While visiting a new location, you can do many different things. You can visit cultural sites, dine at famous restaurants, get a taste of the local cuisine through delis, and indulge in all kinds of activities. The list is endless! But only museums give people a chance to learn the history of a place and the things that the locals have valued since the beginning. Museums record the life of a city as well as the lives of those who have lived in its embrace from the day it was founded. While most destinations have museums that show the history of the city, Fort Collins, Colorado, does things a little differently. Its people appreciate not just the beauty of the arts but also the glory of the veterans that spent a lifetime serving the country. You simply should not skip these best museums in Fort Collins, Colorado, if you truly want to see the real deal about the place.
1. Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery was started by City of Fort Collins Museum and the nonprofit Discovery Science Center. It was opened in 2012, and the main mission of the museum is to provide a unique, fun, and interactive experience for all those who visit, through a hands-on approach toward science and culture. With four buildings dedicated to the history of the region (Heritage Courtyard and the on-site Archive and Collections), the museum is home to OtterBox Digital Dome Theater, which happens to be North Colorado’s only 360-degree immersive theater. Not only does the museum have a fresh and different approach to everything, but it also conducts around 400 culture- and science-based programs for children.
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
Address: 408 Mason Ct, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Website: Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
Opening hours: Tue - Wed & Fri - Sun: 10am - 5pm; Thu: 10am - 8pm (closed on Mon)
Price: 0 - 12.50 USD
2. Gregory Allicar Museum of Art
Gregory Allicar Museum of Art was started by Colorado State University in 2009. While it is a small museum, it is well-appreciated by anyone who visits because of the carefully selected pieces displayed. From pottery to furniture and paintings, everything pulls in visitors, making them examine every small detail to form a better understanding of what each artifact represents. The main mission behind starting Gregory Allicar Museum of Art is to make people engage in art and inspire them with new perspectives. Through the years, with the care put in its gallery, the museum has not just achieved that mission but also become a center for visual literacy.
Gregory Allicar Museum of Art
Address: 1400 Remington St, Fort Collins, CO 80523
Website: Gregory Allicar Museum of Art
Opening hours: Tue - Wed & Fri - Sat: 10am - 6pm; Thu: 10am - 7:30pm (closed on Mon - Sun)
Price: Free
3. Avery House
After being chosen by Agricultural Colony, Franklin C. Avery was the engineer who laid out the streets of Fort Collins when it was first established. Once a member of the city council, Avery and his wife built a house on the corner of Mountain Avenue and Meldrum Street in 1879, where they then raised their three children. To this day, the house stands and is known as 1879 Avery House. The original house was a two-story—two rooms on the first floor, which have now been converted into the entryway and dining room, and three bedrooms on the second floor—with a basement. With every new generation that lived in the house, something new was added to its structure, the Queen Anne tower being the last modification. Now a cultural site, the house is open to anyone who chooses to visit, with its collection of historical pictures, costumes, as well as a carriage.
1879 Avery House
Address: 328 W Mountain Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Website: 1879 Avery House
Opening hours: Sat - Sun: 1pm - 4pm (closed on Mon - Fri)
Price: 4 - 6 USD
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4. Museum of Art Fort Collins
Started in 1983, Museum of Art Fort Collins was originally known as Horizons Gallery of Contemporary Art. To give visitors the best experience, the museum features not only a beautiful gallery but also exhibitions, community programs, and events for children as well as adults, where they can learn more about art, its history, and different techniques. The main aim of the museum is not just to better the cultural life of Fort Collins but also to increase the interest people have in visual arts and help them understand its power. Following this dream, Museum of Art Fort Collins has been recognized as an inspiration for people to view the world differently.
