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New exhibitions at History Colorado’s museums across the state tell a mix of stories about Colorado women’s trailblazing achievements, the enduring legacy of our namesake battleship, the contributions of domestic workers, and the journey traced by Ute peoples in the early 1900s. 

History Colorado is also honoring the state’s exceptional historic preservation and archaeology efforts with a night of awards and a new exhibition unveiling.

From immersive art installations to scenic train rides, free family-friendly events, intriguing author talks, a beer tour through Denver, illuminating glimpses at history, and so much more – History Colorado is offering something for everyone in April.

 

New Exhibitions:

All Hands on Deck: Life and Legacy of the USS Colorado Battleship | Denver, CO
History Colorado Center | Now Open!
Sail the high seas in this showcase exploring the life and enduring legacy of the USS Colorado (BB-45) battleship. Ships named after Colorado connect our highest mountains to the depths of the ocean. The US Navy launched the USS Colorado battleship (BB-45) in 1921, kicking off twenty-four years of service that took the ship across the world. From searching for missing aviator Amelia Earhart to shelling Pacific Islands during World War II, the USS Colorado’s 2,000-member crew worked together and served bravely.

Declaration of Sentiments | Denver, CO
Center for Colorado Women’s History | Now Open!

The oldest-known printing of the Declaration of Sentiments is coming to Denver for a limited time. This groundbreaking declaration dared to demand equal rights for women – helping launch the women's suffrage movement, and paving the way for Colorado to become the first state where men voted to extend that right to women. Displayed alongside the Declaration is a remarkable letter sent by Susan B. Anthony congratulating Colorado activist Ellis Meredith on the successful inclusion of women in the electorate – more than 25 years before the rest of the nation.

Domestic Bliss | Denver, CO
Center for Colorado Women’s History | Leaving Soon!

Domestic Bliss is a textile art installation closing on April 7. Created from found objects associated with domestic life, such as upcycled fabric and vintage books, Domestic Bliss elevates traditional “women’s work” while confronting the enduring struggle for gender equality. Colorado textile artist Bethany Economos crafted this installation of 2- and 3-D pieces that center around poetry excerpts written by Colorado poet Kathleen Willard – all meticulously embroidered into once-loved aprons, tablecloths, and everyday furniture.

 

Exhibitions Opening Soon:

Votes & Dreams | Denver, CO
Center for Colorado Women’s History | Opening April 3

Colorado’s women have long been trailblazers charting a way forward –  from securing women’s voting rights decades before the rest of the country to pursuing economic justice and civil rights. In Votes & Dreams, a fascinating mix of artifacts show the struggles and triumphs of Colorado’s women activists and leaders who organized at the ballot box and beyond to implement their vision for a better future. 

Heart Burning | Denver, CO
Center for Colorado Women’s History | Opening April 3

Votes & Dreams will also include an outdoor sculpture in the museum’s patio created by queer, Hispanic Colorado artist Ariana Gonzales through the Athena Project. Gonzales’ sculpture Heart Burning reimagines the journey Colorado women took to secure their voting rights through the lens of science fiction. Powered by a beating heart at the center of a mailbox, the tentacles of this sculptural machine reach out for the community to participate in its agenda for equality, as the battle continues through our current timeline.

The Unquiet Utes | Montrose, CO
Ute Indian Museum | Opening April 4

Through a series of historic photographs, The Unquiet Utes exhibition traces the journey of the “Absentee Utes” through Wyoming in 1906 as photographed by T. W. Tolman. This traveling exhibition from the Campbell County Rockpile Museum explores the Ute frustrations with US land policies and other reasons for their journey. It also covers the path taken across Wyoming, their meeting with US Cavalry including Buffalo Soldiers, their withdrawal to Fort Meade and later Thunder Butte, South Dakota, and their eventual return to Utah in 1908.

Eugene La Rose: Let My Art Work Enrich Your Life | Montrose, CO
Ute Indian Museum | Opening April 4

The transcendental artistic vision of the late Eugene La Rose is on display in this art showcase. Northern Ute artist Eugene La Rose was an enrolled member from the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah, and an activist in the American Indian Movement. La Rose drew on his spiritual experiences, observations of nature, and the rituals of his people to create acrylic paintings on canvas and animal hide. These visionary designs depict the Native American bond with the special powers of nature and animals. 

