Littleton Museum | Denver

The Littleton Museum is a premier cultural and historical institution located at 6028 South Gallup Street in Littleton, Colorado. Spanning over 40 acres along the banks of Ketring Lake, the museum offers a comprehensive view of Colorado's past through a mix of traditional indoor exhibits and immersive outdoor living history environments. It is highly respected for its educational programs, historic authenticity, and its affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution. Admission is free, making it an accessible and enriching destination for families, students, and history enthusiasts.

Indoor Exhibits

The museum’s main building houses several galleries and interpretive spaces that explore the history, art, and culture of Littleton and the surrounding region.

History Gallery
This permanent exhibit traces the evolution of Littleton from its earliest Native American presence and pioneer roots to its development into a suburban Denver community. Artifacts include original clothing, tools, early photographs, and household goods. The exhibit features recreated historical settings such as a general store, a 19th-century parlor, and an old classroom, allowing visitors to experience what life was like during various periods.

Fine Arts Gallery
This rotating exhibit space showcases contemporary and historical artworks, often by Colorado-based artists. The exhibits may include painting, sculpture, mixed media, and photography, with themes that reflect local culture, nature, and artistic innovation.

Changing Gallery (Culture Gallery)
Used for temporary traveling exhibitions and thematic displays, this space features curated exhibits ranging from decorative arts and crafts to social history and industrial design. It occasionally hosts Smithsonian-affiliated exhibits, offering a broader cultural perspective.

Kid's Connection
An interactive educational space for children, located within the History Gallery. Young visitors can engage in hands-on activities like cooking in a pioneer kitchen, using a replica print press, or playing dress-up in period clothing. The area is designed to encourage imaginative learning through tactile experiences.

Living History Farms

The most unique feature of the Littleton Museum is its two full-scale, working historical farms, interpreted by costumed staff who perform daily tasks as they were done in the 19th century.

1860s Homestead Farm
This farm replicates rural life during Colorado’s pioneer era. It includes a restored log cabin, barns, root cellars, and agricultural fields. The costumed interpreters demonstrate frontier-era tasks such as firewood cutting, butter churning, gardening, and hand sewing. An authentic one-room schoolhouse, built in 1865 and relocated to the site, is also used for mock lessons to show how children were educated in the mid-19th century.

1890s Urban Farm
Reflecting life at the turn of the 20th century, this more developed farm includes a larger Victorian-style house, blacksmith shop, orchard, and flower gardens. Visitors can observe traditional crafts and domestic activities such as ironwork, canning, carpentry, and milking. The setting shows how technology and culture had evolved from the earlier pioneer period, with increased comforts and mechanization.

Both farms include live animals such as oxen, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, and turkeys, adding to the authenticity and providing dynamic interaction for visitors.

Research Center and Archives

The museum offers a research library and archival collection, open by appointment. It contains:

Local maps, historic land documents, and newspapers

Thousands of photographs and written histories

Rare manuscripts and genealogical materials

This collection is especially useful for researchers, students, historians, and residents interested in tracing family or community history. Museum staff are available to assist with inquiries.

Events and Public Programs

Throughout the year, the museum hosts a variety of seasonal events, festivals, and educational programs that bring the past to life. These include:

Harvest Festival: Features wagon rides, apple pressing, and historical games

Sheep to Shawl: Demonstrates the entire process of making wool, from shearing to weaving

Draft Animal Day: Highlights how oxen and horses were used in agriculture

Holiday’s Evening: An after-dark event with lantern lighting, period music, and traditional crafts

Summer Concert Series: Free outdoor concerts on the museum grounds

There are also lectures, hands-on workshops, and school field trips offered year-round.

Visitor Information

Admission: Free

Hours:

Tuesday to Friday: 9 AM to 5 PM

Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM

Sunday: 1 PM to 5 PM

Closed Mondays and city holidays

Parking: Free on-site parking

Accessibility: The main building is fully accessible; outdoor paths to the farms are generally flat but include some uneven terrain

Gift Shop: Offers books, educational toys, locally-made crafts, and museum-themed souvenirs

Food: No food services on site, but visitors may picnic outdoors near the lake

Overall Atmosphere

The museum maintains a quiet, reflective, and educational atmosphere that encourages visitors to slow down and engage deeply with the historical setting. The living history interpreters add warmth and realism, while the natural setting-mature cottonwoods, open fields, and a lake-creates a serene, scenic backdrop. The combination of authentic re-creations, historic artifacts, and live demonstrations makes the experience memorable and multidimensional.

Summary

The Littleton Museum offers an exceptionally well-rounded and engaging portrayal of local history through its unique mix of indoor galleries and fully operational living history farms. Whether visiting for family fun, academic research, or personal curiosity, the museum provides a deep and authentic connection to Colorado’s 19th-century rural heritage and community evolution. It is one of the most immersive and professionally curated local history museums in the western United States.