The Grand Rebrand of the Colorado History Museum

By Erin Vanderberg, Editor

Making lemonade from lemons, the Colorado History Museum used the May 2010 demolition of its former headquarters at 13th and Broadway to rebrand and rebuild itself as History Colorado at 1200 Broadway. The 200,000-square-foot, $110.8 million, LEED Gold-certified new building houses a new breed of history museum.

“We went into this project understanding that history museums all over the country are struggling to find a relevant place in their communities, and that we wanted the History Colorado Center to turn the image many people have of the staid state history museum on its head,” said Kathryn Hill, History Colorado’s Chief Operating Officer.

As the result of exhaustive research, History Colorado is built around engaging stories told thematically instead of chronologically through state-of-the-art exhibits. The site will also house the History Colorado administration, which includes the State Historical Fund and the Office of Archaeology & Historic Preservation.

The public opening celebration kicks off April 28 with a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. Member and gala events precede the public opening.

Admission is $10/adults; $8/students and seniors; $6/kids over 5; and FREE/members and children. Learn more at historycolorado.org or by calling 303-HISTORY. History Colorado is also on Facebook at facebook.com/historycolorado and Twitter @historycolorado.