History in the Making X
Share Your Experience! COVID-19 in CB
Upcoming Events
Saturday Downtown Historic Walking Tour (Winter)
Saturday March 06 2:00pm
thru Saturday March 06 3:30pmHistory of the Crested Butte Area with Duane Vandenbusche
Thursday March 11 7:00pm
thru Thursday March 11 8:00pmSaturday Downtown Historic Walking Tour (Winter)
Saturday March 13 2:00pm
thru Saturday March 13 3:30pmHistory of the Crested Butte Area with Duane Vandenbusche
Thursday March 18 7:00pm
thru Thursday March 18 8:00pmSaturday Downtown Historic Walking Tour (Winter)
Saturday March 20 2:00pm
thru Saturday March 20 3:30pmHistory of the Crested Butte Area with Duane Vandenbusche
Thursday March 25 7:00pm
thru Thursday March 25 8:00pm
We're Open!
Sunday-Thursday - 11am to 5pm
Friday & Saturday - 11am to 6pm
The Museum will be closed for off-season the following dates: April 5th-May 16th
We're Hiring!
Museum Store Manager and Buyer
The Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum is hiring a part time year round Museum Store Manager and Buyer. We are seeking a detail oriented, flexible, creative team player with experience in retail management and basic bookkeeping. Pay based on education and experience. Full Job Description
Please email your cover letter and resume to Shelley Popke, Executive Director, at director@crestedbuttemuseum.com. Email or call Shelley at 970-349-1880 with any questions.
Museum Curator
The Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum is hiring a full-time, year-round Curator to further our mission and strategic plan by leading the Museum’s collections management, exhibits, and educational programming. We are seeking a highly organized, creative team player who enjoys wearing many hats. Experience working with museums and a background in history preferred. Full Job Description.
Please email your cover letter and resume to Shelley Popke, Executive Director, at director@crestedbuttemuseum.com. Email or call Shelley at 970-349-1880 with any questions.
The History of the Monarch Valley
Jan. 27th- An online event with Duane Vandenbusche
Watch the video here
The Holiday History Raffle
The Holiday History Raffle drawing took place on Wednesday, December 30th. Thank you for supporting the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum. To see this year's winners, click here.
History of The Crested Butte Area with Duane Vandenbusche
An online series beginning Thursday, January 28th.
Learn More or Register here
Watch Past Events Here
History At Home!
The Museum is hosting "History at Home," a virtual speaker series exploring different themes from Colorado and local history. Join us October through March, every Thursday at 7 pm for an hour of virtual presentations, discussions, and panels.
Duane Vandenbusche Named Official CO State Historian!
Read the Press Release from History Colorado
Watch Past Gunnison Country Webinars with Duane Vandenbusche!
Click Here
Watch past Preservation Speaker Series Videos!
Gothic
The Railroad depot
County Projects
The City of Gunnison
Tony's Conoco
Living History
THE 2020 COVID-19 PANDEMIC, AS EXPERIENCED BY THE CRESTED BUTTE COMMUNITY
Like communities large and small around the world, the people of Crested Butte are living through a once-in-a-generation event. A global pandemic found its way into our home at the end of the road faster and more furiously than anyone expected. Its impacts are already so far reaching—and still we can only speculate as to what the near and distant future holds.
Learn More
The 2020 Hart Award For Historic Preservation
Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum executive director Shelley Popke, Form + Works Design Group architect Jessica Reske, and MB Builders general contractor Kevin Donovan were awarded the 2020 Stephen H. Hart Award for Historic Preservation at the Saving Places Conference in Denver on January 31, 2020. They were recognized for their work preserving the Museum’s home, affectionately known as Tony’s Conoco. The Hart Awards, named after Colorado’s first State Historic Preservation Officer, are History Colorado’s premier celebration of archaeology and preservation projects worthy of statewide recognition. The Museum is grateful to History Colorado for recognizing our preservation efforts through this esteemed award and to our generous donors for supporting our Preserve Tony’s capital campaign. Stop by the Museum at 4th and Elk to view our exhibit about this preservation project and see the work first hand. Together, we can make the past a living part of the future!
We invite those who also share in these memories to come and join the conversation to share stories of your own. The Museum encourages the audience to come with questions and stories to help us truly understand how the 1970s laid the foundation for the community we know today.
Watch the Video!
Black & Not Right Now Ball
Watch a recording of the live event on Facebook!
Thanks to a generous grant from the Crested Butte / Mt. Crested Butte Rotary Club, the Museum was able to upgrade our digital recording equipment and increase our collection of oral histories for community members. Also, thanks to a grant from the Crested Butte Creative District the Museum hired two video editors to create ten short videos about the history of Crested Butte. To view samples of these oral histories and the short videos, go to our Vimeo page and Facebook page. Share your stories with us! Call the Museum at 970-349-1880 to schedule an interview.
Click Here to be a part of history!
Fun Facts about Crested Butte


A perfect slope
Crested Butte Mountain rises to 12,162 feet (3,707 m) above sea level. The ski area base is at 9,375 feet. Crested Butte Mountain Resort features 15 chairlifts that offer access to 1,547 acres of inbounds terrain. Additionally, CBMR has 542 acres of Extreme Limits double black diamond terrain. The large amount of extreme skiing terrain at Crested Butte has attracted the US Extreme Skiing Championships and the X Games.
Learn More
Famous Mountain Biking
Crested Butte played a key part in the birth of mountain biking. Some people debate whether the sport started in California or the mountains of Colorado. But, we're proud of our mountain bike heritage and celebrate it with our mountain bike exhibit that plays tribute to local legends and their achievements on two wheels.
Mine Craft
Long before Crested Butte became known for skiing, mountain biking, and wildflowers, it was home to a thriving community of miners. Preserving the history of the people who worked the hard life in the mines is a key reason the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum exists.

Flauschink Spring Festival
Even if it takes a made-up holiday, Crested Butte residents always find an excuse to party. Join Crested Butte residents as they flush out winter and welcome spring over the closing weekend at the ski resort. If you can't visit us that weekend, check out the museum's Flauschink exhibit to explore the history of this unique holiday.
EIN # is 87-212946