Steamboat Springs is an incredible town to visit thanks to its boundless opportunities for outdoor recreation, beautiful scenery, wildlife, western hospitality and charm, and an outstanding Olympic skiing tradition. The town also has a community of friendly people, a world-class ski resort, vibrant culture and arts, and wide open spaces. The combination of all of these makes Steamboat Springs a unique and fun place.
The Tread of Pioneers Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the unique heritage and history of Steamboat Springs. This includes explaining to visitors why the town is like no other. Much of the same special natural qualities that attracted both the Ute people and the early settlers to the stunning area, such as the Yampa River and the plentiful mineral springs, still draw people from around the world today. Once a frontier outpost of the Wild West, Steamboat is now a beloved resort town destination in the Rocky Mountains.
The Tread of Pioneers Museum explores the ways of the Native Americans, early settlers, outlaws, miners, ranchers, lawmen, and skiers. Among the information visitors will learn is why more Olympic athletes call Steamboat home than any other town in the country. The museum has undergone a recent expansion and provides exploration and fun throughout the year for the entire family. Exhibits, activities for kids, events, and tours celebrate the town's distinct western heritage that beckons visitors worldwide. The museum offers something for everyone and is considered a must-do for locals and visitors alike.
Interactive exhibits focus on both the local and regional history of the western United States. At the core of the Tread of Pioneers Museum is a Queen Anne-style Victorian home from 1901 that features turn-of-the-century furnishings. Engaging exhibits showcase the story of Native Americans as well as the history of mining, agriculture, pioneer settlement, skiing, and the development of the town among much more. The Western Heritage Exhibit, for example, contains an extensive collection of firearms, traces the area's history of agriculture, and tells the story of Harry Tracy, an infamous outlaw. Special activities and features of the museum include hands-on kids exhibits, video and computer interactive exhibits, a research center for local history, an oral history library, and a kids’ scavenger hunt.
800 Oak Street, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477, Phone: 970-879-2214
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