academy with a look at the significant events, landmarks and accomplishments throughout its first 60 years.

Explore the humble beginnings of the Colorado native who came out of the mining towns of the Rocky Mountains to become the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion: the Manassa Mauler, Jack Dempsey.

Revisit the dust filled skies of Southeast Colorado during one of the biggest environmental catastrophes in history.

The Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant manufactured the plutonium trigger used in every nuclear weapon produced in the United States. Discover the local impact of a global conflict.

Take part in the largest gathering in Colorado history. Pope John Paul II's visit to Colorado in 1993 drew participants from all over the country - and the world.

Explore the booming 1866 town on the Eastern Plains and the colorful characters who lived there until tragedy struck in the 1880s.

From opium Joss Houses and Lydia E. Pinkham's Tonic to the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, discover the early addictions of the west.

As El Paso County's first sheriff, Rankin Scott Kelly helped pursue the Espinosa Brothers and found himself in numerous shootouts with notorious outlaws.

From rodeos and parades to auctions and cowboy art, discover the globally known event that has occurred annually since 1906.

From Mary Cawker to Millie Booth, meet the pioneering women whose hard work and vision brought the oldest house in Denver to life.

Meet the controversial Mayor who's City Beautiful vision built Denver's Civic Center Park and parkway system in the last 1890s.

When the skies opened on July 31, 1979, few anticipated this summer storm would result in the deadliest flash flood in Colorado's recorded history.

Amid Colorado's booming Silver Rush, Louis Depuy, a mysterious Frenchman, opened a first-class French restaurant and hotel in the mining town of Georgetown.

During Colorado's Gold Rush days, newspaper headlines revealed passionate letters and secret elopements between same-sex couples. Nearly two centuries later, the struggle for equality continues within the state's landscape.

Widely known for inspiring Steven King's 1977 novel, "The Shining," The Stanley Hotel's legacy goes beyond a history of paranormal activity.

On November 7, 1893, Colorado became the first state in the nation to grant women's suffrage by popular vote, a result of nearly 15 years of struggle and dedication.

In the early 1960s preservationist Dana Crawford launched her own plan to preserve Denver's historic buildings dating back to the 1860s. Over 50 years later her legacy can be seen throughout the city.

With magnificent landscapes located across Colorado, artists and pioneers could not help but replicate the sights before them. From the documentary art of early expeditions to the celebratory art of the iconic bronco busting cowboy, discover the backstory of 250 years of American Art.

In 1897 Denver, people "didn't believe in women doctors." So licensed physician Susie Anderson took her love of medicine to Fraser, where she cured lumberjacks, tended to miners' injuries and even cared for animals.

The mineral carnotite was a "Pandora's rock" of scientific, medical, industrial and military power for twentieth-century America. While mining and refining of uranium ore in Western Colorado has mostly ceased, trace elements still radiate from Uravan and Grand Junction.

Colorado "has more than 1,000 ghost towns, over 600 of which have some sort of remains." Visit St. Elmo, Animas Forks, and Ashcroft, three of the best-preserved ghost towns in the state, and meet the spirits of Colorado's mining past.

Lamb Spring in Douglas County is home to the largest collection of Colombian mammoth bones in the state, offering archaeological insight into these prehistoric dwellers. The discoveries of Lindenmeier near Ft. Collins and Mountaineer in Gunnison reveal much about the people who lived here over 10,000 years ago.

Take a ride on the Galloping Goose -- seven operational railcars that ran through the rugged San Juan mountains from 1931 to 1952. Carrying cargo, mail, and passengers, they connected Dolores, Telluride, and Ridgeway with many locations along the Rio Grand Southern Railroad. Discover their mechanical and weather-related adventures, and why they attract visitors from around the world.

Quench your curiosity and learn how thirsty miners started a Liquid Gold Rush that began Colorado's journey to become the Beer State.

Dreaming of a better life, many individuals were inspired to make the harsh trek westward at the turn of the 19th century without the assurance of home and family. The rise of boarding houses presented a solution to this insecurity while challenging social and cultural conventions of gender, race, and class; and at one point housed one third of Americans. Discover how the adaptable nature of boarding houses like the Astor House, Hotel Jerome, and the Peck House allowed for their survival despite mining busts and the end of railroads.

Paddle through the buoyant history of FIBArk, the United States’ oldest and longest whitewater festival, and discover the adventurous evolution of whitewater sports and how they fortified a small town in central Colorado. Salida, Colorado is home to the birth of American kayaking and helped develop many whitewater sports including kayak slalom, river SUP (Stand Up Paddle Boarding) and more.

Fannie Mae Duncan brought the motto “Everybody Welcome” to true meaning at her Colorado Springs Cotton Club from 1948 to 1975, despite the volatile Civil Rights Movement of the day. The granddaughter of slaves and the daughter of tenant farmers, Fannie Mae stood for harmony and maintained the first racially integrated club in the city.

Ride into the "bloody grass" battlefields of the Old West's longest feud over grazing and water rights and witness the gunfights, court cases, and massacres that gave rise to the classic American contest of cowboy versus sheepman.

