Hi
this is Bernie J of Bernie's Journeys, “Seeing America First”.
In
this show I traveled a short way on interstate 25 North from Colorado Springs,
but a long way back in time to the Western Museum of Mining and Industry on
North Gate Boulevard in Colorado Springs.
In 1970, the Museum
of the West was incorporated as a private non- profit with a mission to
preserve and interpret the rich mining history of Colorado and the American
West.
In 1972 the name was
changed to the Western Museum of Mining & Industry to better define the
museum focus. The museum received its full accreditation by the American
Association of Museums in 1979 and, in acknowledgment of its high standards and
successes, was re- accredited in 1980 and 2000.
Over 4,000 artifacts
are on display at the 27-acre indoor/outdoor
exhibit site; which includes a ten-stamp
ore mill, a multi-purpose
center with exhibits, a theater and a 5,000-volume
research library. The entire exhibit complex is an exciting and exceptional
tool for learning about Colorado history, mining and industrial technology,
geology, and the environment.
Their brochure reads
“The Museum that works”. I wasn’t
sure what that meant but I soon learned.
The Museum also has two
living history reenactors, Nugget and Chism they are donkeys being loving cared
for by the dedicated volunteer staff. Question - What was a prospector without
his/her trusted Burro, answer - a poor sole with a really bad back.
I can’t think of a better way to learn about The
Western Museum of Mining and Industry than to hear from its Executive Director,
Dr. Richard Sauers
