Lafayette History Museum

09/05/2026

Today is World Beard Day! 🧔‍♂️As you can imagine, there are lots of great beards in the museum's photography collection. Today we're sharing this photo of a man whose beard you may not recognize, but you probably know his name - this is Adolph Waneka!

Adolf and Anna Waneka emigrated from the region of Europe now known as Germany, eventually settling in the Lafayette area in the early 1860s, well before the city was founded. In 1865, Adolf built a dam on a “generous” spring, which would become Waneka Lake, though it wasn't until 1984 that the trail was built around the lake, marking its transition to a recreational area.

09/03/2026

Something old, something new at the Lafayette History Museum!

2026 marks 50 years of the museum preserving and sharing Lafayette’s history. To celebrate the milestone, we have been working on a new permanent exhibit for several years, and the exhibit opens on September 12!

Come explore familiar stores from Lafayette's history and discover new favorite moments from our past.

Details: https://lafayettehistoricalsociety.org/event/50th-birthday-party-and-exhibit-opening/

08/26/2026

📣 Something new is coming!📣

To celebrate the museum's 50th anniversary, a dedicated committee of volunteers has been working for years to brainstorm, research, and develop a new exhibit to go in the three main rooms of the museum. We are excited that it is almost time to show you what they've been working on!

The new exhibits will still celebrate Lafayette's coal mining history and early days, while also exploring the people, industries, and stories that shaped the city over the years. We can't wait for you to see it!

Join us on September 12 from 11am-1pm for the official exhibit opening and our 50th birthday party! We'll have a birthday cake and face painting, and you'll have the chance to chat with the people who made the exhibit possible.

08/20/2026

We are closed today, Thursday August 20. The Lafayette Learns program with Ava Hamilton is taking place as scheduled, tonight at 6:30 at the Lafayette Public Library.

08/18/2026

Don't miss this unique perspective on state and national history! Join Arapaho tribal member Ava Hamilton, a documentary maker, climate advocate, and historian, as she reflects on the question, "How would it be if all this hadn't happened?"

This Thursday, August 20 at 6:30!

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and 150th anniversary of Colorado becoming a state. However, the history leading up to and following those momentous events includes the displacement and erasure of Native tribes, languages, and ways of life.

Join Arapaho tribal member Ava Hamilton, a documentary maker, climate advocate, and historian, as she reflects on the question, "How would it be if all this hadn't happened?"

📆Thursday, Aug. 20 from 6:30-7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room

Lafayette Learns is offered in collaboration with the Lafayette History Museum and The Collective Community Arts Center!

08/12/2026

Fill in the blank in the comments! You're definitely from Lafayette if you remember...

08/04/2026

What's going on at the museum?

Today we have a variety of engineers, architects, and other specialists working at the museum as part of our State Historic Fund grant! Since this grant project is focused on gathering information that will help us create a plan to preserve the Lewis House, the work happening today is supporting that goal.

🪏 Outside, they're digging to reveal sections of the building's foundation and boring holes to create a geotechnical report that will tell us more about the soil composition.

🛠️ Inside, they carefully removed floorboards in order to access the crawlspace underneath the house to evaluate things from the inside.

🏠 All of this work will help us understand how the house has changed over time and how we can preserve it going forward. And everything will be replaced by the end of today once the work is over!

This work is funded by the State Historical Fund and donors like you who have contributed to the project. We are continuing to fundraise to support this work, so if you would like to be a part of preserving the Lewis House, you can donate here! https://mtyc.co/8aideg

07/31/2026

On your way to or from the Peach Festival next Saturday, swing by the Lafayette History Museum for a morning of summer fun! Enjoy a FREE peach-flavored snow cone to cool off. Test your knowledge of Lafayette history (or learn some fun facts!) with a quiz game. Enjoy a tour of the museum (and the museum’s A/C!). We'll be in the front yard with snow cones and activities from 9am-12pm.

07/30/2026

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and 150th anniversary of Colorado becoming a state. However, the history leading up to and following those momentous events includes the displacement and erasure of Native tribes, languages, and ways of life.

Join Arapaho tribal member Ava Hamilton, a documentary maker, climate advocate, and historian, as she reflects on the question, "How would it be if all this hadn't happened?"

📆Thursday, Aug. 20 from 6:30-7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room

Lafayette Learns is offered in collaboration with the Lafayette History Museum and The Collective Community Arts Center!

07/22/2026

Curious what it's like to work in a museum and handle historic artifacts? Now you can experience it for yourself! Join staff of the Lafayette History Museum to get trained in how to properly pick up and hold historic objects and get hands-on with objects from the museum's collection. Children 12 and older are welcome to join.

The event is free for members, but registration is required. Space is limited. Get your spot today: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/lafayette-history-museum/hands-on-history

The program is only open to members of the Lafayette History Museum. Become a member for as low as $20/year at https://lafayettehistoricalsociety.org/ -involved