Events
Programs and Events
Did you miss any of our live programs?
Some recordings are available to the general public at no cost, while some are only available to members. Now is a great time to join, as we’re constantly releasing new and exclusive material. Call 303-278-3557 if you have any questions or if you want to join by phone. You can also reach us electronically.
Can political cartoons fight corruption? Masculinity and women’s activism in 20th century Colorado.
In-person event on Wednesday, March 29.
Register on eventbrite or purchase tickets in-person at the museum.
Early 20th century Colorado witnessed some divisive battles over political life and economic conditions. After men voted to enfranchise Colorado women in 1893, the state offered exciting opportunities for women activists to promote reform. Yet party machines limited their influence. In this presentation, Laugen explores the visual representations of gender and politics created by Denver Post cartoonist Wilbur Steele. These editorial cartoons highlight the emotional and gendered style of Progressive reformers and their partisan adversaries. We explore whether political cartoons can fight corruption and promote democratic change in public life.
About Todd Laugen
A faculty member at Metropolitan State University of Denver since 2005, Todd Laugen teaches American History and supports K-12 History Education. His published work includes: The Gospel of Progressivism: Moral Reform and Labor War in Colorado, 1900-1930 and Colorado History Detectives: Teaching Historical Literacy to School-Aged Readers, which is available online.
Pricing
Free for museum members, $10 non-members
Membership
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden history
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Homesteading the West – The Tale of Lavinia Morgan Anderson
Register on eventbrite or purchase tickets in-person at the museum.
Lavinia Morgan Anderson is a composite character of a pioneer woman living on a ranch in Colorado in the late 1880s as she remembers how she emigrated west in a covered wagon in the 1860s as a child and grew up in Kansas before settling in Colorado with her husband after staking a claim under the Homestead Act. While Lavinia did not actually exist, her life did exist as well as that of thousands of other women who made similar journeys. This story is drawn from snippets of many diaries the women kept telling of their challenges, privations, fears and triumphs. They record the woman’s side of pioneer life. Come and learn about these adventures and more through this thrilling living history program.
About Linda Batlin
Linda Batlin is a storyteller and author from Boulder, Colorado, where she has lived for over half of her life. She enjoys sharing her love of the mountains and of Colorado with audiences. She tells stories filled with wisdom and mirth for all ages in schools, libraries, festivals, museums, senior centers, campfires and other events. Her entertaining and educational living history presentations of important women characters from Colorado history such as Isabella Bird bring them to life and are often requested. Her repertoire is also filled with multicultural folktales from around the world such as nature stories, Asian stories, animal stories, ghost stories, Jewish folktales, puppets, etc. She is a member of the National Storytelling Network.
Batlin’s recent performance of Isabella Bird’s 1873 travels is available for viewing on the Members Only portion of the website.
Pricing
Free for museum members, $10 non-members
Membership
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden history
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Gathering of Friends
Join the Friends of the Museum for free coffee, tea, and refreshments. Stephanie Gilmore, the museum curator, will speak about new artifact installations and upcoming exhibits.
Who are the Friends?
Friends of Golden History Museum is a support and advocacy board for Golden History Museum & Park. They help GHM&P reach their education mission, financial sustainability goals, and preservation and capital needs.
What do the Friends do?
The Friends help plan and carry out fundraising programs. They give financial support to educational initiatives such as field trips, Summer Camp scholarships, and in-classroom outreach.
They also provide support for preservation and capital projects like digitization of GHM’s historic photography collection, construction of a new buck rail fence at Golden History Park, and underwriting for Golden History Museum exhibits. If you are interested in more information on the Friends or becoming a member, please contact us.
How do I Support the Friends?
The Friends is supported in part by your donations to Community First Foundation. Thank you.
Cowboy Poetry and Music
Join us for a special performance of poetry and music at the Golden History Museum. Travel back in time and celebrate Cowboy Poetry Week by enjoying the traditions of cowboys in the West.
Rex Rideout is a long-time student of the music and songs of the 19th-Century American West. As the proprietor of Time Travel Music, Rex has performed at countless historic sites and museums across the West. His music has also been featured on television and radio. Rex plays many musical instruments: mandolin, fiddle, guitar, banjo, and tin whistle, to name just a few.
