The Museum of Boulder — Attraction in Boulder

The Museum of Boulder is a great small museum for learning about the history and the culture of Boulder. I'd say the main room is upstairs, with one wall dedicated to history, the opposite wall dedicated to outdoor sports, and the far end to technology. A cool theater presents the language and history of the Arapaho, the indigenous people of the area, and touch tables in the middle of the room address issues that Boulder faces today, like diversity, homelessness, business, and more. You can watch videos, see pictures, and even write a response!

On the roof is a terrace with nice views, on the main floor is a very respectable artsy gift shop and the current "Voces Vives" gallery, telling the story of the history of the latinx community in Colorado. Don't miss sitting in the "living room" to hear the story of one family's experience. Downstairs is a kid's imagination area with several stations for play and creativity.

There is some free 2-hour street parking along Pine Street. Otherwise, it's just what you can find in the area. I arrived at 9am on a Saturday and had the whole...

A great new location in a nice building, but as a Boulder native, I was hoping for more historical photos, artifacts, and insight into Boulder's founding, growth, and development. Maybe it's all in storage? The best display is the enormous aerial video of the city and surrounding area. Why the sell-out to Google...just to attract and entertain the kids? Although important, Boulder is more than just outdoor recreation activities...it's CU, Western Cutlery, Neodata, IBM, University Hill, Martin Acres, Frasier Meadows, Gunbarrel, the toll road, Pow Wow, NCAR, the Bureau of Standards, the Daily Camera, KBOL, Boulder Sanitarium, Leanin' Tree, downtown (both after, but more importantly BEFORE the Pearl Street Mall), Mapleton Hill, BHS and FHS, railroads, Naropa, slow growth, height limitations, open space, Whizzer White, Joan Van Ark, Glenn Miller, Mork and Mindy, hippies, 1930-era motor courts, Chautauqua, Ball Bros., and the historical families and businesses that grew, cared for, and birthed...

After an initial misfire by opening the museum too early, I've returned since all the exhibits are now open, and here's my revised review as of July, 2019:

I like the main exhibit with a timeline of Boulder and how it highlights Boulder's unique qualities, like the outdoor activities. Also the rooftop patio view is lovely.

What I'd like to see, overall, is a better use of space. It's a nice, big building, but about two-thirds of it isn't dedicated to useful museum exhibits, but rather to play space or kids activities. So if you're bringing kids, it's a decent option. But for adults looking for a solid museum, it's light in general, and very light specifically on all the old, interesting historical material. So look for a free day to check it out, or just go next door to the Carnegie library which has tons of historical photos and maps...