Virtual programming during COVID-19 closure
Temporary closure
For the health and well being of our visitors, volunteers and staff, Golden History Museum will be temporarily closed to the public beginning March 14th due to COVID-19 concerns. All public programs and outreach will be postponed and rescheduled.
What can you do from home?
While we are deeply disappointed not to be able to welcome you inside the museum at this time, we are working to bring you engaging content in other, less-contagious methods. Here are a few ways we invite you to participate:
Weekly Schedules
Did you miss any activities from earlier weeks? Not to worry! Visit our social media channels (click the buttons up top) to get caught up!
Week of May 25
|
Maintain Physical Distancing on the Golden, Colorado, Historical Points Walking Tour
|
Available now: Wind your way through Golden’s history by checking out our 16-point walking tour, starting at the Golden Visitors Center, at 1010 Washington Ave, Golden, CO 80401. Navigate using your smartphone and the customized Google map. Click the photographs to connect with the Museum’s Online Collection and learn more about selected stops through images, artifacts, and more. |
Friday, May 29
Behind the Scenes with Curator Mark Dodge: Moving the Office
|
May 17 – 23
|
Monday, May 18, 6 pm
Live virtual lecture from University of Colorado Denver professor Dr. Rebecca A. Hunt
|
| Colorado women began their fight for voting rights in 1876 during the Constitutional Convention. By 1920 and the passage of the 19th Amendment, Colorado women took the lead and helped gain voting rights for most American women. Join CU Denver historian Dr. Rebecca Hunt as she reveals how all of this came about.
This is a virtual event at 6 pm. Register on eventbrite. |
Thursday, May 21, 2 pm
Facebook Live: History in the Baking with GHM&P Director Nathan Richie
|
Tune in to FB at 2 pm to learn about Swedish immigrants in Golden and make traditional Swedish Cardamom Bread.
The usual special guests will be helping out in the kitchen too!
|
Friday, May 22
Porch portraits, face shields, and hand sanitizer: update on documenting the times
|
|
 Philleo family porch portrait
|
May 11 – 15
|
Thursday, May 14
New video from Curatorial Assistant Vanya Scott
|
Friday, May 15, 10 am
Virtual Coffee with GHM&P Staff
|
|
Virtually join Golden History Museum & Park Staff to hear about the museum’s future and to ask your burning questions.
|
May 3 – 9
Sunday: Meet a Volunteer
Each week Visitor Services and Interpretation Coordinator Megan Murphy will share the inside story on one of Golden History Museum & Park’s volunteers.
This volunteer originally moved to Colorado to combine her artistic passion with her love of the mountains. She had only planned to spend one year in this beautiful state, building up her portfolio to transition from teacher to freelance illustrator. Years later, she’s still here.
|
|
Tuesday: Building Colorado
In an academic year, the Education Team can see over 10,000 students and right now, we’re really missing those 3rd and 4th graders. Dive into a city profile from our Building Colorado program and learn the fun facts that blow the minds of those kids. 🤯
Sugar! Colorado’s journey into sugar production began in 1869 and by 1925, the state was growing 1.64 million tons of sugar beets on 181,000 acres of land. This forever changed the agricultural landscape in Northern Colorado, particularly in Fort Morgan and Fort Collins. Join us next Tuesday to learn about our state’s sweet contributions.
|
|
Wednesday: “Cabin Fever,” Episode 7
All Aboard! Join Education Assistant Grace Brown as she teaches viewers how to make a train out of recycled egg cartons! Explore the time when trains first came through Golden and learn how they fundamentally changed the West. Watch out though, when Grace starts telling train jokes, things might begin to go off track!
Supplies needed:
- Egg carton
- Toilet paper roll
- Paper
- Paint
- Paint brushes
- Hole punch
- Scissors
- Ribbon or string
|
Friday: New Blogpost from Curator Mark Dodge
I love the circus, and years ago, I found this story by Bernard Kelly in a box of donated papers. Originally published in the Denver Post‘s “Empire Magazine” on June 29, 1969, it chronicles the first circus to visit the Colorado Territory via the “new” transcontinental railroad that carried them as far as Cheyenne, Wyoming. They mostly walked the rest of the way. This same circus would grow into the world-famous Barnum and Bailey Circus. Enjoy!
–Mark Dodge, Curator
|
April 26 – May 2
Sunday: Meet a Volunteer
Each week Visitor Services and Interpretation Coordinator Megan Murphy will share the inside story on one of Golden History Museum & Park’s volunteers.
The Museum is fortunate to be surrounded with a community that is committed to volunteerism. In today’s highlight, we will meet a volunteer who is a parent to this special canine named Tiberius.
|
Monday: Honeybee blogpost
This Sunday, April 26, our volunteer keeper will be “rebeeing” the hives at Golden History Park! We have four hives that need bees so we are bringing in four starter packs. Each pack consists of one queen, and approximately 10,000 bees.
