Museum of Boulder

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⏳ Did you know…… Spruce Pool’s history goes back more than 100 years? 🏊‍♀️Long before it became the outdoor Spruce Pool ...
06/06/2026

⏳ Did you know…

… Spruce Pool’s history goes back more than 100 years? 🏊‍♀️

Long before it became the outdoor Spruce Pool we know today, the site at Spruce Street and 21st Street was home to the Hygienic Swimming Pool, an enclosed pool built by the Hygienic Ice and Coal Company in 1922. The company first announced plans for the pool in 1905, but construction didn’t begin until 17 years later.

The pool was sold to the City of Boulder in 1950, and in 1963 the original building was demolished and reopened as the outdoor Spruce Pool. That means Boulder residents have been cooling off at this corner of town for more than a century! 😎

All photos courtesy of the Carnegie Library for Local History, Museum of Boulder Collection.

Join us at the Museum of Boulder for Yelp’s second annual Camp Colorado Festival! We’re excited to welcome guests for a ...
06/03/2026

Join us at the Museum of Boulder for Yelp’s second annual Camp Colorado Festival! We’re excited to welcome guests for a night of over-the-top fun celebrating local food, drinks, outdoor brands, and entertainment. Let’s do this, campers! 🏕️

We encourage attendees to deck themselves out in their best summer camp attire. Think bandanas, high-waisted shorts, flannel shirts, hiking boots, headlamps, hydration packs, Birkenstocks, tie-dye, or your favorite camp counselor ‘fit. Have fun with it and raise a s’more to Camp Colorado!

Believe it or not, this is a free event to attend! However, what’s the point of having all this fun without supporting a good cause? We strongly encourage a $25 donation per person. Your support plays a vital role in our mission as Boulder’s one and only history museum, celebrating and preserving inclusive community stories that foster a culture of positive change for all.

More information through the link in our bio! ✌️

06/02/2026

With the help of our incredible volunteers and staff, the Playzeum patio is being transformed into the Wonder Garden! 🌱🪏

This garden will serve as a hands-on learning space where children can dig, plant, discover, and connect with nature.

Designed to spark curiosity and wonder, the Wonder Garden will give young visitors the opportunity to explore how food grows, observe pollinators and plants, learn about the natural world, and experience the joy of getting their hands in the soil. We’re excited for this to become a permanent space for exploration, learning, and play.

A special thank you to our Bloom Crew volunteers, who help plant, care for, and bring this garden to life. 🌼

And this is just the beginning! Stay tuned for select dates throughout the summer when Bloom Crew members will lead special gardening activities and hands-on experiences for young visitors.

⏳ Did you know…… the BolderBoulder began in 1979? 🏃🏾🏃‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️What started as a local Memorial Day 10K became one of the ...
05/23/2026

⏳ Did you know…

… the BolderBoulder began in 1979? 🏃🏾🏃‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️

What started as a local Memorial Day 10K became one of the world’s most iconic road races - complete with costumes, Slip ’N Slides, Elvis impersonators, and over 1.5 million participants through the years. 🎉

The Museum of Boulder is offering Buy One, Get One admission for all runners, walkers, joggers, and spectators all weekend and through the following week with proof of participation (race bib or coupon from the BolderBoulder “What To Do” eblast).

Please note: the Museum will be CLOSED on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. We hope to welcome you during race weekend or afterward!

What does a local history museum actually preserve? More than 45,000 historic artifacts. Hundreds of thousands of photog...
05/18/2026

What does a local history museum actually preserve?

More than 45,000 historic artifacts. Hundreds of thousands of photographs and archival documents. Oral histories. Community archives. Music history. Protest movements. Restaurant culture. Immigrant stories. Local art. Scientific innovation. Memories that exist nowhere else.

Every year, the Museum of Boulder works with artists, educators, cultural organizations, scientists, musicians, filmmakers, restaurants, schools, and communities across Boulder to help preserve and share the city’s history as it continues to evolve.

Happy from the Museum of Boulder! 🧡

⏳ Did you know..... that Michael Jackson spent time at Caribou Ranch near Boulder in 1984?Founded by producer James Will...
05/17/2026

⏳ Did you know...
.. that Michael Jackson spent time at Caribou Ranch near Boulder in 1984?

Founded by producer James William Guercio, Caribou Ranch became one of the most legendary recording studios in music history - hosting artists including Elton John, Chicago, Stevie Wonder, U2, Earth, Wind & Fire, and many more.

During the Jacksons’ Victory Tour stop in Denver, Michael Jackson stayed at the secluded mountain ranch as a retreat from the intensity of global fame. While there, he reportedly spent time horseback riding, exploring the property on an ATV, rehearsing, and working on music that would later become part of his album Bad.

