Gunnison Pioneer Museum — Attraction in Gunnison

From the highway the Gunnison Pioneer Museum really doesn't make that much of an impression. Most of the museum grounds is hidden by a long steam locomotive imprisoned underneath a long shed. It is also deceiving because the museum is only open four months out of the year. I had passed it many times going back and forth to job sites in Gunnison. I had lunch across the street and the museum's appearance only provoked mild curiosity. Friday, September 18 I finished a project early and had a chance and time to visit the museum. And it was open. What a treasure! Just an incredible collection that fills 35 buildings and spans history from the early days of the territory's foundation to the 20th Century. Words cannot convey the volume and wealth of the collection this museum contains. I ended up spending four hours there and would have stayed longer if fatigue and hunger had not set in. I want to go back and spend more time with this collection and taking photos. I was overwhelmed and shown again you cannot judge a book by its cover. Or a great museum. Highly...

The Pioneer Museum is a hidden gem. My mom and stepdad visited me in August, and my brother and I took them to the museum. None of us had been there before, and we made the grave mistake of getting at ticket at 4 pm, a mere hour before closing. We only had time to look at five of the 40 (!!!) buildings on the premises.

Each one is chock-full of historical Gunnison artifacts, photos, and memorabilia. Some of the actual buildings are original builds from when the town of Gunnison was first erected, including the schoolhouse and the first post office. It's truly a special place, and anyone who lives in or loves Gunnison should spend at least a full afternoon there.

Did I mention they let you drive a golf cart around...

If I could give this place more than 5 stars I would! First, to get in it is $10 for adults and $3 for kids under 10. The two ladies at the front desk were great and very knowledgeable about the museum. There are several different buildings to look through and a lot of history! I was greatly impressed with the building holding all of the WWII artifacts. It took us almost three hours to walk through everything. I would definitely recommend this place if you’re a history buff! The only thing I would add to this place is maybe some information on the towns that were flooded to create...