Glenwood Springs Historical Society and Museum

08/31/2026

Tickets are now on sale for the historical society's annual History Ghost Walk at Linwood Cemetery, with several evening start times on September 25-26, October 2-3, and October 9-10. [Apologies for a previous post with the incorrect dates!]

History Ghost Walk 2026 at Glenwood Springs Historical Society - Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Buy History Ghost Walk 2026 tickets at Yapsody

08/28/2026

This August 6, 1911 photo shows Amos B. Hughes, a Denver police officer, riding a bicycle down a stairway from a height equal to the top of the First National Bank building in Glenwood Springs. The stairway was three feet wide, eighty feet long and sixty-five feet high. Hughes had performed the stunt only once before, the previous year at Elitch Gardens in Denver, in front of 50,000 spectators. His descent in Glenwood Springs was successful, but, after reaching the bottom he hit rocks that caused his front tire to buckle and collapse, sending him flying. Hughes walked away with minor bruises. The event was held in conjunction with the annual Basalt-to-Glenwood Bicycle Race, which began in 1898. The 24.5-mile race started in Basalt and finished on Grand Avenue in Glenwood Springs. "Plucky" Russell Welch of Grand Junction won the 1911 race with a time of 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 58 seconds. The day's events also included a Fat Man Race and a Greased Pig Contest. A baseball game between Palisade and Glenwood Springs ended with Palisade winning the title of Western Slope Champions. There were bands from Grand Junction, Rifle and Glenwood Springs performing throughout the day as well as the Original Cowboy Band. In the photo, spectators have a birds eye view watching from the balcony of the Hotel Glenwood. The balcony was added a few years after its initial construction.

08/22/2026

Thanks you to Aspen Public Radio for hosting the Nonprofit Volunteer Fair this coming Wednesday, August 26, from 2-5 pm. Come learn about volunteering for the historical society and other nonprofits. It's free, with food and drink available, on Cooper Street just outside Glenwood Springs Branch Library.

08/21/2026

This photo, circa 1885, shows the ferry "Polly Pry" crossing the Grand River near what is now Iron Mountain Hot Springs. The ferry was named after pioneer newspaper correspondent Leonel Campbell Ross O'Bryan, who wrote under the pen name Polly Pry and was the Denver Post's first female reporter. Captain E.E. Prey built the ferry after constructing a large three-story home at the base of Red Mountain. Until 1886, Prey used the ferry to transport his family across the river because the narrow footbridge visible in the photo was the only other access. After a road from Mitchell to South Canyon was completed in 1886, Prey moved the ferry downstream to South Canyon to transport coal and miners from his mine. Prey's home was later purchased by Walter Devereux and named Cedar Bank. Julius Wulfsohn later bought the property and the area became known as Wulfsohn Ranch. Please help the Glenwood Springs Historical Society preserve this history! Every donation (got $5?) helps at GlenwoodHistory.org/donate Memberships encouraged! Thank you!

08/18/2026

A Saturday morning option has just been added to the schedule of guided history tours of spectacular Glenwood Springs. Tours are only $10 for youth and adults 12 and older. Make your reservation at the link (click the pic) and Visit Glenwood Springs!

Guided History Tour of Downtown Glenwood Springs at Glenwood Springs Historical Society . Buy Guided History Tour of Downtown Glenwood Springs tickets at Yapsody

08/15/2026

It's coming up on History Ghost Walk at Linwood Cemetery! These educational and entertaining tours will take place on September 25-26, and October 2-3 and 9-10. If you like ghosts but not cemeteries, there's an indoor performance on October 8 at Glenwood Vaudeville R***e. Tickets will be available soon for all of these dates (members--watch your inbox this coming week for a special offer).

In the meantime, please join in thanking top sponsor Alpine Bank for its generous support of this Glenwood Springs tradition. Thanks also goes to sponsors Glenwood Hot Springs and Keylink Vacation Rentals. **Additional sponsors are welcome, but time is short.** Just get in touch before August 22 for more info.

08/14/2026

After the Hotel Colorado was purchased by Joseph W. Vittum in 1966, his General Manager, Robert Dean, went about making massive changes to the Hotel. Vittum had renamed the property, Glenwood's Village Inn with the concept of creating a city withing a city. The "city" included barber and beauty shops, steam and mineral baths, massage rooms, a snack shop, dining rooms and a cocktail lounge, a photography studio, an insurance company, and retail shops. There was the installation of an automatic elevator and the basement "dungeons" were turned into more useable space. The stone wall in the front was torn down and a new u-shaped driveway on the south courtyard side became the main entrance. It replace the former pool, fountain and courtyard where there had once been an outstanding rose garden. The historic second-story balcony where three Presidents had greeted Glenwood's citizens was pulled down. Fortunately, in 1974 and under new ownership, Whitely Hotel Corporation took on the task of restoring much of the Hotel's original elegance and it was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Renovations by other owners continued for several decades. Most importantly, the historic name of the Hotel Colorado was restored.

08/14/2026

The historical society's guided tours continue. Only $10! Make your reservations at GlenwoodHistoryEvents.yapsody.com.

Guided History Tour of Downtown Glenwood Springs at Glenwood Springs Historical Society . Buy Guided History Tour of Downtown Glenwood Springs tickets at Yapsody

08/13/2026

The historical society is so glad for the support of Glenwood Vaudeville R***e, showing Tom Mix's "The Great K & A Train Robbery" next Thursday, August 20. Make your reservations soon!