Some music historians and longtime Caribou Ranch followers have even suggested that the peaceful mountain retreat may have helped inspire the creation of Neverland Ranch just a few years later.

Caribou Ranch was later inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2015 for its enormous impact on American music history.

Stay tuned for the Museum of Boulder’s upcoming exhibit, “Boulder Mixtape,” opening in 2027 - exploring the rich musical history of Boulder and the artists, venues, and cultural moments that shaped it 🎵

Photographs by Harry Benson. Circa 1984.

After months of community submissions, public discussion, blind review, and refinement, the Museum of Boulder has offici...
05/14/2026

After months of community submissions, public discussion, blind review, and refinement, the Museum of Boulder has officially announced the winning design in the Unofficial Boulder Flag Competition! 🎉

Congratulations to designer Michael Stuart Trimmer, whose flag design, 'Flatiron Sunrise Flourish,' was selected as the winner and revealed last night at the Museum of Boulder.

Chosen from nearly 200 submissions, the final design was selected for its bold geometry, dynamic movement, and strong connection to Boulder’s landscape, energy, and identity.

The final version of the flag was further refined in collaboration with volunteers from the North American Vexillological Association (), with the artist’s participation and permission.

Thank you to every designer, artist, student, community member, reviewer, and attendee who helped make this project possible. We’ve loved seeing Boulder engage in such a thoughtful and passionate conversation about civic identity, symbolism, and design.

All finalist designs, along with many additional submissions, are currently on display at the Museum of Boulder.

Merchandise featuring the winning flag launches Memorial Day weekend.

Learn more at museumofboulder.org/community.

Join us for a powerful screening of The Voice of Hind Rajab, presented in partnership with the Boulder-Nablus Sister Cit...
05/14/2026

Join us for a powerful screening of The Voice of Hind Rajab, presented in partnership with the Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project.

This Academy Award-nominated film follows the heartbreaking true story of a 6-year-old girl trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, as emergency responders race against time to reach her.

Following the screening, stay for a facilitated community discussion exploring the film’s themes and real-world context. Guests are also invited to a reception in the lobby with handmade crafts from Palestine available for purchase.

Register through the link in our bio or on our website at museumofboulder.org/calendar.

⏳ Did you know..... Boulder High School celebrates 150 years today? 🎓Founded in 1875 as a preparatory school for the Uni...
05/09/2026

⏳ Did you know...
.. Boulder High School celebrates 150 years today? 🎓

Founded in 1875 as a preparatory school for the University of Colorado, Boulder High was the first public high school in Colorado, graduating its first class in 1876, the same year Colorado became a state.

The school’s iconic Art Deco building on Arapahoe Avenue, completed in 1937 through a New Deal-era Public Works Administration project, remains one of Boulder’s most recognizable historic landmarks. Designed by architect Glen Huntington in the Streamline Moderne style and built with “Colorado Red” stone, the building features the beloved limestone figures known to generations of students as “Minnie and Jake.”

Here’s to 150 years of Boulder High shaping generations of Boulder students and Colorado history! 🎉

1) Courtyard staircase, circa 1981
2) Boulder High School, 1937
3) "Minnie & Jake," 1937
4) Groundbreaking ceremony, 1935
5) Under construction, 1936-37
6) Children playing, circa 1950s
7) Homecoming cheerleaders, 1985
8) Boulder High students, 1983

Photos 2-5 courtesy of the Carnegie Library for Local History, Museum of Boulder Collection. Photos 1, 6, and 7 courtesy of Colorado: Rust and Revival.

⏳ Did you know..... Boulder is home to a 120+ year-old flower farm? 🌷Long’s Gardens was founded in 1905 by J.D. Long, wh...
05/03/2026

⏳ Did you know...
.. Boulder is home to a 120+ year-old flower farm? 🌷

Long’s Gardens was founded in 1905 by J.D. Long, who came west seeking a cure for tuberculosis and ended up building a lasting agricultural legacy. What began as a small seed shop grew into a working farm. Today, the farm is still family-run by J.D.’s granddaughter, Catherine Long Gates, and her husband, Dennis.

Now protected by conservation easement, the land lives on through , where community-based agriculture continues to thrive.

Join us May 11 for a family-friendly evening on the farm at Growing Gardens, featuring hands-on activities, garden exploration, tastings from , and learning with award-winning educator Farmer Kim Whalen, .

Tickets available through the link in our bio!

Photographs: Mr. Long and Elizabeth with gladiolas, circa 1917–1924. Courtesy of the Carnegie Library for Local History, Museum of Boulder Collection.

Address

2205 Broadway
Boulder, CO
80302

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13034493464

Website

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