Buena Vista Heritage Museum: is a 501(3)c nonprofit organization that has been around for over 35 years and has become an integral part of their community by providing educational and heritage tourism opportunities in the most cost-efficient way possible. Their history can be summarized as typical early struggles, followed by two decades of calm, then fifteen years of rapid growth. Their projects have included the rebuilding of the St. Elmo Town Hall/Jail as well as the on going operation of the Buena Vista Depot and Caboose on Hwy 285, the Turner Farm at 829 W. Main St. and the Buena Vista Heritage Museum at 506 E. Main St.
Leadville Museums & Tours: The history of Leadville is filled with dramatic stories of real people who made, and sometimes lost, fortunes in this frontier mountain town. Leadville is one of the most historic towns in all of Colorado, with six museums, a walking tour and a driving tour to give you the opportunity to enjoy the area’s rich history and Victorian architecture. Be sure to stop by the Leadville Lake County Visitor Center at 809 Harrison Avenue, in downtown Leadville, for maps, menus, brochures and information.
Custer County: has museums that share an intertwining story of mining, ranching and the railroad. Silver was discovered in the Wet Mountain Valley in 1863. Chronicling the tales of the silver boom town that emerged after silver was found on a sheer cliff adjacent to the Town of Silver Cliff, there is the restored 1879 vintage Silver Cliff Town Hall and Fire House Museum. Ranchers and farmers arrived in the valley in 1869. The restored Beckwith Ranch, one of the most photographed spots in Colorado, was one of the largest cattle operations in Colorado and stands as a testament to the era and the valley’s ranching roots. The One Room School House Museum gives a glimpse of early education on the valley floor when farming and ranching were just getting started. The All Aboard Westcliffe Museum retells the stories of the narrow gauge railroad that came to the valley in 1880 and the standard gauge which came in 1900. Visit the site of the historic ghost town of Rosita abundant with centuries of history.