10 moments that made 2025

With new designations, preservation projects, education programs, events, and much more, 2025 was a big year for Breckenridge History! Here’s a recap of just some of the moments that made 2025 a success!

1.       Barney Ford Museum designated as National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site. The Barney Ford Museum became only the second site in the state to receive this National Park Service designation. The Network to Freedom application process included extensive research, which deepened our understanding of Ford’s life and enriches the museum experience for visitors.Our free guided tours trace Ford’s journey from enslavement to freedom, his work with the Underground Railroad, his advocacy for education and voting rights, and his remarkable success as a businessman in Colorado and beyond.

Be part of the story: Join us for a free guided tour at the Barney Ford Museum – Ford’s 1882-built home – Tuesdays to Sundays, at 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm.

2.       Edwin Carter Museum celebrates 150th anniversary. Originally opened in 1875, the Edwin Carter Museum sits in Carter’s log cabin, which was both his home and museum. Once housing more than 3,300 taxidermy specimens — the founding collection of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science — the space was refreshed in 2025 by moving select specimens to the central room and the addition of arsenic-green wallpaper, a nod to taxidermy chemicals used in Carter’s time. These updates improved the museum’s atmosphere while reducing light exposure and temperature fluctuations to better protect the mounts. Further enhancements, including new interactive elements and expanded storytelling, are planned for 2026.

Be part of the story: The Edwin Carter Museum is free to visit. It’s open Tuesdays to Sundays, 11 am to 3 pm.

3.       Breckenridge Rewind debuts at the Riverwalk Center. Pub crawls, golf tournaments, rock skiing, and air bands. The 1980s were an entertaining time in Breckenridge! Using footage from the Lee Lucas Film Collection in the Breckenridge History Archives, we partnered with Breck Film to recapture that fun and carefree atmosphere in a one-hour highlight reel titled Breckenridge Rewind. Lucas operated Lucas Video Productions, The Photo Shop Video Productions, and ZLTV Breckenridge from 1972 to 1992, capturing people, events and moments during that time. After Breck Film carefully reviewed and compiled footage to create Rewind, more than 700 people filled the Riverwalk Center to enjoy those memories! There was so much love for the film,  there may be a second screening in 2026!

Be part of the story: You can watch Breckenridge Rewind and the talkback with Lee Lucas and CJ Mueller on the Breckenridge History website.

4.       Breckenridge History provides educational programs to more than 2,000 students. You might have seen our education staff with a gaggle of children at one of our museums, on the trails, or even in the classroom! In 2025, we led free educational programs to students from ages 2 to 17– we hope you enjoyed a nice leisurely hike if you were behind us and the 2-year-olds on Iowa Hill. We also expanded our afterschool program, providing free afterschool activities at Dillon Valley Elementary (spring and fall), Breckenridge Elementary, Frisco Elementary, and Summit Cove Elementary. When teachers gathered at the Capitol in March and in-classroom learning paused for the day, we were there to share stories and lead engaging activities.

Be part of the story: Our afterschool program will be at Silverthorne Elementary starting in March 2026, and we will continue to offer free programming throughout the year. Email Marketing and Outreach Manager Susan Gilmore to schedule field trips and in-class experiences!

5.       New items donated to the Breckenridge History Archives. If you’re a frequent visitor to the Breckenridge History Digital Archives, you might notice new digital objects added on a regular basis. So many, in fact, that we now have more than 2,000 digital objects! As we continue to receive archival donations, our Archivist and Collections Manager, Kris Ann Knish, works to digitize the items and make them accessible. Check out the photos we’ve added to the Mary M. Marks Photograph Collection and new items in the Advertising and Ephemeral Collection.

Be part of the story: If you have items related to Breckenridge’s history, we’d welcome the opportunity to talk with you about donating them to our collections. Visit our website to learn more about the donation process.

6.       Several preservation projects completed throughout the year. Working with local partners like Cortright Enterprises, Alpha Construction, and Ryan’s Recovery, we completed several preservation projects. At the Laurium Mine, the historic boardinghouse was saved through a meticulous process—carefully dismantled, fully inventoried, the site regraded to improve drainage, and the structure rebuilt board by board. Long-standing drainage issues were also corrected at the nearby blacksmith shop. At the Preston townsite, two cabins were stabilized using the same thoughtful approach, including one that had been held together by a strap. In the Blue River at the south end of town, original railroad trestle bents were preserved and paired with a replica track to illustrate the historic crossing. In French Gulch, crews hand-carried materials to secure the Wellington Ore Bin and stabilized the Reiling Punt, constructing a new base to lift it safely off the ground.

 

Be part of the story: Learn more about our current and completed preservation projects on our website, where you can also see an interactive map showing our Historic Resources Management Plan.

7.       Newspapers digitized through Colorado State Library grant. Editions from our historic newspaper collections were digitized and made available on the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collections site. Thanks to this grant, the Daily Journal (Breckenridge) was digitized from June 4, 1881 to Dec. 31, 1885. The Summit County Star was digitized from Feb. 2, 1918 to Nov. 3, 1920. Finally, the Blue Valley Times was digitized from June 2, 1911 to May 31, 1912.

Be part of the story: The Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection allows you to search the digitized editions. You can browse by county, date, title–and specific search terms. If you want to help contribute to the project, set up an account and help correct text!

8.       More than 20 guided experiences offered weekly during the summer. Breckenridge has a vibrant historic district as well as trails dotted with mining relics just waiting to have their stories told. Throughout the year, we offer guided experiences to help tell as many of those stories as possible. During the summer, we offer the Walk Through History Tour, Saloon Tour, Tombstone Tales Tour, Gold Panning at Lomax Gulch, Hike the Golden Horseshoe, and Hike Home with a Miner. Many of these tours continue throughout the winter season–swapping out hiking boots for snowshoes.

Be part of the story: Visit the Experience page on our website to learn more about our offerings and to secure your spot on one of our guided adventures!

9.       Eves of History events debut. For every major moment in history, there was the night before it happened. This year, we brought that excitement and buzz to our events with the Eves of History series. On July 3, on the eve of America’s independence, we celebrated Barney Ford’s story with an after-hours event at the Barney Ford Museum. Our series continued at the Welcome Center Museum on the eve of SPARK’s U.S. debut as we told the story of the Ute people and how they innovated through nature. We also partnered with the NRO and Breck Create to intertwine art, history and music throughout town as part of the expanded Music in the Mountains series. Finally, in conjunction with Friends of the Dillon Ranger District we hosted Aspen Historical Society and Ute tribal member Skyler Lomahaftewa to the Edwin Carter Museum for an evening talk about Ute history.

Be part of the story: Check our website as we continue our Eves of History series in 2026. We’re thrilled to host Ute Mountain Ute tribal member Mark Wing at the Breckenridge Welcome Center Museum, Thursday, Jan. 22, at 6 pm for a free public talk to coincide with the Americans exhibit.

10. Briggle House reopens. As spring 2025 came into blossom, the Briggle House reopened its doors. The 1896 home of William and Kathleen Briggle is now a wonderful space to host our events, talks, and programs. The Briggle house has always been a hub of activity with the Briggles regularly hosting parties and fundraisers in the home, while Kathleen also taught music lessons and held recitals. We like to think of our events and educational programs as a continuation of the storied history of this house. 

Be part of the story: Learn all about the history of the Briggle House with our blog from earlier this year, and stay tuned for information on future programs!