Dinosaur Ridge’s
international acclaim dates to 1877, when Arthur Lakes, a professor at the
Colorado School of Mines in the city of Golden, discovered a myriad of fossils.
The original fossils included the Apatosaurus, the Stegosaurus, and the
Allosaurus, and these fossils, along with other early discoveries, were highly
representative of the Late Jurassic Period, 150 million years ago. Following
the discoveries, scientists and paleontologists from all over the world made
their way to Colorado to take part in the dinosaur gold rush along the Morrison
Formation.

&nbsp;

By 1937, during
construction of the West Alameda Parkway, researchers discovered dinosaur
tracks in the 100-million-year-old rocks on the eastern side of Dinosaur Ridge.
Over the course of the 20th &nbsp;century, several more important discoveries
were made, while Dinosaur Ridge maintained its acclaim for its ecological and
paleontological significance. In fact, over 300 types of tracks have been
identified.

&nbsp;

In 1989, the Friends
of Dinosaur Ridge non-profit was established to preserve fossils and educate the
public about the natural history of the area. The site also features the
Dinosaur Ridge Exhibit Hall, which displays about the dinosaurs found at the
site, as well as interpretive trails that explain the local geology, a volcanic
ash bed, trace fossils, paleoecology, and many other geological and
paleontological features.&nbsp;

Friends of Dinosaur Ridge Official Website

Website

More Info

The disappearance of Dinosaur Ridge by the Denver Post

Video

Located in the Dakota Hogback region of the Morrison Fossil Area National Natural Landmark, Dinosaur Ridge stands as one of the world’s most famous dinosaur fossil localities. The history of Dinosaur Ridge traces back to 1877 when some of the best-known dinosaurs were found, including the Apatosaurus, the Stegosaurus (the Colorado State Fossil), and the Allosaurus.

These discoveries initiated a “dinosaur gold rush,” and the dozens of successful excavations at Dinosaur Ridge have stocked many of the world’s museums while bringing more attention and passion to dinosaurs and paleontology. In addition to further excavations and exploration, Dinosaur Ridge is also open to the public with its Visitor Center and two interpretive trails ideal for anyone wanting to learn more about dinosaurs.

The National Park Service has designated Dinosaur Ridge as a National Natural Landmark and the state of Colorado has made it a Colorado Natural Area.

Dinosaur Ridge

This tour features several museums and historic sites on the western edge of the Denver metro area. 

Museums and Attractions around Golden Colorado

<div>The Colorado Railroad Museum demonstrates the&nbsp;important role of railroads&nbsp;in American history. The museum offers visitors exhibits related to the&nbsp;science and&nbsp;history of locomotives, as well as exhibits that show how the expansion of railroads affected Colorado and the American West. Exhibits feature original photographs by pioneer photographers such as William Henry Jackson and Louis Charles McClure, as well as paintings by Howard Fogg, Otto Kuhler, Ted Rose and other artists. And of course, the museum's scheduled train excursions are the most popular part of the museum.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div>

The Colorado Railroad Museum traces the history of the Colorado railroad system with pieces from the first years of rail travel to today's more modern techniques. See real-life displays, hear accounts, and see photographs from the early years through today. In the Colorado Railroad Museum, you will also hear about the American Hobo and the history of the surrounding towns. See some of the greatest rail inventions including snow plows and water tanks.

Colorado Railroad Museum

Interactive and technological displays illustrate the ingenuity and heroism of mountaineers. The American Mountaineering Museum boasts one of the world's largest research&nbsp;libraries dedicated to mountaineering and hosts rotating exhibits, as well as lecture series.&nbsp;

The only U.S. museum dedicated to the spirit of Mountaineering. The American Mountaineering Center is the nation's premiere facility for education, research, conversation and information about the mountain environment. With a state of the art museum and library, conference space, auditorium, climbing wall and spectacular views of North and South Table Mountains, your trip is sure to be inspired to new heights!


American Mountaineering Museum

The Foothills Art Center galleries are located in historic downtown Golden at the corner of 15th Street and Washington Avenue. The Main Gallery and Gift Gallery are located in an 1872 Gothic-style church and 1892 Queen Anne manse, both of which are located on the National Register of Historic Places. The Community Gallery is just next door in an 1899 Victorian-era mansion built by Perre O. Unger. There is also an outdoor sculpture garden.&nbsp;
Located in historic downtown Golden, Foothills Art Center (FAC) leads and inspires the community through art, education, and cultural excellence. Founded in 1968, Foothills Art Center is committed to delivering engaging exhibitions and diverse educational programs for adults and children.
&nbsp;Regularly scheduled docent tours are complimentary with admission.

