PRESS CONTACT
Angelika Albaladejo, Manager of Communications and Public Relations
(720) 541-2334 | hc_media@state.co.us

LGBTQ+ Pride Month offers a chance to honor and uplift the voices of Colorado's LGBTQ+ community – Coloradans who have worked to secure rights enjoyed by all, and fight to maintain them. These are stories of loud and proud demonstrations for civil rights and equality, and quiet assertions of identity. History Colorado is proud to share these stories through exhibitions, publications, and resources from the state’s collection. 

History Colorado museums across the state are also connecting communities with fascinating exhibitions throughout June – showcasing rare copies of America’s founding-era documents, exploring adobe as a living practice, honoring the stories of Colorado’s soldiers-on-skis, and beyond.

New Exhibitions Now Open:

Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation | Denver, CO
History Colorado Center | Now Open for a Limited Time!

For the first time ever, a collection of remarkable documents from our nation’s founding are in Denver thanks to the Freedom Plane National Tour. History Colorado Center is one of only eight museums across the country receiving this special collection – on display for a limited time from May 28 through June 14. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the most fundamental documents in our country’s history – from an original engraving of the Declaration of Independence to a rare draft printing of the US Constitution. Visitors must reserve timed tickets in advance.

Winter Warriors: The 10th Mountain Division in World War II | Leadville, CO
Healy House Museum & Dexter Cabin | Now Open!

Winter Warriors explores the history of the US Army's first and only winter warfare division forged in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, where they trained for their crucial breakthrough against the Nazi German Army in the mountains of Italy. The US military built Camp Hale just outside of Leadville, the highest altitude city in the United States, because of its secluded and harsh mountain terrain. In this way, the tucked away town of Leadville played a crucial role in Colorado, US and world history. Experience the story of Colorado’s esteemed soldiers-on-skis back where it all started through a fascinating display of historic objects, photos, and first-hand personal accounts from the troops themselves.

Exhibitions Opening Soon:

150 Framed: A Visual History | Trinidad, CO
Trinidad History Museum | Opening May 29

150 Framed: A Visual History is a collaborative mural project created by the Trinidad History Museum in partnership with local schools and artists to honor a special commemoration this year. Trinidad officially became a town 150 years ago – just a few months before Colorado became a state. And because Colorado is the only state to share an anniversary with the United States, it has also been 250 years since the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. The Trinidad History Museum is unveiling this visual timeline of the city with an opening celebration on the evening of May 29 from 4 – 6 pm. The opening is free and open to the public with advance registration.

Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros | Fort Garland, CO
Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center | Opening June 28

Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros is an ambitious and sprawling cross-border exhibition exploring adobe as a living practice that connects art, architecture, and ancestral knowledge across the Southwestern United States. The Fort Garland Museum – itself housed in five original adobe buildings – is collaborating with the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico to share unique installations at both locations. Artists show how adobe endures not through permanence but through renewal. Unearthing Futures also extends well beyond the museum galleries, offering a road trip experience guided through a website and phone app highlighting historic and contemporary adobe structures dotting the landscape between these southwestern cities. 

Exhibitions Closing Soon:

12 Tablecloths | Fort Garland, CO
Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center | Closing June 5!

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.

Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History | Pueblo, CO
El Pueblo History Museum | Closing June 19!

Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History is a thought-provoking traveling exhibition that shares stories and artifacts from the lived experiences of Black Coloradans who explored, settled, and achieved so much in Pueblo and across the state. This exhibition got its start at the Museum of Boulder, and now El Pueblo History Museum is proud to infuse it with local Pueblo history. A walk through the gallery will introduce you to people like James Beckwourth, the formerly enslaved man turned frontiersman who helped establish Pueblo’s enduring adobe trading post, and transport you to places like the Lincoln Home and the neighborhoods of “Pepper Sauce Bottom” and “Goat Hill.”

Pride Month Resources & Exhibitions:

History Colorado’s extensive LGBTQ+ collection includes photos, artwork, political signs, oral histories, podcast episodes, magazine articles, and other artifacts and resources available through our statewide exhibitions, archives, and publications. 

