Stopped in as an excursion from Breckenridge. Great drive over the continental divide with fall…read morecolors. I've spent a lot of time in county / state museums on the west coast being a particular fan of ghost towns, and this museum doesn't disappoint! Our docent Charles at the front desk patiently explained the route, and we were given a helpful map. By the way if you go to their website prior to your visit there is a coupon; take a pic of it and save $2 per person. We enjoyed talking with Charles and then headed on the tour. This is a very well curated museum with great exhibits housed in old homes and cabins and buildings that were brought in and add an air of authenticity that is remarkable. In some of the buildings I felt like I had walked into a movie set and expected to find Quentin Tarantino lurking with a cast of nefarious characters. We could have spent much longer here and this day trip was a highlight of our visit to Colorado. Well worth the time, and my hat's off to everyone that has and is involved with this epic project-- you should all be very proud. Mahalo!

This museum is huge! Can spend all day here. It's a hidden gym since it's not visible from the…read moreroad. While driving my son saw the sign and we decided to stop not knowing we would spend a lot of time here. It was so worth it and we lucked out as this weekend they had live skids. My son and I loved it. It's for everyone, a lot of history

Really fun tour that went way back into the mine. Very informative and they made it fun! Would even…read morego again!

From the second we met the german shepherd, this place could do no wrong in our dog loving eyes…read more When the pup joined our group photo, we couldn't have been happier. We got off to a bumpy start here as there was a mechanical issue the day prior that canceled our initial reservation. Thankfully, they were able to move some stuff around and make it work for us on our second day in town so we could enjoy the snow ride, which was high on our list as a bunch of Southern California girls who never see the snow. We arrived all bundled up but the blankets in the sleigh were much appreciated as well. After our sleigh ride, they offered to give us a tour of the mine as well, which was an unexpected but nice gesture.

Very interesting, informative displays about mining: discovery of precious minerals, history,…read moreclaims, Colorado lore, to current mine operations. The museum is well laid out and you take it in at your own pace. I expect most people would want to spend 1-2 hours here. I particularly enjoyed reading about the first discovery of gold near Idaho Springs and what lead to the Gold rush. I also enjoyed seeing how mining techniques evolved over a short period to reveal and extract even more and more precious minerals. I learned about florescent rocks. On the top level are the hall of fame members who made significant contributions to mining, like John Wesley Powell, US Army officer, Grand Canyon explorer, professor and of course geologist; and Ed Schieffelin, who discovered silver and founded the town of Tombstone, Az, which at the turn of the last century was the largest town west of the Mississippi River.

Want to see everything about mining? This is the museum. Rooms and floors presenting local…read morehistory mining, the Western states, National mining, world history, specific metals and minerals such as gold, molybdenum, silver, coal etc. Well done dioramas, walk thru mining tunnels, exhibits showing the uses of mining products and reclamation projects. Bonus is the Hall of Fame, the who's who of people who influence American mining.

Children's museum in Breckinridge located behind Main Street. Such a cute place to let your littles…read morerun and burn off some energy! Lots of different activities: tot spot, experiment area, puppet show, acting stage, bear cave, construction zone, wind tunnel, mountain top medical center, bridge to fish off of, light lab and so much more. They sell snacks and drinks there too. You can come and go throughout the day. We took our 1 year old. She had so much fun! I think this place could be good for kids up to 8 yrs old ish.

Emma was amazing She was so welcoming and helpful. My…read morenieces, 5 and 9 years old had the best time at the Explorium. It was the perfect combination of hands on science, imaginative play and art. They both loved the helicopter. I feel like not many people know about this hidden gem.

Incredible tour by docent Julie. We toured both the hunt house and three floors of the main…read moreresidence. Original furnishings, art work and living quarters from a time pre-electric and pre-railroad to Leadville. Tons of mining history and home residents history - delivered with enthusiasm and passion for the time period by our guide Jules. 1 hour - do it!

Spent a fun time with knowledgeable Michelle Ramirez viewing these 2 remarkable homes that were…read morefilled with antiques of the times as she shared the history and the fascinating real life stories of Leadville and Colorado. Great job by Michelle and, if you like history, you should add it to your Colorado/Leadville experience. We'd do it again.

This is the second year in a row my son has participated in this day camp and he said…read more Quote for quote " It's the most awesomest thing ever" . He absolutely loves it and Billy is the kindest instructor we've met. He truly loves educating kids and making sure they have a great time. We will definitely be back again next year!

This was the most amazing dinosaur experience for our family! Our 5 year old twins said that the…read moreday "was everything they dreamed of." They saw dinosaur fossils in the museum, learned about the different time periods, made a dinosaur impression and did a dig finding real fossils. The experience was led by billy who is truly passionate about sharing his love and amazement of dinosaurs! The whole family had a great time and we all learned a lot! Go see fossil posse if you are in the Colorado mountains near vail, Edwards, etc.

Cool and educational museum right in the heart of Breckenridge. Very interesting to learn about the…read morelife of Barney Ford and free! If you have time to check out this museum while exploring the town I suggest it because it was definitely worth it and we had a great time!

This place was just my first glimpse into the life of Barney Ford, whom I'd never heard about…read morebefore. After the tour I went and learned more about his fascinating life by watching the PBS special.

So beautiful and unique. I thought the yarn graffiti was very interesting. Visitor center staff…read morevery friendly and informative. Lots of great brochures to help decide what to do in many areas of Colorado

I've walked by the buildings for years and never walked up to check them out until now. I'd walked…read morethe museum a few years back, the main building, but this time entered all of the old buildings behind it. There is a lot of interesting stuff and it kept my eight year old entertained.

Museum was not open when I was in town, but I'd like to remind people that this is the same…read morenon-profit that has re-built the St. Elmo Town Hall and Jail house. They have also restored other buildings in town and continue to strive to maintain the ghost city for future generations. Please help them by visiting the museum (if it's open when you are in town) and by donating to their important and wonderful cause. I enjoyed viewing this majestic building from the exterior. It once used to house the courthouse in Buena Vista. Also the wooden mammoth sculpture exhibit in their front lawn is a reminder of the excavation and archeological site found nearby.

Very interesting to see where this town started and where it is today. Definitely recommend this…read moremuseum. Loved the mining area and the model train and all the artifacts of yesteryear.