Keeping Place: Colorado Heritage for All | Denver, CO
History Colorado Center | Opening April 8

In honor of Colorado’s 150th anniversary, History Colorado embarked on an ambitious project to change how we look at community preservation through Heritage for All. This initiative set out to list historic sites representing women, Black, Latino, Asian American, Indigenous, or LGBTQ+ Coloradans who were previously underrepresented. A new exhibition, Keeping Place, highlights a few of these newly safeguarded places and explores how buildings and landscapes witness our experiences, anchor our communities, and shape the stories we pass down. An opening night event on April 8 will celebrate the Stephen H. Hart Awards for Historic Preservation alongside the unveiling of this exhibition.

12 Tablecloths | Fort Garland, CO
Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center | Opening April 18

Created by renowned artist and historian Chloé Duplessis, 12 Tablecloths is a transformative art installation that honors the extraordinary contributions of Black women and the significance of domestic service at Fort Garland and other western military outposts during the Civil War era. This exhibition is the third iteration of 12 Tablecloths, which Duplessis previously created site-specific versions of for the Center for Colorado Women’s History and the Trinidad History Museum.

 

Events and Experiences:

Georgetown Loop Railroad Bunny Train | Georgetown, CO
Georgetown Loop Railroad | Train Rides throughout April

Ride through towering evergreens, over iconic trestles, and along mountain vistas aboard the Georgetown Loop’s historic narrow-gauge railroad. Located forty-five miles west of Denver, the Georgetown Loop is one of Colorado’s most authentic living history experiences. Hop aboard the Bunny Train or plan ahead for the many themed rides coming up this year. Tickets sell out quickly so be sure to reserve yours now!

 

Community Easter Egg Hunt | Fort Garland, CO
Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center | April 4, 11:30 am – 1 pm

Join Billy the Easter Buff at the Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center for the annual Community Easter Egg Hunt. In addition to two rounds of egg hunts, there will be activities, prizes, and fun for the entire family! RSVP for this free event.

 

Hart Awards & Keeping Place Exhibition Opening | Denver, CO
History Colorado Center | April 8, 5 – 8 pm

As Colorado commemorates 150 years of statehood, celebrate the 40th Annual Stephen H. Hart Awards for Preservation and the opening of a new exhibition, Keeping Place, which features the full diversity of our state’s history through the groundbreaking initiative Colorado Heritage for All, which is adding 150 sites to the State Register of Historic Places. Please RSVP ahead of this free event.

 

How-To: Researching Your Home | Denver, CO
History Colorado Center | April 11, 11 am – 12:30 pm

Are you curious about the history of your home? Learn the basics of researching your property’s past with Liv Wisnewski, Temple Buell Assistant Curator of Architecture, in-person at the Stephen H. Hart Research Center. Whether you’re interested in previous owners, architectural evolution, or neighborhood changes, this session will guide you to, and through, available tools and resources. Register in advance for tickets ranging in price from $3 to $5. Participants are eligible for discounted general admission to the museum.

 

Colorado Black Equity Study: Community Listening Session | Durango, CO
Ft. Lewis College | April 11, 12 – 2 pm
The Colorado Black Equity Study team is hosting its fifth Community Listening Session. Learn about the study’s progress and contribute by sharing your lived experience in a guided table discussion facilitated by the research team. This session will be held at Ft. Lewis College, Skyhawk Station 118 Room 1000 Rim Dr. Durango, CO. Please RSVP ahead of the event.

 

Through the Vine | Trinidad, CO
Trinidad History Museum | April 18, 10 am – 3 pm

Christa Franks, a clinical herbalist who runs the Trinidad Tea Co, will lead a class on herbalism and its history, where you can learn how to make an herbal remedy. This workshop is $20 per person, and History Colorado Members receive a $5 discount. Buy a ticket online to reserve your spot or contact Millie Duren at emily.duren@state.co.us.

 

Meet the Collection: A Salute to Major General Maurice Rose | Denver, CO
History Colorado Center | April 14, 2 – 3 pm

Discover the remarkable story of Major General Maurice Rose in this special Meet the Collection program with Paul Shamon of the Rose Monument Foundation. Raised in Denver as the son of a rabbi, Rose climbed the ranks to command the famed 3rd Armored Division during World War II. His extraordinary service – and his tragic death in 1945 as the highest-ranking American officer killed by enemy fire – left a lasting legacy in US military history. Shamon will bring Rose’s journey to life through a look at rare artifacts and never-before-seen photographs from the General Maurice Rose collection. Register in advance – free for members or included with general admission to the museum.

 

Mapping Harm, Measuring Hope: Findings from the Colorado Black Equity Study | Denver, CO
History Colorado Center | April 15, 1 pm or 7 pm

Join Colorado Black Equity Study program manager Chloé Duplessis for a thought-provoking talk presenting the Study's latest research findings and next steps. In 2024, Senate Bill 24-053 created the Black Coloradan Racial Equity Study Commission. In coordination with the Commission, History Colorado is conducting evidence-based historical research into the practices and policies of the State of Colorado that negatively impact Black Coloradans. This vital community-envisioned legislative measure is funded entirely by grants, gifts, and donations. You can buy tickets here for this and other lectures in the Rosenberry series.

