Situated high up within the secluded Lookout Mountain, the Boettcher Mansion gives visitors a rare look into history with its original structure. Constructed in 1917 using supplies from the area as a seasonal hunting lodge for Charles Boettcher, the mansion (or “Lorraine Lodge” as it was called then) is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and considered one of Colorado’s premier historic venues.
Also perched high up on Lookout Mountain is the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, home to the gravesite of Buffalo Bill Cody, as well as local, historical artifacts that showcase the Old West.
Learn, Discover & Imagine
The museums of Golden will take you on adventures that push the limits of your imagination. At the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum (indefinite closure 9/20/2024), you can relive the spirit of mountaineering and learn the inspiration behind the history, present, and future of climbing.
Explore minerals, fossils, gemstones, and historic mining artifacts at the Mines Museum of Earth Science. Go beyond the geology of this planet to take in meteorite artifacts and a moonrock from the Apollo 17 mission.
Discover your inner engineer at the Colorado Railroad Museum, where you can see over 100 steam and diesel locomotives, passenger cars, cabooses, and garden railway — all on a rail yard that spans 15 acres. Learn the history of the Colorado railroad in the museum’s exhibit galleries and its renowned reference library.
Golden’s museums and historical sites tell the story of a Western gold rush settlement that became a center of commerce. Today, Golden is home to learning and exploration that encourages you to feed your curiosity.