Foothills Art Center is located in historic downtown Golden, Colorado. Made up of multiple historic buildings, the art center has a main gallery, community gallery, and gift gallery. Founded in 1968, the nonprofit organization has a mission to lead and inspire the community through art, education, and cultural excellence. 

Foothills Art Center

William F Cody was born February 26, 1846 just west of the Mississippi River near Le Claire, Iowa. At the spry old age of 12, he started working for a wagon train headed west toward Fort Laramie, Wyoming. The very next year he traveled to Colorado to participate in its newly founded gold rush. Just a few years more, when he turned 15, Cody began working for the Pony Express. Towards the end of the Civil War, Cody served as a scout in the Union Army’s Seventh Kansas Cavalry, where his skills and experiences as a tracker and fighter made him invaluable. On April 26, 1862, William F Cody was awarded the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor for valor shown by him during the Indian Wars. In a weird series of events, Cody was later declared ineligible and had his medal removed in 1917, only to have it later reinstated in 1989.It didn’t take long for higher ups in the military to realize the media potential of Cody, who had a combination of charisma and first-hand knowledge and expertise in frontier life. U.S. Army General Philip Sheridan capitalized upon this as a chance to give the Army of the West some much needed good publicity. During this same time, American media was filled with cheap magazines that romanticized the exploits of both good guy and bad guy, generally cowboys and soldiers versus that of the Natives, often exaggerating tales from both sides. Buffalo Bill found himself as one of the most famous characters and in 1872 was convinced to portray himself on stage. After returning to the Army during the height of Indian resistance in the Plains, and after scalping a Cheyenne warrior shortly after Custer’s “Last Stand” all while wearing his stage clothes, Buffalo Bill proved that he was the real deal and no mere actor.In 1883, Cody created what would become the world famous “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West,” a staged show with authentic characters and weaponry from the days of western expansion. Cody’s show was truly world-wide, performing from California to Maine, all the way to Wales and Ukraine. Cody’s Buffalo Bill show would be performed all over the world for over 30 years. Despite his great success as performer, William F Cody died January 10, 1917, broke and penniless.

William Frederick Cody, more famously known as “Buffalo Bill,” was a scout for the Union Army’s Seventh Kansas Cavalry during the last years of the Civil War.  He earned his namesake while hunting buffalo as an employee of the Kansas Pacific Railroad, known for his expert shot.  From there he would go on to be the greatest showman of his day with his famous “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West” show bringing him both fortune and fame.  He employed both women and Natives in his show making him the famous American in the World.



Buffalo Bill Museum

<div>William F. Cody, also known as Buffalo Bill, was born in Scott County, Iowa in 1846. His father died in 1857 and his mother moved them to Kansas. While living in Kansas Cody worked as a messenger and wrangler for a wagon-freight company. Two years later Cody joined the ranks with the Pikes Peak gold rush as a prospector. After a short run with the gold rush, Cody answered an advertisement for the Pony Express. At the age of seventeen Cody served as a Union scout against the Kiowa and Comanche Indians. He witnessed battles in Missouri and Tennessee while enlisted with the Seventh Kansas Cavalry. When the Civil War ended Cody married Louisa Frederici from Saint Louis, he also continued to work as an Army Scout and dispatch carrier.&nbsp; </div><div>	In 1867, Cody started hunting buffalo in order to feed construction crews working for the Kansas Pacific Railroad. Within a seventeen month period Cody stated that he had killed approximately 4,280 head of buffalo. He earned the name 'Buffalo Bill' by outshooting another hunter, William Comstock. Cody returned to work for the United States Army in 1868, serving as the chief of scouts for the Fifth Cavalry. He participated in sixteen battles including the defeat of the Cheyenne at Summit Springs in Colorado. Ned Buntline began to write tales of William Cody's alter ego Buffalo Bill making earning him the ranking of national folk hero. After Buntline created this image of a romanticized Buffalo Bill he was ranked among famous men from history such as Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, and Kit Carson.&nbsp; </div><div>	Starting on 1872 Cody was persuaded by Buntline to assume the character role of Buffalo Bill on stage on his play The Scouts of the Plains. Buntline and Cody had a falling out after the first production of the play however Cody continued acting for eleven more seasons. Between the theater seasons Cody returned to the west escorting rich Easterners and Europeans. Following General Custer's defeat at Little Bighorn, Cody was called to serve as an army scout in 1876. &nbsp; </div><div>	William Cody organized Buffalo Bill's Wild West show in 1883. He attempted to capture and dramatized many elements of frontier life. Some of these included a buffalo hunt with real buffalos, a Pony Express ride, and a demonstration of Custer's Last Stand. His show toured the United States for approximately three decades. He even toured across Europe. Other stars such as Annie Oakley, Buck Taylor, and Chief Sitting Bull (for only one season) even took part in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. In 1890, Cody was called back to serve the army after the Indian uprisings revolving around the Ghost Dance. He traveled there with a group of Indians from his show in order to serve as peacemakers. William F. Cody died on January 10, 1917 and is buried at the top of Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado</div>

