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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?”

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.

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?

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.