Check the blog for this story on Monday, April 27.
|
|
Tuesday: Building Colorado
In an academic year, the Education Team can see over 10,000 students and right now, we’re really missing those 3rd and 4th graders. Dive into a city profile from our Building Colorado program and learn the fun facts that blow the minds of those kids. 🤯
Students are always excited when they hear the name Tesla in connection to their home state. In 1899, Nikola Tesla moved to Colorado Springs and built a new experimental station near Pikes Peak. Join us on Tuesday as we see if he succeeded with his electrical experiments, or not. See you on Tuesday!
|
|
Wednesday: “Cabin Fever,” Episode 6
Join Education Assistant Grace Brown as she uncovers all the details about the Victorian era practice of making hair art to display in your home. Many families would proudly display wildly intricate designs with hair that was taken across generations of their family. Sounds odd and scary to us, but for them it was an emotional labor of love. Find out why on this week’s episode. Don’t worry, there’s no need to go digging through your shower drain, or get a DIY haircut. We will be substituting yarn, ribbon and string for hair in this episode.
Supplies needed:
● Scissors (with parent’s permission)
● Liquid glue
● String, ribbon, and/or yarn
● A bottle cap
● tape
|
Friday: “Behind the Scenes” returns with a new episode
Curator Mark Dodge shares a short video update with two public service announcements.
|
April 19 – 25
Sunday: Meet a Volunteer
Each week Visitor Services and Interpretation Coordinator Megan Murphy will share the inside story on one of Golden History Museum & Park’s volunteers.
Born in her grandmother’s house, about halfway between Pine and Conifer, this volunteer is a lifetime resident of Jefferson County and a long-time Goldenite.
|
|
Monday: “Behind the Scenes” with Nathan Richie
|
|
Tuesday: Building Colorado
In an academic year, the Education Team can see over 10,000 students and right now, we’re really missing those 3rd and 4th graders. Dive into a city profile from our Building Colorado program and learn the fun facts that blow the minds of those kids. 🤯
This latest snow storm has us wishing we had the option to head to the mountains and fly down the slopes. But since we’re staying home, we’ll just explore the history of one of our oldest ski towns instead. Join our education team as we take you to Steamboat Springs and learn about how they became a major player in Colorado’s ski industry. See you on Tuesday!
|
|
Wednesday: “Cabin Fever,” Episode 5
Attention! Attention! Read all about it!
|
|
|
Golden Transcript office ca. 1929
|
In this week’s episode join Education Assistant Grace Brown as she takes a look into the importance of newspapers to small towns like Golden in the 1800’s. Figure out how paper is made, how to design a front page, and make your very own newspaper!
Supplies:
- Paper
- Pencils/Markers/Crayons/Colored Pencils
- Creativity
|
|
Thursday: Facebook Live at 2 pm: “History in the Baking”
Tune in to FB Live at 2 pm on Thursday, April 23, for another episode of “History in the Baking.” Chat with Director Nathan Richie and learn to make Krautburgers. Also called runza or bierocks, these are traditional hand-held savory meat pastries introduced to Colorado by the Volga Germans who immigrated from the Russian frontier at the turn of the 20th century. Bring your GHM&P questions with you and check out the recipe in advance on our blog.
|
Friday: “Behind the Scenes” returns with a new episode
Collection initiatives like the Legacy Collection Inventory Project continue during the stay-at-home orders. Curatorial Assistant Vanya Scott shares a short video update from the field on what she’s doing at offsite collection storage.
|
Saturday: “Leadership in Crisis” blogpost
Leadership is challenging under any circumstances, but especially in a crisis
Leaders on all levels of government are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying financial crisis in a range of ways. People want different things from their leaders–solid information, guidance, relief, even comfort. Much of the guidance for the Golden community during this pandemic has come from the state level and the office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Like governors before him, and his colleagues in every state, he seeks reliable counsel from trusted advisors and aims to respond as effectively as possible in light of shifting circumstances. Is he handling it correctly? History will be the judge.
The situation brings to mind the challenge of global crisis for another Colorado Governor—one born in Golden, Colorado.
John Charles Vivian was born and raised in Golden, Colorado. He was also Colorado’s governor during the tumultuous Second World War (1943-1947). Vivian strove to maintain a relative calm across the state for his two, 2-year terms. And while his tenure brought about no single great event, he would transform Colorado from a strongly rural, mining dependent collection of counties into a progressive industrial-scientific state.