 

Tuskegee Airmen Presentation | Pueblo, CO
El Pueblo History Museum | April 16, 6 – 8 pm

The Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 missions in Europe and North Africa during World War II. These Congressional Gold Medal honorees challenged racism and stereotypes, and helped lead to desegregation of the US Armed Forces. Learn more about how they became powerful symbols of courage, skill, and civil rights progress through a presentation by Col. Mark Dickerson (USAF, Retired) and Elizabeth Harper (Co-Author of I wanted to be a pilot: The making of a Tuskegee Airman with Franklin J. Macon). This event is free and open to the public. RSVP online to reserve your spot.

 

Free Family Day | Trinidad, CO
Trinidad History Museum | April 18, 10 am – 3 pm

Free Family Day at the Trinidad History Museum includes free museum admission, lawn games, and a discount on select gift store items! Attendees also receive 10% off tuition for the Hands-On History Summer Camp at the Trinidad History Museum. This month also features special poetry readings on the Bloom porch from 1 – 3pm. The Bloom Mansion is currently closed for planned maintenance, but the Baca House and Santa Fe Trail Museum, as well as all grounds, will be open for visitors. Tickets are free with advance registration.  For questions or more information, please contact Millie Duren at emily.duren@state.co.us.

 

12 Tablecloths Exhibit Opening & Artist Talk | Fort Garland, CO
Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center | April 18, 11 am – 1 pm

Renowned artist and historian Chloé Duplessis is opening a new iteration of her transformative art installation, 12 Tablecloths, which honors the extraordinary contributions of Black women and the significance of domestic service at Fort Garland and other western military outposts during the Civil War era. To celebrate the exhibition opening, Duplessis will lead an artist talk, followed by an exhibition opening and reception. Please RSVP in advance for free.

 

Poetry Walk | Trinidad, CO
Trinidad History Museum | April 18, 1 – 3 pm

Meander through the Trinidad History Museum grounds to read excerpts of poems while listening to local poets read historic poems and their own works on the Bloom porch. Tickets are free with advance registration.

 

“Brewed at Altitude” Denver Beer Tour by Bus | Denver, CO
History Colorado Center | April 18, 1 – 5 pm

Join authors and beer historians Sam Bock and Jason Hanson for a peek into Colorado's past through the lens of a pint glass. Visit a few of the city's most historic breweries as the authors of the new beer book, Brewed at Altitude: A Beer Lover's History of Colorado, share what they learned about our state along the way. More than just a tale of ale or a day at the bar, this is Colorado's story, told over a few beers. You can buy tickets here for this tour and others in the 2026 Tours & Treks series.

 

History Hour: Mae Phelps's Trinidad | Trinidad, CO
Trinidad History Museum | April 25, 11 am – 12 pm

Join author and historian Randi Samuelson-Brown for a conversation about Mae Phelps and the lives of sex workers in Colorado and the West. This lecture will be held in the Barglow History Room at 312 E. Main St. Reserve a ticket online or by contacting Millie Duren at emily.duren@state.co.us.

 

El Día del Niño - Free Day at the History Colorado Center | Denver, CO
History Colorado Center | April 26, 10 am – 5 pm

El Día del Niño – the Day of the Child – is one of the year’s most exciting and vibrant events at the History Colorado Center, downtown Denver’s only Smithsonian Affiliate museum. Admission to the museum is free throughout the day. The celebration will include performances by local and international artists. The museum is in the heart of the Golden Triangle Creative District, steps from additional free offerings at the Center for Colorado Women’s History, Clyfford Still Museum, Denver Art Museum, and Denver Public Library. RSVP ahead for your free admission.

 

About History Colorado

History Colorado is a 147-year-old institution that offers access to our state’s history through enriching experiences at eleven museums and historic sites. As an agency of the State of Colorado and a non-profit organization, History Colorado is committed to serving all Coloradans through generational work that centers communities, deepens knowledge and catalyzes the transformative power of history.

History Colorado is also home to a free public research center, people-centered preservation work done by the State Historical Fund and the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of the State Archaeologist, the State Historians Council, and many other community-driven public history projects such as the Museum of Memory. History Colorado stewards more than 15 million objects, photographs, and archival resources that make up the State’s collection, and serve tens of thousands of learners of all ages each year. History Colorado is one of only six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado. Visit HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY, for more information. #HistoryColorado