The final resting place of local celebrity Buffalo Bill. This area also has one of the best views that Colorado has to offer. Partake in the cafe, the sights, and the local beauty.

Buffalo Bill's Grave

Francesca Cabrini was born July 15, 1850 in what was then
part of the Austrian Empire. At 13, she began studying at Daughters of the
Sacred Heart.&nbsp;In 1880, in Italy, Mother Frances Cabrini founded
the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.&nbsp;She went into ministry and originally wanted to go to China.
Instead, the pope suggested that she go to the United States to help Italian
immigrants arriving in poverty.&nbsp;In 1902, Mother Frances
Cabrini bought the property in Golden, Colorado. Located on the side of Lookout Mountain, it
already contained two barns and a spring house but lacked a permanent water
source. Residents and visitors of the property hauled water up from the stream
located in Mount Vernon Canyon. In 1910, the property became a summer camp called “Queen of Heaven Orphanage.” This
summer camp was designed for the orphan girls to enjoy the outdoors and do farm
work.&nbsp;Queen of Heaven Orphanage was maintained and run
by Sisters of the Sacred Heart.In 1912, an elderly Mother Cabrini and several young nuns took a walk to the top of the highest mountain onsite. At the top, the nuns arranged white stones in the shape of a cross and heart. Mother Cabrini then dedicated the mountain to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and named it "Mount of the Sacred Heart." The rocks are still there today.

A lack of water plagued the camp. In 1912, Mother Cabrini
discovered a natural spring on the property that supplied a permanent source of
water for the site. Construction of The Stone House began in 1912 and was
completed in 1914. This house served as a dormitory for the summer camp. In
1929, a grotto was built over the spring that resembles the Grotto of Lourdes.
In 1959, the grotto was rebuilt with sandstone.

Mother Frances Cabrini
died in 1917 at the age of 67. In 1938, the property became a pilgrimage site
for Catholics. In 1946, Mother Cabrini was canonized, and the site became
officially recognized as a shrine. In 1954, a statue of Jesus Christ was
erected at the highest point onsite. The statue was designed by Maurice Loriaux,
stands 22 feet high, and was placed on an 11 foot base. A 373 step staircase
leads up to the statue and is the same path that Mother Cabrini took to the top.

In 1967, the Queen of
Heaven Orphanage closed. The Stone House was used as a convent for nuns until
1970 when a permanent convent was finished. Today, the Shrine of Mother Cabrini
is still run by Sisters of the Sacred Heart. The shrine is used as a pilgrimage
site, as a conference center, and as housing for Sisters of the Sacred Heart. The shrine also has
overnight accommodations for visitors.

Located in Golden, Colorado, this shrine is for Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, also known as Mother Cabrini. It is composed of a stone house, a statue titled "The Sacred Heart of Jesus," and a convent. Mother Cabrini and the Sisters of the Sacred Heart actively worked to establish a Catholic presence in the area, specifically for orphaned girls. The site became so well known that it became a popular pilgrimage site and then a shrine. It also features a 22 foot high statue of Jesus on the highest point.

