Telluride Historical Museum


This Smithsonian-affiliated museum features the geologic history of the region as well as background on local mining history and native cultures. While you're here, check out the Telluride Blanket, an intact artifact from Ancestral Puebloans dated between AD 1041 and 1272.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Box Canyon Falls

8.99 MILES

This is a popular short walk from town, or you can drive to the signposted parking lot off Box Canyon Rd. The waterfall is 285ft high and issues thousands…

2. Ouray County Museum

9.62 MILES

Little Ouray, ‘the Switzerland of America,’ is very picturesque and littered with old houses and buildings. The visitors center and museum issue a free…

3. Mining Heritage Center

11.83 MILES

This specialist museum is dedicated to Silverton’s mining history. Old mining equipment is displayed and there’s a re-created machine shop and blacksmith…

4. Silverton Museum

11.84 MILES

Installed in the original 1902 San Juan County Jail, the Silverton Museum has an interesting collection of local artifacts and ephemera.

5. Mayflower Gold Mill

12.58 MILES

This mill was once a major employer in Silverton. Stop in to see how miners extracted gold and minerals from the ore. The Aerial Tram House is a highlight…

6. Ridgway Railroad Museum

14.96 MILES

Ridgway was the birthplace of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, a narrow-gauge rail line that connected to Durango with the ‘Galloping Goose,’ a kind of…