History Colorado Center

Address:	1200 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203, USA
Phone:	+1 303-447-8679
Site:	historycolorado.org
Rating:	4.4
Working:	10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 9

Gisela Gallardo

I have been to this "museum" on three different occasions (all for different reasons) since this new location opened. 1st time (A regular visit): I would agree with many comments that this place focused way too much on technology and being interactive, that they now lack historical substance. The museum exhibits seem more focused on pushing buttons, taking silly pictures and flashy imagery than the beauty of learning this states history. My husband and I walked through the mini exihibit of the Sand Creek Massacre. The exhibit was small and did no justice to this terrible event. In fact there was hardly any recognition of the native Americans that have lived here, their history or their accomplishments. Not to mention, what did the museum want us to learn from their miniature Sand Creek Massacre exihibit? That it happened? Thats all??? It did not surprise me when they closed it. The people spoke and they acted on it. However I dont believe they have done anything to fix their mistake. 2nd time (conference) : I attended a discussion over race relations with my father. Not a lot of people attended. They didnt really share this information well with the general public. It was a free event and Im sorry but there was not a lot diversity in the audience. I mean, any type of diversity. I probably was the youngest person there and at that time I was 26. It was a nice conference room. So yeah, Im sure the museum is a great place to hold meetings- but is that what a History Museum is for??? 3rd time (Research Center): I decided to give the museum one last chance to prove themselves.. as a history museum. I recently came across some interesting artifacts on my grandfathers land. Being a history geek, I wanted to know more about these pieces I found. So naturally I came to the COLORADO HISTORY MUSEUM. I told the lady at the admissions desk that I had some artifacts that I wanted checked by someone at the museum. She told me about the research center upstairs. I went up and was met by a rude and not helpful secretary. All I asked was if these artifacts could be checked by someone because I was interested in any historical value they held. She was very quick to make a face and to tell me that this service could not be offered there and that the curators were busy and wouldnt have any time to set up any personalized visit to look these over. She also stated other obstacles that I was not interested in like an appraisal of the monetary value- I dont want money for them!!!! She didnt even suggest that I could leave the artifacts there and be contacted about them later. I stated to her that I was confused as to how a RESEARCH CENTER at a HISTORY MUSEUM could not provide this service. All she did was "apologize" and give me an email address where I could send pictures of the artifacts. Pictures? Really? All in all, the museum is a joke and they should change their name. It is a huge fancy building that gives no importance to the historical depth and legacy of this state. Also, if any CHM employees are reading: my tip is to give more importance to the community. We have so much to offer and I think a lot would agree with me that we do not feel like you truly value the history of Colorado.

Rafs GF

Great place to take kids. Went to get more of an understanding of Colorado history for my sons parcc tests. Lots of information and how people came to CO and how they survived. Interactive for kids, had great setups for them to play and learn hands on. There was a small grocery store they could buy stuff from and a chicken coupe where they could collect eggs and milk milk cow and go back to the store to sell their eggs. 4th floor was being remodeled so we were limited to first and second floors and some artwork on 3rd. Restaurant was good too. A little pricey for fries and chips but yummy food. Entrance was 12$ for adults, 8$ for kids and 4 and under were free. Will go back once remodeling I done.

Paul Markovsky

This place is awesome, worth every penny! Ive never spent 5 hours in a museum before. The kids loved it too. There is a healthy mix of pictures, video, audio, stuff to see, touch, and interact with, and tons of great information if you take the time to read. Its the future of museums. It utilizes the best of todays technology to immerse you into history by interacting with the exhibits and following the stories of prominent characters. You can practice blasting walls in a mine, drive a car through the prairie, learn how to ski jump, divert water between reservoirs, and experience a dust storm.

Andy Duvall

It is bewildering why this institution is named the way it is, because in this context, the word "History" would generally be the main adjectival noun to modify "Center", with "Colorado" used as a supporting adjectival noun, thus should appear as "Colorado History Center." As it is, History Colorado Center does not roll off the tongue, and is in grammatical disagreement with the generally accepted adjective order in the English language. In any case, this place offers a selection of Colorado-specific history exhibits, and is a fun destination for kids.

t bailey

no American Indians referenced, Sand Creek massacre avoided, no mentions of violence in the West at all. Also does not have any African Americans other than a Denver Bronco player. no reference to Asian or African Americans. The role of women disregarded. If you like history, do not attend here. I came with a school group and was getting upset that this representation of history is being tolerated at a public level, that taxes and personal donations support. If you like white expansionist history devoid of anybody else, then this is for you.

Parker Trueblood

I would have loved to stay longer and see the bottom floor, but the kids groups were out of control. I would think that the kids would have boundaries and talk with inside voices, but I guess thats just not gonna happen in this day and age. The top floor had a wonderful exhibit of paintings from different decades. The interactive section was fun, but my son was constantly forced off of whatever he was looking at by the school groups. I wish we had gone on a different day.

John&Yvonne Stewart

This is a grandiose and massively expensive taxpayer funded building in search of interesting exhibits. The cost of admission is very high for the content inside. $50 for a family of five. A lot of the exhibits are more something youd see in a state visitor center and not really "history". You wont find anything to do with the states geology here or much about ecology. The exhibits seem to have a very "manifest destiny" "this land is ours for exploiting" theme.

Tony Frey

History lite. Very lite. Definitely geared towards children. That is fine but some adult content would be good as well. Left the history lover (me) wanting more. The focus seems to be on technology and presentation as opposed to substance. The best part to me (and my kids) was the very low tech Denver Diorama. There are very few artifacts of any kind. This is definitely not your fathers history museum... And I guess I wish it was.

Justin Way

This is an OUTSTANDING facility with beautiful exhibits, friendly staff, and a wealth of information tracing back to the fascinating indigenous roots of Colorado up to the present. I particularly love the commitment to providing a balanced interpretation of history as well as promoting sustainability initiatives around the state. Everyone from, visiting, or moving to Colorado should visit this museum!