Check the blog for this story on Saturday, April 25.
|
April 12 – 18, 2020
Meet the History Park flock on Sunday
|
|
Lecture Monday: “Quest for the Capital,” part three
Since you can’t come to The Salon and hear the latest lecture, we’re bringing them to you each Monday! This week you’ll hear part three of Director Nathan Richie’s “Early Golden City and the Quest for the Capital.” If you missed the others, catch up here.
|
|
Education Team Tuesday: Building Colorado
In an academic year, the Education Team can see over 10,000 students and right now, we’re really missing those 3rd and 4th graders. Dive into a city profile from our Building Colorado program and learn the fun facts that blow the minds of those kids 🤯
|
Wednesday’s “Cabin Fever,” Episode 4
In Episode 4 of Cabin Fever Education Assistant Grace Brown is exploring what makes us all unique: our fingerprints! “Nail” down some history behind fingerprints, get some “pointers” to tell what kind of fingerprints you have, and get “hands-on” with a really cute piece of art using your very own fingerprints. Supplies you’ll need for this activity include:
- Fingers
- Paint you can get messy with
- Paper
- Marker
- Pencil
- Jar
- Tape
|
Facebook Live at 2 pm, Thursday, April 16
|
Friday’s “Behind the Scenes” returns with a new episode
Curatorial Assistant Vanya Scott shares an indenture (old term for a contract or legal document) she recently found in the collection. Without Golden provenance it’ll likely be deaccessioned.
|
Cemetery conservation on Saturday
Collection initiatives continue during quarantine. Get an update on the Golden Cemetery archive conservation project. Check the blog for details on Saturday, April 18.
Meantime, catch up on dozens of excellent posts from Curator Mark Dodge about wildly varied topics on the very same blog.
|
April 5-11, 2020
Meet the History Park flock on Sunday
|
|
Lecture Monday: “Quest for the Capital,” part two
|
|
Education Team Tuesday: “Crossing the Line”
Even in the midst of current events, we still have things to celebrate: March was Women’s History Month and 2020 is the centennial of women’s suffrage. GHM&P’s Education team is sharing one of their favorite Silent Stars films from Hands-on History camp, “ Crossing the Line.” This eight-minute film not only captures the 9-12 year-olds’ creativity but also their understanding and interpretation of major historic events. Check it out to see if women prevail in our history park!
|
Facebook Live at 2 pm, Wednesday, April 8
|
Thursday’s “Cabin Fever,” Episode 3
Tired of being stuck inside? Education Assistant Grace Brown comes to you on Thursday with a third episode of the celebrated “Cabin Fever.”
In this one she takes things to the backyard! Learn about the 1876 4th of July celebrations in Golden, and get some instructions on games pioneer kids played to celebrate the United States centennial!
Supplies needed for this week:
- 4 sticks
- A hoop of some kind
- Shoes
- A wooden spoon
- An egg (real or fake)
- A rolling pin
- A dummy (or something that you can throw things at!)
|
Friday’s “Behind the Scenes with Curator Mark Dodge” returns with a new video episode
Curator Mark Dodge gives you the details on the “History Champs” which you can only learn if you’re part of the Museum’s inner circle. If you’re reading this, don’t worry, you’re in at least one of the inner circles!
|
More Golden movies on Saturday
Oldies are goodies, but newer video options featuring Golden are available from your favorite streaming service too. Check the blog for details on Saturday, April 11.
Meantime, catch up on dozens of excellent posts from Curator Mark Dodge about wildly varied topics on the very same blog.
|
March 29 – April 4, 2020
|
Meet the History Park residents on Sunday
Each Sunday, Visitor Services and Interpretation Coordinator Megan Murphy will introduce you to one of the full-time residents of Golden History Park. We hope you’ll take a peek each week.
|
|
Education Team Tuesday
Grab your isolation friends and learn about Victorian parlor games! With the invention of gaslights providing visibility late into the evenings, Victorians perfected indoor activities with party games, card games, and more. Next week we’re exploring one of the oldest card games, with a twist. Join us on Tuesday to learn what it is and how to play!
|
|
Facebook Live at 10 am, Wednesday, April 1
|
Cabin Fever Thursday, Episode 2
Learn how to re-purpose some of your old egg cartons into a fun and educational craft! Supplies you’ll need for this week’s craft include:
- egg carton
- scissors
- glue (preferably liquid)
- needle/pen to poke a hole
- yellow paint/yellow markers
- black paint/black markers
- scrap paper
- pipe cleaners (if possible)
- googly eyes (if possible)
We are all buzzing with excitement! See you Thursday!
|
|
Museum Collection Highlight on Saturday
These are historic times and we’d say the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) crisis is a noteworthy event to document. What do you think? Museums story-tell through objects, so what would tell this story well? When others look back from the future what will be important to remember? What would you collect to document this time?
Meantime, catch up on dozens of excellent posts from Curator Mark Dodge about wildly varied topics on the very same blog.
|
Reopening
Thank you for your support of Golden History Museum & Park. We look forward to seeing you in-person again soon! We’re doing the planning now so we will be ready to go with a robust menu of offerings.
Read about the amazing rediscoveries we’ve uncovered during our expansive Legacy Collection Inventory on our blog