Wander through the extravagant halls of the Redstone Castle and meet the creator who forged an empire atop the remote and rugged Rocky Mountains.

Magic Mountain has been renowned for its abundance of historic treasures ever since miners first looted it in the late 19th century. For decades now, scientists have attempted to uncover the ancient stories of Colorado at this fascinating site that reveals human history in layers of time. Researchers have now invited their neighbors to dig into this place, too. From looting to citizen science.

In so many ways, the story of Colorado is the story of mining. And Creede stands as one of the last mining towns of its kind. So many mines and their legacies were abandoned over the years - and nearly lost forever. But a handful of heroes have staked a claim on history by preserving these sites. From mining boom towns to ghost towns - it's all here.

Enter the fascinating history of Colorado Springs' founding estate. How did a refined English Tudor-style castle come to exist in the vast, unsettled West? Created by railroad tycoon and Civil War General William Jackson Palmer, Glen Eyrie Castle is adjacent to Garden of the Gods and the iconic views of Pikes Peak. Brand new archaeological findings reveal intriguing details of castle life.

Discover one of the oldest downhill ski "resorts" in Colorado, celebrating 80 years in the 2019-2020 winter season. Monarch has been giving families, thrill seekers and mountain lovers a place to play since 1939. See this small resort's big part in making Colorado a global destination for downhill skiers and a multi billion-dollar industry.

As the New York Stock Exchange grew, powerbrokers turned westward to develop the next financial empire. But to attract investors, Denver had to become more than a rag-tag western town. Despite enduring floods, fires, war and financial disaster, Denverites found a way to survive and compete. The resurgent new city built a financial district that propelled it to become the "Wall Street of the West."

Humans have had a relationship with forests for eons. But today, Colorado's forests are changing, potentially altering this intrinsic connection. Follow scientists and historians as they work to understand this transformation. Decipher tree rings, analyze aerial imagery, and learn of Colorado's long history to unroot the causes and consequences of Colorado's changing forests.

The Strater Hotel has hosted Durango visitors for over a century. With its eye-catching brickwork and white sandstone decorating the exterior and its collection of American Victorian-era furniture, guests today can experience its long history. Discover the many stories the extravagant halls of this southwestern hotel tell.

Built high in the Rockies, Camp Hale was the training grounds for the famed 10th Mountain Division in WWII. Their brave service is honored at what remains from Camp Hale. The site remains significant not only for preservation but for conservation and recreation. As veterans visit this hallowed site, we are reminded of the many legacies created by the men who trained at Camp Hale.

Charles Deaton, a Colorado true renaissance man, blended sculpture, architecture and engineering into his buildings. Deaton’s structures, including The Sculptured House and The Key Savings Building, have become Colorado icons. Rectangular buildings were the norm, but Deaton was obsessed with curves. He was famously quoted as saying: “People aren’t angular, why should they live in rectangles?”

From a wealthy, getaway tourist town, to a gold rush epicenter; to a tuberculosis respite, to the home of five military installations — the built landscape of Colorado Springs reflects its history of major industries and economic drivers. As the city celebrates 150 years, we revisit preserved, revitalized — and destroyed — iconic buildings. And ask: How can we create the future and honor the past?

Born into slavery, Barney Ford escaped at 26 and endured racism, fires, and mining claim jumping to become one of only 46 African Americans in the Colorado Territory. Undeterred, he became one of the richest men in the state as a miner, barber, restaurateur, and hotel owner—a true entrepreneur—all while fighting endlessly for Black rights.

Like so many other areas across Colorado, Park County experienced intense mining booms—and sudden busts, leaving towns to deteriorate. But through bold innovation, the county’s history would be preserved—by cleverly transplanting 19th century buildings. The South Park City Museum stands as a tangible microcosm of Colorado’s past while modeling a unique approach to preservation.

It's been dubbed The Road to Hell, but it's also called the most beautiful drive in CO.

Twin Lakes' gorgeous scenery hosts legendary recreation, but at a cost to the Ute tribes.

Science and Indigenous stories come together to reveal the true history of the horse.

Discover the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and meet the man who made these rocks… rock!

Meet the trailblazing women of the Santa Fe Trail.

Thousands of Irish miners fleeing famine risked it all for a better life in Colorado.

Meet Cleo Parker Robinson, a pioneer for Black excellence and dance in Denver.

Who's helping — and who's hurting — in the Unhoused crisis of Colorado Springs?

Who's helping — and who's hurting — in the Unhoused crisis of Colorado Springs?

From millions to near extinction to repopulation efforts, bison are coming back.

From millions to near extinction to repopulation efforts, bison are coming back.

A look at migrant laborers in northern Colorado, from the late 1800s to today.

The history of Dearfield, a once-thriving Black settlement in Colorado.

The history of the Ute Water Settlement, a landmark water agreement.

The change of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal from a chemical site to a refuge.

The story of a beloved ski train that goes from Denver to Winter Park.

The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory is a hub of scientific research in the mountains since 1928.

A deep look into the relationship between humans and wolves in Colorado.