Mother Cabrini Shrine

The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum celebrates the art of quilting. Visitors will tour an extensive collection of quilts, bed coverings, and fabric arts. The museum host exhibitions that range from antiquated to contemporary works. Eugenia Mitchell, a celebrated fixture in the Denver quilting community, founded the museum in 1990. Mitchell’s goal was to showcase techniques, the art of quilting, and to be a preservation location for historic pieces. Eugenia Mitchell was ten years old when she learned quilting from her mother. When she was 14, she dropped out of school to help her mother in her dry goods store. During this time, Eugenia made her first quilt.  In 1952, Mitchell moved to Golden, Colorado with her second husband, Elmer Mitchell. After his death, she worked as a caretaker and a cleaning woman, quilting in her spare time.  An exhibition at the Denver Art Museum in 1973 led to her becoming well known within the quilting community. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, she ran a quilting store in Golden. In 1990, Mitchell established the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.  The museum’s permanent collection includes 800 quilts, 101 of which were gifted by Eugenia Mitchell. The “Quilts Made by Men Show” is one of many exhibits the museum hosts regularly. After Colorado’s September 2013 floods, quilts were donated to the flood victims through the museum. Eugenia Mitchell passed in 2006, but her legacy lives on at the museum.

The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum opened in 1990 in downtown Golden, Colorado. The museum showcases the art of quilting. After exhibiting in the Denver Art Museum, Eugenia Mitchell became a staple in the quilting community. Mitchell founded the museum with a gift of 101 quilts from her collection. From humble beginnings, the museum now has a global reach, welcoming visitors from 6 continents. 



Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum 

The Colorado Music Hall of Fame, a non-profit organization, honors newly elected Colorado music legends with major fund-raising events and colorful, entertaining exhibits profiling each legend. The Colorado Music Hall of Fame inducted its first honorees in 2011 with songwriter John Denver and Red Rocks Amphitheatre (as a venue). It has since expanded to include many other musicians.&nbsp;
The museum provides a dynamic environment designed for thousands of visitors to the Red Rocks campus, preserving and protecting historical artifacts through displays and interactive elements.
Chairman Chuck Morris, director G. Brown and an impressive and varied board of directors believe in the power of Colorado rock history to inspire lifelong music fans. The Colorado Music Hall of Fame is establishing a permanent institution in the service of those traditions.
At the Colorado Music Hall of Fame’s first induction event on April 20, 2011, the Anschutz Foundation made a $50,000 contribution to the University of Colorado College of Music in CMHOF’s name. The donation was used to create funded internships, which enable talented students to receive real-life experiences in various aspects of music management and production.

The Colorado Music Hall of Fame is a museum located in the Trading Post at Red Rocks Amphitheater. It was created to honor those individuals who have made outstanding contributions, to preserve and protect historical artifacts, and to educate the public about everything that is great about Colorado’s music. 

Colorado Music Hall of Fame

John Brisben Walker had a vision of artists performing on a stage nestled in the perfect acoustic surroundings of Red Rocks, which likely were used by the Ute tribe in earlier times. Walker produced a number of concerts between 1906 and 1910 on a temporary platform. From his dream, the history of Red Rocks as an entertainment venue began.
Geologically, the rocks surrounding the Amphitheatre are representative of the Fountain Formation. Originally the place was known as the "Garden of the Angels" (1870s-1906), and then as "Garden of the Titans.” The park, however, had always been known by the folk name of "Red Rocks", which became its formal name when Denver acquired it in 1928.&nbsp;
In 1927, George Cranmer, Manager of Denver Parks, convinced the City of Denver to purchase the area of Red Rocks from Walker for the price of $54,133. Cranmer convinced Benjamin Franklin Stapleton, the Mayor of Denver, Colorado, to build on the foundation laid by Walker. Red Rocks Amphitheatre was designed by Denver architect Burnham Hoyt. By enlisting the help of the federally sponsored Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), labor and materials were provided for the venture. Construction of the amphitheatre began in 1936 and was completed in 1941.
It has held regular concert seasons every year since 1947. The first performance of each season is the Easter Sunrise Service, a non-denominational service on Easter Sunday of each year.
An incident during a performance by Jethro Tull on June 10, 1971, led to a five-year ban of rock concerts at Red Rocks.
More than just a concert venue, at 6,450 feet above sea level, Red Rocks Park is a unique transitional zone where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains. The diverse environment allows visitors to see plants, birds and animals of both regions. Red Rocks Park is a Denver Mountain Park and has two hiking/biking trails, one of which connects to Jefferson County’s Matthews-Winters park.&nbsp;

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado, 10 miles west of Denver. The amphitheatre is owned and operated by the City and County of Denver, Colorado and is located in Red Rocks Park, part of the Denver Mountain Parks system. Upon completion of the amphitheatre to its present form by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the venue was formally dedicated on June 15, 1941. It has held regular concert seasons every year since 1947.

Museums and Attractions around Golden Colorado

Dinosaur Ridge

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information