History Colorado is also offering a series of current exhibitions featuring LGBTQ+ stories: 

Moments That Made US – a remarkable exhibition at the History Colorado Center tracing 800 years of US history – explores how the LGBTQ+ rights movement has repeatedly tested the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence. Boulder County’s first female city clerk and recorder, Clela Rorex, was approached in 1975 by two men, both named Dave. David McCord and David Zamora had been denied a marriage license in Colorado Springs but hoped Boulder would consider granting them the license. Rorex found no legal reason not to – and Colorado became one of the first states to issue a same-sex marriage license. Rorex issued six same-sex marriage licenses between March and April of 1975, the first of which is on display in this exhibition. Colorado’s Attorney General stopped Rorex from issuing more same-sex marriage licenses. History Colorado’s Lost Highways podcast digs deeper into this story in the episode “Six Gay Weddings and a Horse.”

Keeping Place: Colorado Heritage for All at the History Colorado Center shares a snapshot of History Colorado’s ambitious Colorado Heritage for All initiative, which aims to add 150 historic sites from previously excluded communities to the State Register of Historic Places. Colorado’s buildings and landscapes witness our experiences, anchor our communities, and shape the stories we pass down, including in our LGBTQ+ communities. The Bunk House Lodge, tucked into the snowy peaks of Breckenridge, is a mountain retreat run by LGBTQ+ Coloradans for more than 50 years. The Gender Identity Center in Denver was one of the nation’s earliest transgender organizations, creating a safe space at a time when being transgender was largely misunderstood in the public imagination.

Votes & Dreams at the Center for Colorado Women’s History highlights 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. Among Colorado’s women trailblazers were the creators of the lesbian alternative newspaper Big Mama Rag. This beacon for Colorado women’s liberation ran from 1972 to 1980. The Rag regularly published reader’s letters, which fulfilled the founders’ vision: a forum for all women, “born out of the need for women’s expression.” The paper shared poetry and literature as it confronted social hierarchies and discussed political issues such as motherhood, mental and physical health, and women’s history. On display in Votes & Dreams are a poster and tank top created to promote Big Mama Rag. The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection includes digitized copies of Big Mama Rag, and the History Colorado collection contains photographs and artifacts tied to the newspaper and lesbian rights. 

June Events and Attractions:

Monday Morning Movement & Meditation | Trinidad, CO
Trinidad History Museum | June 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29, 8 – 8:40 am

Join free yoga and meditation classes on the Trinidad History Museum’s Bloom Lawns each Monday morning between May 11 and October 5 with Jennifer Allen. Please bring a water bottle and mat or blanket. Enter through the gate on Walnut St. Please note that the class is outside and weather-dependent. Reserve your space to attend this event. For questions or more info, contact Millie Duren at emily.duren@state.co.us. 

Tuesday Night Summer Socials | Denver, CO

Center for Colorado’s Women History | June 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30, 4 – 7 pm 

Special summer hours are back at the Center for Colorado Women's History every Tuesday evening in June. The museum is open until 7 pm. Explore the Votes and Dreams exhibition with General Admission or join a 45-minute Women’s History Tour to also see the rest of the historic home and learn more about Colorado’s trailblazing women. Purchase tickets online or in person. For more information, contact Cat Jensen cat.jensen@state.co.us. 

Ethnobotany Tours | Montrose, CO

Ute Indian Museum | June 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24 & 30, 9:30 – 10:15 am 

See what is blooming this summer at the Ute Indian Museum on this 45-minute ethnobotany tour with a museum docent. Learn about the trees, shrubs and other plants connected to the Ute people, and learn about the values the Utes found in plants for food, fiber and cultural uses. This event is free and open to the public, with no RSVP required.

Wild West Days | Georgetown, CO
Georgetown Loop Railroad | June 6, 7, 13 & 14, Times Vary

Ride through towering evergreens, over iconic trestles, and along mountain vistas aboard the Georgetown Loop’s historic narrow-gauge railroad. For two weekends in June, the Wild West Trains invite you to step back into the days of the Old West! Meet Wild West reenactors, witness a lively train robbery, and try your luck at a Faro game in the saloon. Guests will receive a custom 2026 Wild West Days Faro Chip as part of this action-packed experience. Wild West Day trains vary in pricing and tour activities. Learn more and book tickets on the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Events webpage. 

Evening Trains | Georgetown, CO
Georgetown Loop Railroad | June 6, 13, 20, & 27, 6:30 – 8:15 pm

Experience the Georgetown Loop Railroad after hours aboard the new Evening Trains, designed especially for adults seeking a relaxed, date-night adventure. Departing Silver Plume at 6:30 pm, the train features scenic photo stops, a 30-45 minute stop at Devil’s Gate with music and activities, and a return by approximately 8:15 pm. Learn more and book tickets on the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Events webpage. Tickets sell out quickly, so book your tickets now.

