Explore the history of the area by visiting historical sites and museums while staying at your Telluride vacation rental. From mining towns to prehistoric archaeological sites, you'll find lots to discover.
Native American Historical Sites
Anasazi Heritage Center offers insight into the lives and culture of ancestral Pueblo people by preserving arteiacts from the area, noted to be one of the richest archaeological regions in America. Pueblo refers to the apartment-style architecture of traditional villages that remain standing today. Located on the grounds are remnants of two 12th-century settlements, Escalante and Dominquez, named for two friars who first explored and recorded archaeological sites in 1776. The pueblos or apartments were stabilized some 200 years later. For hours of operation call (970) 882-5600.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument are a two-and-a-half hour drive from Telluride rentals, but you'll be rewarded with breathtaking views and archaeological sites in this outdoor museum. Basketmakers or pre-Puebloan people came to the area around 1500 B.C. Being primarily hunter-gatherers, there is evidence they were involved with early corn agriculture. Remnants of square-roomed pueblos dot the landscape, a standing testament to their ingenuity. Information on tours by horse or Jeep and archaeological excursions is available at Anasazi Heritage Center or the Colorado Welcome Center in Cortez. Call (970) 882-5600 for detailed information.
Museums
Housed in the restored 1896 miner's hospital is the Telluride Historical Museum. Some exhibits are rotated, but there are 10 themed rooms for visitors to explore. It may be a little known fact that Telluride is the site of Butch Cassidy's first bank robbery. In June 1889 he and his cohorts stole roughly $21,000 from the San Miguel Valley Bank and high tailed it to their hideout in Utah. Check the museum's historic photographs and you might find him among them. Located at 201 W. Gregory Street in Telluride, hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and also on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. during summer. Call (970) 728-3344 for further information.
San Juan County Historical Society Museum is in the old County jail building built in 1902. Take a trip back in time with early mining and surveying equipment used in local gold and silver mines, an old-time switchboard that routed phone calls and a completely equipped turn-of-the-century kitchen, that for its time had all the modern conveniences. Located in Silverton; call (970) 387-5609 for hours and admission.
Historic Mining Towns
Silverton was originally named Baker's Park and is known for being the site of the earliest gold and silver finds in the region. Little development has transpired since 1910, so the community is authentically Victorian. A visit to the local cemetery reveals the arduous life led by residents in the early 1800s. Located at 414 Greene Street, visit the website for hours and fees.
Ouray is also a former mining town and was designated a National Historic District in 1983. More than half the original Victorian buildings are still occupied, making a walk around this small community nestled in the arms of the Rockies a memorable experience.
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