A Historic Experience in the Heart of the City

History Colorado Center, located at 1200 Broadway, features interactive exhibits which allow visitors to experience the history and stories of our state. It’s a space that promotes engagement, learning and reflection. Children will enjoy stepping on skis and experiencing a virtual ski jump or riding the bumpy roads in a Model T, while adults can learn more about our state’s history.

History Colorado Center strives to make conscious connections between past history and current challenges in Colorado. In the exhibit on our mountain areas, visitors see (and hear!) the effects of the pine beetle infestation, forest fires, and increased traffic.   There’s even a place where visitors can “vote” via sticky note for their solution to solving traffic problems on I-70. In another area of the museum, visitors can share their thoughts on keeping or dismantling the Confederate monuments in our state.

“A-Z Denver” is a celebration of the city summed up in 26 letters. Included are the Rossonian Hotel in Five Points, the Barrel Man, Lakeside’s Wild Chipmunk roller coaster, and of course, the Blue Bear. It’s fun to see how many icons you’re familiar with, and if there are any surprises.

Also on display are some of our state (and country’s) less admirable moments. Granada Relocation Center, known as Amache, housed 7,318 people of Japanese ancestry, as part of the 110,000 Japanese Americans displaced after Pearl Harbor. The museum features a sobering recreation of the sparse barracks found at Amache, with a single light bulb barely illuminating a flimsy cot, thin blanket and few personal belongings. This exhibit also shows how these displaced residents were able to make their space more livable, with scrap lumber and bed sheets, and their lives more productive by creating town councils, schools, churches and youth sports teams.

History Colorado Center is definitely worth a visit, learn more on their website.