How-To: Accessing History Colorado Collections for Research | Virtual
History Colorado | June 9, 12 – 1 pm

Did you know History Colorado’s collection contains more than 15 million objects anyone can access for personal, professional or academic research? Learn how to use the History Colorado Center’s free and public Research Center in this virtual conversation with Collections Access Coordinator Shelby Rohe. This conversation will cover the types of collections accessible for research, physical and online resources to aid your research project, and how to connect with the Research Center and book an appointment. Purchase a ticket to reserve your spot.

Museum Connections: What’s the Right Collections Management System for Your Museum | Virtual

History Colorado | June 10, 12 – 1 pm 

Join History Colorado’s Amy Ault, Head of Data Management and Digital Projects, for an online discussion about collections management systems and what factors to consider in selecting one. Museum Connections is a monthly series covering the fundamentals of museum work, and new and innovative solutions. Each month a new topic will be covered that focuses on fundamentals of museum work as well as new and innovative solutions. Each class is $10 per person and open to museum volunteers and professionals from all backgrounds and institution sizes. All classes are free for members of History Colorado’s Affiliates Network.

Researching Historic Properties Webinar | Virtual
History Colorado | June 10, 12 – 1 pm

Join History Colorado's Heritage for All initiative fellows for a free lunchtime webinar to learn how to research historic properties. Janan Graham and Layla Anzelc-Tolian will discuss available resources, research methods, documenting histories, and cultural awareness. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A. Register for this online discussion. 

Move & Groove: Family Fitness Class | Trinidad, CO
Trinidad History Museum | June 12 & 26, 9 – 10 am

Join the Trinidad History Museum every other Friday on the Bloom Lawns for a movement class that is fun for the whole family! Taught by Sabra Lopez, this class is open to all ages. Tickets are $5 per person or use the discount code 2for8 at checkout when purchasing a child and adult ticket for a total of $8. Please bring a mat and water bottle. Enter the museum grounds through the gate on Walnut Street. For more information, contact Millie Duren at emily.duren@state.co.us. 

Portrait of Colorado at 150: Red Rocks 85th Anniversary | Morrison, CO
Red Rocks Amphitheatre | June 15, 6:30 – 10 pm

Stories are powerful, and A Portrait of Colorado at 150 aims to increase representation in Colorado's documented history by gathering stories across every region of our state. This storytelling initiative by History Colorado and the America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission offers Coloradans a chance to share their oral histories, and even provides training and resources for communities to start their own storytelling efforts. A Portrait of Colorado at 150 is hosting a storytelling truck at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in a partnership between History Colorado, Red Brick Center for the Arts, Aspen Historical Society, and bARTer collective.

Members-Only Digital Behind-the-Scenes Tour: All In on the Sesquisemiquincentennial | Virtual

History Colorado | June 16, 1 – 2 pm 

Join Jason Hanson, History Colorado’s Chief Creative Officer and a member of the state's America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission, for a members-only online discussion about the momentous Sesquisemiquincentennial. Learn how the commission was formed and how History Colorado came to be at the forefront of it all. Hear about the commission’s signature initiatives, statewide commemoration plans, and how the History Colorado Center was able to become one of only eight museums in the country to land the Freedom Plane, open for a limited time from May 28 to June 14. You must be a History Colorado member and register in advance to attend.

Music on the Lawn | Trinidad, CO

Trinidad History Museum | June 18, 5:30 – 7 pm 

Bring a blanket, lawn chair, and snacks to enjoy live music on the Bloom Lawns at the Trinidad History Museum. Music on the Lawn is every third Thursday from May through September. This evening will feature a performance by Red Milk. Admission is free with advance registration. Enter through the gates on Walnut or Chestnut Streets. 

History Hour: On Tap - Prohibition in Trinidad | Trinidad, CO

Trinidad History Museum | June 20, 1 – 4 pm 

Trinidad History Museum is hosting an hour-long talk about prohibition on the Bloom Lawns. Stay after to try craft beer from Mountain Merman Brewery. This event is only for attendees who are 21 and older. Space is limited, so reserve your seat in advance. For more information, contact Millie Duren at emily.duren@state.co.us.