Museum of Art Fort Collins
Address: 201 S College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Website: Museum of Art Fort Collins
Opening hours: Wed - Fri: 10am - 5pm; Sat - Sun: 12pm - 5pm (closed on Mon - Tue)
Price: 0 - 5 USD
5. Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University
In the early 1950s, Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University started as a small teaching resource for the faculty of the Department of Home Economics. It was only in 2016 that the facility became a full-fledged museum that showcased clothing and accessories through different moments in history. Now, the place has five galleries in three campus buildings. Using exhibitions, courses, and programs, the museum aims to teach people about global apparel, their use and history, as well as the different materials used to make these items. Clothes tell a story, one that should be heard by the world. Thus, the museum currently preserves around 20,000 historical textiles and apparel.
Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University
Address: University Center for the Arts East, 216 E Lake St, Fort Collins, CO 80523
Website: Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University
Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 11am - 6pm (closed on Sun - Mon)
Price: Free
6. Global Village Museum of Arts
An idea that started in June 2006, Global Village Museum of Arts was first opened in March 2010. The main mission of the museum is to educate the community about different cultures in the world, people, arts, and history and cultivate understanding and peace. What started as a small project later expanded, and now the museum has four galleries—Main Gallery, Mundoville Gallery, Village Arts Gallery, and Hall Gallery. For the purpose of education, the exhibit in Main Gallery is changed every three to four months. Mundoville Gallery is home to miniature art depicting international people as well as a permanent collection of world art, fine art, artifacts, and musical instruments donated over the years—all of which it shares with Village Arts Gallery.
Global Village Museum of Arts
Address: 200 W Mountain Ave #C, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Website: Global Village Museum of Arts
Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 11am - 5pm (closed on Sun - Mon)
Price: 0 - 5 USD
7. Bee Family Centennial Farm Museum
Happy 4th of July! We are open on Friday and Saturday so come out and see us
Posted by Bee Family Centennial Farm Museum on Thursday, 4 July 2019
Bee Family Centennial Farm Museum originally started as a homestead founded when the development of North Colorado began. It was preserved over the years, and 140 acres (56.7 ha) of the original 160 acres (64.7 ha) of land were sold to the government and later converted into a museum. This non-profit facility’s main mission is to educate people on the history of agriculture in Colorado and Larimer County. Those who visit are invited to participate in different activities surrounding the farm and learn the family’s history throughout the day. Artifacts dating as early as 1894—such as farming equipment, cars, wagons, pictures, living necessities, and diaries—can be found here.
Bee Family Centennial Farm Museum
Address: 4320 E County Rd 58, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Website: Bee Family Centennial Farm Museum
Opening hours: May - Oct: Fri - Sat: 9am - 4pm (closed on Sun - Thu)
Price: 0 - 8 USD
8. Poudre Landmarks Foundation
Poudre Landmarks Foundation started as an organization that manages historical sites. With 46 years of experience, PLF’s first project was the restoration of Avery House. Once Avery House fell in the hands of the government, the initial plan was to tear it down, but soon the citizens began to protest against this decision. So Avery House was passed into the hands of PLF, who has taken care of the facility since then. PLF then took up its second project in 1995 by restoring the city’s 1883 Water Works facility. To this day, both 1879 Avery House and 1883 Fort Collins Water Works are managed by Poudre Landmarks Foundation and have been open to tourists.
Poudre Landmarks Foundation
Address: 108 N Meldrum St, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Website: Poudre Landmarks Foundation
9. Veterans Plaza of Northern Colorado
Started in 2007, Veterans Plaza of Northern Colorado aims to honor the service of those who have served the country as well as educate the community about the role veterans have played in the history of America to guarantee everyone’s freedom. Annually, Veteran Plaza salutes those who have played a part in different wars. In 2015, it paid tribute to veterans of WWII. The plaza also welcomes speakers to come and share their stories as well as experiences to teach the youth.
Veterans Plaza of Northern Colorado
Address: 2626 W Horsetooth Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80526
Website: Veterans Plaza of Northern Colorado
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 8am - 5pm (closed on Sat - Sun)
See the real Fort Collins
Museums hold the history of the world within their four walls. They not only educate us about where we come from but also teach invaluable lessons so that we don’t make the same mistakes of the past. Our ancestors and their choices have made us who we are today, so learning a bit about them can never hurt.
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