If you are looking for things to do in Golden, Colorado why not consider visiting one of the community’s excellent museums? If the weather is not quite conducive for outdoor excursions, which is fairly rare but can still happen on Golden, Colorado vacations, a trip to a museum offers something fun to do while remaining primarily indoors. And who knows, you just might learn something while you are there.
Buffalo Bill’s Gravesite and Museum
Buffalo Bill’s Gravesite and Museum (pictured above) offers the chance to learn more about the man behind the legend. See posters and outfits from the Wild West show, as well as Native American artifacts that date back to that time.
If you are traveling with your kids, they will love trying on cowboy outfits and riding “Stumpy,” the fiberglass horse and mascot of the museum. Buffalo Bill is buried here, so you can pay your respects to a legend during your visit.
Colorado Railroad Museum
Is there a train lover in your family or travel group? This museum has twelve acres of narrow and standard gauge locomotives and railcars you can explore. The museum itself is housed inside an 1880-style masonry railroad department. Here you can see 50,000 artifacts, papers and photographs of the railroad era, which was a vital aspect of Colorado’s history.
Geology Museum
The Geology Museum, housed in the Colorado School of Mines, gives tribute to the mining history that put Golden on the map. The free museum offers the chance to see beautiful minerals found throughout Colorado on display.
It also houses mining artifacts and fossils. You will probably enjoy some time in the radioactive exhibit or exploring the uranium mine model.
Golden History Center
Sometimes, learning a little more about the history of the place you are visiting helps you enjoy your trip a little bit more. The Golden History Center gives you the chance to learn more about how Golden got its start. With artifacts and historical documents dating back to 1938, this little museum will give you a taste for all of the characters and events that shaped Golden into the city that it is today.
If You Go
When planning a visit to Golden, be sure to check out www.cityofgolden.net to learn more about the various things to do in Golden, Colorado during your vacation. Here you can find out more about the various museums around town as well as the outdoor activities that make this such an appealing destination for Colorado travelers.
Buffalo Bill’s Gravesite and Museum
987 1/2 Lookout Mountain Rd.
303-526-0747
www.buffalobill.org
Colorado Railroad Museum
17155 West 44th Ave.
303-279-4591
www.coloradorailroadmusuem.org
Geology Museum
13th and Maple St.
303-273-3823
www.mines.edu/Geology_Museum
Golden History Center
923 10th St.
303-278-3557
www.goldenhistorymuseums.org/goldenhistorycenter.php
Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006, specializing in travel and finance writing, with work having been published on USA Today, the New York Stock Exchange and Hotels.com in addition to here on Go Colorado!
Special thanks to the Buffalo Bill Museum and the Geology Museum at the Colorado School of Mines for providing photos to be featured in this article!