Soiled Doves: The Working Women of Colorado’s Boom Days | Leadville, CO
Healy House Museum & Dexter Cabin | June 20, 4 – 5:30 pm

Learn about the women of the Wild West who provided a certain type of companionship to the miners and other gentlemen who came seeking fortune during the Centennial State’s gold and silver rushes. From their day-to-day lives to their influence, this presentation by Julie Blanda explores the importance of these women and their rightful place in Colorado’s history. This presentation is PG-13, not suitable for young children. Reserve tickets in advance.

Father’s Day Weekend | Georgetown, CO
Georgetown Loop Railroad | June 20 – 21, 10 am – 3:50 pm

Treat Dad to a train ride through history! Fathers will receive a complimentary bottle of root beer, and all riders can enjoy the classic railroad atmosphere. Each reservation also receives a 2026 Father’s Day Faro Chip to mark the occasion. The Father’s Day Weekend Trains have three opportunities varying in pricing and tour activities. Learn more on the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Events webpage. Tickets sell out quickly, so book your tickets now. 

Portrait of Colorado at 150: Strawberry Days | Glenwood Springs, CO
Two Rivers Park | June 20 – 21, 10 am – 4 pm

Stories are powerful, and A Portrait of Colorado at 150 aims to increase representation in Colorado's documented history by gathering stories across every region of our state. This storytelling initiative by History Colorado and the America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission offers Coloradans a chance to share their oral histories, and even provides training and resources for communities to start their own storytelling efforts. Meet the team who lead A Portrait of Colorado at 150 at the Strawberry Days information booth as they share about the state storytelling initiative.

Rocky Mountain Map Society Series: "Boulder County Centennial Farms" | Denver, CO
History Colorado Center | June 23, 5:30 – 7 pm

Fine art documentary photographer Linda Kozloff-Turner is hosting a free conversation about her project “Gone, But Not Forgotten.” This documentary features photographs and stories from still-operating farms established more than 100 years ago and recognized through History Colorado’s Centennial Farms & Ranches program. The documentary includes 1880s maps, such as Drumm's original land ownership details, and accounts of the women who kept these farms in their families for more than a century. This talk is free with advance registration.

Wildlife Weekend | Georgetown, CO
Georgetown Loop Railroad | June 26 – 28, 10 am – 3:50 pm

Ride the Georgetown Loop Train and experience Colorado’s wildlife up close through this perfect blend of education and adventure for all ages. The Wildlife Weekend Train in partnership with Nature’s Educators, a nonprofit conservation group, offers a chance to meet native bird and reptile species, learn about Colorado wildlife, and enjoy live flight demonstrations with select birds. The Wildlife Weekend Trains and Tours offer varying time slots and tour activities. Learn more and book tickets on the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Events webpage.

Portrait of Colorado at 150: Mall Fest 50 Art Parade & Block Party | Aspen, CO
Aspen Pedestrian Mall | June 27, 10 am – 12 pm

Stories are powerful, and A Portrait of Colorado at 150 aims to increase representation in Colorado's documented history by gathering stories across every region of our state. This storytelling initiative by History Colorado and the America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission offers Coloradans a chance to share their oral histories, and even provides training and resources for communities to start their own storytelling efforts. A Portrait of Colorado at 150 is hosting a storytelling truck event at the Mall Fest 50 Art Parade & Block Party in partnership between History Colorado, Red Brick Center for the Arts, Aspen Historical Society, and bARTer collective.

Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros Opening Celebration | Fort Garland, CO
Fort Garland Museum | June 28, 10 am – 2 pm

Celebrate the opening of Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros, an exhibition exploring adobe as a living practice that connects art, architecture, and ancestral knowledge across the Americas. This celebration will feature live music, artist interactions, food, and interactive activities for all ages. This event is free and open to the public. Register in advance to attend. 

“Japanese-American Farming, Past & Present” Bus Tour | Denver, CO

History Colorado Center | July 24, 8:30 am – 3 pm | Deadline to register is July 6 

Japanese Americans have long contributed to Colorado’s agricultural industry through their farms across the state. This bus tour with History Colorado’s Tours & Treks series is set to explore the Brighton area and engage with this essential part of Colorado history. Jade Sato of Minoru Farms will introduce us to the importance of growing Asian vegetables to feed the local community, and Robert Sakata will lead us on a tour of Sakata Farms to discuss his family’s impact on the vegetable crop industry throughout the years. Bus pick-up and drop-off is at History Colorado Center. Purchase your tickets by July 6th to reserve your spot!  

About History Colorado

History Colorado is a 146-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