Location and Time
Golden History Museum
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Pricing
$5 for museum members, $12 non-members
Membership
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden history
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Hands-on Activities at the Museum
After enjoying story time presented by the Golden Library on the grass outside the museum, visit the museum for free hands-on activities from 10:30 a.m. – noon! Activities are free, as is admission to the museum. Stop by and enjoy playing and learning!
Please visit the Golden Library’s website for more information about story time. No sign-up required to visit the museum.
Photo: Povy Kendal Atchison
Pricing
Free
Membership
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden history
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind-the-scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Borderlands Curanderos
Register on eventbrite or purchase tickets in-person at the museum.
Join Metro State University professor Jennifer Koshatka Seman, author of Borderlands Curanderos: The Worlds of Santa Teresa Urrea and Don Pedrito Jaramillo, as she discusses U.S.-Mexico borderlands during the turn of the twentieth century.
From the moment the Spanish colonized the Americas, they actively tried to suppress non-Catholic spiritualities. Yet Indigenous religions persisted. Sometimes they went underground; sometimes they combined with elements of Catholicism. In the tension between oppression and persistence, new religious formulations emerged in Spanish America, deeply influencing religious practices in the North American West, especially the region we now recognize as the US-Mexico borderlands and the Southwest. Not only were these new and evolving hybrid spiritualities seen throughout the colonial period but also at the turn of the twentieth century in the practice of Mexican curandera and espiritista Teresa Urrea (1873-1906), sometimes called “Santa Teresa” by her adherents. Teresa Urrea (1873-1906) and another curandero, Don Pedro Jaramillo (1829-1907), practiced curanderismo–a Mexican and Indigenous faith healing practice–in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands amidst rapid social and political transformations in both Mexico and the United States.
Through an examination of the lives and healing practices of Teresa Urrea and Pedro Jaramillo, this presentation will shed light on the various meanings that the practice of curanderismo held in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands over the turn of the twentieth century within the overlapping contexts of race, state-building, and institutionalized/professionalized medicine in the American Southwest and northern Mexico. This presentation will suggest that curanderismo as practiced by Urrea and Jaramillo contributed to the vitality of racially diverse communities in need of healthcare as well as religious and political inspiration during this transformative period.
About Jennifer Koshatka Seman
Jennifer Koshatka Seman received her doctorate in history from Southern Methodist University in 2015, and she currently is a lecturer in history at Metropolitan State University in Denver. Borderlands Curanderos: The Worlds of Santa Teresa Urrea and Don Pedrito Jaramillo is her first book, and it was published with the University of Texas Press in 2021. Borderlands Curanderos was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award in 2022 in the category of biography, and it won the Americo Paredes 2022 book award. Jennifer teaches courses in US and Latin American history at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and she lives with her husband, Michael Seman, in Loveland, Colorado.
Pricing
Free for museum members, $10 non-members
Membership
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden history
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Fire Master Class with Aaron “Hutch” Hutchings
In Hutch’s Own Words
“Whether adventuring in the outdoors or enjoying a book about adventuring in the outdoors, fire always comes up. In fact, it has been said that fire is directly related to every other survival priority. Not just survival but most outdoor adventures are enhanced with safe, effective fires. It helps regulate core body temperature, boils water for purifying, cooks food, signals for rescue, makes tools, scares away the bumps in the night, and so much more. This is also one of the areas that I see most people struggle with, especially if they do not have the perfect situations and resources. There is a great deal to learn and master with fire, including basic principles about tinder, ignition tools, strategies, and techniques.
Teaching different methods of fire is without a question one of my favorite subjects. This four-part series will be a culmination of over 30 years of professionally teaching pioneer, survival, primitive, boy scout, military, and every other type of fire hack. We will explore both modern and historical ways of making fire as well as looking at safety and dealing with poor fire situations. At the end of this series you will look at fire in a totally different way and will be able to achieve it with a tiny spark, sticks only, modern tools, pioneer tools, wet wood, windy weather, no wood, and more.”
