This fall, be sure to visit the museums in Leadville, Colorado! They offer a great way to learn more about Leadville, named a Best Historic Small Town by USA Today in 2020, and the mining that built it.
Imagine yourself living in a fancy home during the Silver Rush days. Or crawling through narrow passageways underground. Or attending a pioneer synagogue. You can do all of that and more in the three museums now open. You’ll fall in love with all you learn!
HEALY HOUSE MUSEUM AND DEXTER CABIN
Get a sense of Leadville’s boom days at Healy House Museum, a lavishly restored Victorian home. August Meyer built this stately three-story house for his bride. Later it became a fashionable boarding house for Leadville teachers and railroad families.
Visit the plush 1870s log cabin built by James Dexter, Colorado’s first millionaire. Stroll through the heritage gardens or enjoy the magnificent views from the gazebo. You will enjoy exploring Leadville’s oldest museum.
Open Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
NATIONAL MINING HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
TRIPADVISOR 2020 TRAVELERS’ CHOICE WINNER
What would it be like to work in a mine, blasting rock deep underground? You can imagine in the mine replicas at the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum.
Visit to see a world-class collection of minerals, including glow-in-the-dark rocks. Check out the model railroad, hand-carved dioramas, and a 1923 car made of molybdenum mined near Leadville. Visit the Hall of Fame to see the stories of mining pioneers. Learn about current mining techniques and the future of mining—including mining on the moon!
A Tripadvisor 2020 Travelers’ Choice Winner, this museum is in the top 10% of attractions worldwide. Check out the reviews!
Open year ’round, Tuesday-Saturday.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Be sure to explore Temple Israel, an 1884 frontier synagogue. You’ll learn about the lives of close-knit Jewish pioneers during Leadville’s mining days. See 19th century photographs, whiskey jugs and other commercial items, ephemera, and household items such as a Kiddush decanter and sabbath candelabra.
Temple Israel is the only building of its kind west of the Mississippi River. It is a restored pioneer synagogue and houses a permanent museum exhibition documenting an often-overlooked piece of U.S. history.
Open seven days a week through October and by appointment year ’round.
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