Photo: Povy Kendal Atchison
Class Details
This will be a true adventure in mastering the art of fire. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. You do not need to attend the whole series, but the classes will build upon one another. There is a discounted price for attending all four classes and supplies are include in class price.
Four-class package dealAbout Hutch
Aaron “Hutch” Hutchings is a Colorado native, veteran, and father of four. He was raised in the Rocky Mountains by a real mountain man and hunting guide he called Grandpa. His love for adventure was first sparked by his grandfather’s teaching and stories. This spark was blown into flame in the Boy Scouts and fanned to a full-on bonfire in the Marine Corps. Read more about Hutch in his instructor bio or on his website. You can also find him on Facebook and Instagram.
Time and Location
Golden History Park
9 a.m. to noon
Pricing
Single class: $35 for museum members, $50 non-members
Series of all four classes: $115 for museum members, $175 non-members
Membership
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden History
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Homestead Open House
Come to our next Open House! Interested in seeing sparks fly at the blacksmith shop, taking a lesson at schoolhouse, or watching the Pearce/Helps Cabin woodstove in action? Visit the Golden History Park, adjacent to downtown Golden, on select Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May through September.
Family Friendly Event
During these family-friendly open house events, you will be able to participate in hands-on activities, learn about pioneer history from our interpreters, and see special demonstrations. Homestead Open House is free and drop-in style; there is no registration. Experience history in action!
What’s in Golden History Park?
The History Park is home to many of the original buildings from the old Pearce Ranch in Golden Gate Canyon. Stroll through the park and imagine yourself growing potatoes or raising chickens as part of a homesteading family. Peek through the windows of real 1800s cabins and see other buildings from the ranch like the barn, chicken coop and two-seat outhouse. You’ll also see the 1876 Guy Hill schoolhouse at the park. It was moved to Golden in 1976. Read more here.
Location and Pricing for Open House
Golden History Park
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; drop-in anytime
Free for all
Membership
GHM&P membership pays for itself with attendance at just a few programs. Memberships start at $40 and all levels include a 10% discount at our gift shop. It features books about Golden as well as crafts from local artisans. The best value starts at the Patron level ($125) and includes admission and benefits at hundreds of North American museums from both of these networks: North American Reciprocal Museums (more than 1,250 participating museums) and Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (more than 440 participating museums). Join us today.
More Golden History
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Hands-on Activities at the Museum
After enjoying story time presented by the Golden Library on the grass outside the museum, visit the museum for free hands-on activities from 10:30 a.m. – noon! Activities are free, as is admission to the museum. Stop by and enjoy playing and learning!
Please visit the Golden Library’s website for more information about story time. No sign-up required to visit the museum.
Photo: Povy Kendal Atchison
Pricing
Free
Membership
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden history
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind-the-scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Homestead Open House
Come to our next Open House! Interested in seeing sparks fly at the blacksmith shop, taking a lesson at schoolhouse, or watching the Pearce/Helps Cabin woodstove in action? Visit the Golden History Park, adjacent to downtown Golden, on select Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May through September.
Family Friendly Event
During these family-friendly open house events, you will be able to participate in hands-on activities, learn about pioneer history from our interpreters, and see special demonstrations. Homestead Open House is free and drop-in style; there is no registration. Experience history in action!
Photo: Povy Kendal Atchison
What’s in Golden History Park?
The History Park is home to many of the original buildings from the old Pearce Ranch in Golden Gate Canyon. Stroll through the park and imagine yourself growing potatoes or raising chickens as part of a homesteading family. Peek through the windows of real 1800s cabins and see other buildings from the ranch like the barn, chicken coop and two-seat outhouse. You’ll also see the 1876 Guy Hill schoolhouse at the park. It was moved to Golden in 1976. Read more here.
Location and Pricing for Open House
Golden History Park
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; drop-in anytime
Free for all
Membership
GHM&P membership pays for itself with attendance at just a few programs. Memberships start at $40 and all levels include a 10% discount at our gift shop. It features books about Golden as well as crafts from local artisans. The best value starts at the Patron level ($125) and includes admission and benefits at hundreds of North American museums from both of these networks: North American Reciprocal Museums (more than 1,250 participating museums) and Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (more than 440 participating museums). Join us today.
More Golden History
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Fire Master Class with Aaron “Hutch” Hutchings
In Hutch’s Own Words
“Whether adventuring in the outdoors or enjoying a book about adventuring in the outdoors, fire always comes up. In fact, it has been said that fire is directly related to every other survival priority. Not just survival but most outdoor adventures are enhanced with safe, effective fires. It helps regulate core body temperature, boils water for purifying, cooks food, signals for rescue, makes tools, scares away the bumps in the night, and so much more. This is also one of the areas that I see most people struggle with, especially if they do not have the perfect situations and resources. There is a great deal to learn and master with fire, including basic principles about tinder, ignition tools, strategies, and techniques.
Teaching different methods of fire is without a question one of my favorite subjects. This four-part series will be a culmination of over 30 years of professionally teaching pioneer, survival, primitive, boy scout, military, and every other type of fire hack. We will explore both modern and historical ways of making fire as well as looking at safety and dealing with poor fire situations. At the end of this series you will look at fire in a totally different way and will be able to achieve it with a tiny spark, sticks only, modern tools, pioneer tools, wet wood, windy weather, no wood, and more.”
Photo: Povy Kendal Atchison
Class Details
This will be a true adventure in mastering the art of fire. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. You do not need to attend the whole series, but the classes will build upon one another. There is a discounted price for attending all four classes and supplies are include in class price.
Four-class package dealAbout Hutch
Aaron “Hutch” Hutchings is a Colorado native, veteran, and father of four. He was raised in the Rocky Mountains by a real mountain man and hunting guide he called Grandpa. His love for adventure was first sparked by his grandfather’s teaching and stories. This spark was blown into flame in the Boy Scouts and fanned to a full-on bonfire in the Marine Corps. Read more about Hutch in his instructor bio or on his website. You can also find him on Facebook and Instagram.
Time and Location
Golden History Park
9 a.m. to noon
Pricing
Single class: $35 for museum members, $50 non-members
Series of all four classes: $115 for museum members, $175 non-members
Membership
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden History
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Homestead Open House
Come to our next Open House! Interested in seeing sparks fly at the blacksmith shop, taking a lesson at schoolhouse, or watching the Pearce/Helps Cabin woodstove in action? Visit the Golden History Park, adjacent to downtown Golden, on select Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May through September.
Family Friendly Event
During these family-friendly open house events, you will be able to participate in hands-on activities, learn about pioneer history from our interpreters, and see special demonstrations. Homestead Open House is free and drop-in style; there is no registration. Experience history in action!
Photo: Povy Kendal Atchison
What’s in Golden History Park?
The History Park is home to many of the original buildings from the old Pearce Ranch in Golden Gate Canyon. Stroll through the park and imagine yourself growing potatoes or raising chickens as part of a homesteading family. Peek through the windows of real 1800s cabins and see other buildings from the ranch like the barn, chicken coop and two-seat outhouse. You’ll also see the 1876 Guy Hill schoolhouse at the park. It was moved to Golden in 1976. Read more here.
Location and Pricing for Open House
Golden History Park
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; drop-in anytime
Free for all
Membership
GHM&P membership pays for itself with attendance at just a few programs. Memberships start at $40 and all levels include a 10% discount at our gift shop. It features books about Golden as well as crafts from local artisans. The best value starts at the Patron level ($125) and includes admission and benefits at hundreds of North American museums from both of these networks: North American Reciprocal Museums (more than 1,250 participating museums) and Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (more than 440 participating museums). Join us today.
More Golden History
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Hands-on Activities at the Museum
After enjoying story time presented by the Golden Library on the grass outside the museum, visit the museum for free hands-on activities from 10:30 a.m. – noon! Activities are free, as is admission to the museum. Stop by and enjoy playing and learning!
Please visit the Golden Library’s website for more information about story time. No sign-up required to visit the museum.
Photo: Povy Kendal Atchison
Pricing
Free
Membership
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden history
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind-the-scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Homestead Open House
Come to our next Open House! Interested in seeing sparks fly at the blacksmith shop, taking a lesson at schoolhouse, or watching the Pearce/Helps Cabin woodstove in action? Visit Golden History Park, adjacent to downtown Golden, on select Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May through September.
Family Friendly Event
During these family-friendly open house events, you will be able to participate in hands-on activities, learn about pioneer history from our interpreters, and see special demonstrations. Homestead Open House is free and drop-in style; there is no registration. Experience history in action!
Photo: Povy Kendal Atchison
What’s in Golden History Park?
The History Park is home to many of the original buildings from the old Pearce Ranch in Golden Gate Canyon. Stroll through the park and imagine yourself growing potatoes or raising chickens as part of a homesteading family. Peek through the windows of real 1800s cabins and see other buildings from the ranch like the barn, chicken coop and two-seat outhouse. You’ll also see the 1876 Guy Hill schoolhouse at the park. It was moved to Golden in 1976. Read more here.
Location and Pricing for Open House
Golden History Park
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; drop-in anytime
Free for all
Membership
GHM&P membership pays for itself with attendance at just a few programs. Memberships start at $40 and all levels include a 10% discount at our gift shop. It features books about Golden as well as crafts from local artisans. The best value starts at the Patron level ($125) and includes admission and benefits at hundreds of North American museums from both of these networks: North American Reciprocal Museums (more than 1,250 participating museums) and Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (more than 440 participating museums). Join us today.
More Golden History
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Ranching Women of Colorado
Register on eventbrite or purchase tickets in-person at the museum.
The 19th century west opened opportunities for women, including entering the male-dominated ranching industry. Join author Linda Womack as she tells the stories of women ranchers in Colorado. These women not only survived, but thrived, in a role outside the conventional norm.
About Linda Wommack
A Colorado native, Linda Wommack is a Colorado historian and historical consultant. An award-winning writer, she has written eighteen books on Colorado history, including Murder in the Mile High City, Colorado’s Landmark Hotels, From the Grave: A Roadside Guide to Colorado’s Pioneer Cemeteries, Our Ladies of the Tenderloin: Colorado’s Legends in Lace, Colorado History for Kids; Colorado’s Historic Mansions and Castles, Colorado’s Historic Schools, Ann Bassett; Colorado’s Cattle Queen, Haunted History of Cripple Creek and Teller County, Growing Up with the Wild Bunch, Ranching Women of Colorado, Cripple Creek, Bob Womack and the Greatest Gold Camp on Earth, and From Sand Creek to Summit Springs; Colorado’s Indian Wars. She has also contributed to two anthologies concerning Western Americana. Linda feeds her passion for history with activities in many local, state, and national preservation projects, participating in historical venues and speaking engagements, hosting tours, and is involved in historical tours across the state.
Pricing
Free for museum members, $10 non-members
Membership
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden history
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
How to register
Click the green ticket button in the upper left of each event to buy tickets online. 
Click “read more” in the lower right of each event for details. 
Event and Program Ticketing Policies at Golden History Museum & Park
(updated 11-20-18).
Please note: Tickets will only be available at the door if the program reaches its preregistration minimum.
Weather: All events are rain or shine. Tickets will not be refunded for any inclement weather including but not limited to snow, wind, rain or extreme temperatures.
Cancellation: GHM&P reserves the right to cancel a program for any reason. A full refund will occur automatically and notification sent if GHM&P cancels a program for any reason.
Refunds: Participants will not receive a refund except in the event that GHM&P cancels the program.
Facilities: Restrooms are not available on-site at the Golden History Park or Golden Cemetery. If at the Golden History Park, participants may use public restrooms located on 12th Street. Please call ahead to ask about accessibility concerns and mobility recommendations.
Additional details: Please note the minimum age requirements of some of our programs. Excessive disruptive behavior and any safety risks may result in a participant being asked to leave a program at the instructor’s discretion. Pets are not permitted at programs; service animals are permitted.
To purchase tickets, cancel your registration, or learn more about our events and ticketing policy, please call the Golden History Museum front desk during business hours at 303-278-3557.