Our wonderful home, Tony’s Conoco, needs care. Maintaining this historic treasure is inherent to our mission and is a way that we keep our history alive and vital. Please consider making a donation towards this important campaign by clicking on the donate button at the bottom of this page. Thank you for your support!
Donate NowDonate Today! Preserve Tony's Campaign
People used to hang out at Tony's Conoco, and that hasn’t changed. To this day, you'll see people occupying our front benches.
Tony’s, or "The Hardware," was the longest running business in Crested Butte, beginning as a blacksmith shop in 1883 and later becoming a garage and hardware store before closing in 1996. Items on display in the front portion of the Museum are the exact items that were for sale throughout the years of Tony’s Conoco, serving as a memorial to a beloved local hangout.
In 2001, the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum had outgrown its space. Board members with a love for Crested Butte’s past and a vision for the Museum’s future developed a plan to purchase and preserve Tony’s Conoco, a beloved local landmark, while also getting the Museum the space it needed. Museum fans rallied around the idea and raised $1.2 Million in 11 months to buy the building and turn it into a museum.
On July 2, 2003, the Museum opened its new doors in the historic Tony’s Conoco building. Now every year, Museum fans and supporters alike gather on July 2 to celebrate the “graduation” of the Museum into its new space at the Black and White Ball. Join us this year to experience the celebration yourself!
Much like when Tony’s became the home to the Museum in 2003, we’re at a crossroads once again for the future of the Museum. Time and Crested Butte's harsh climate have taken their toll on Tony's. Last fall, the Museum received a $15,000 grant from the History Colorado -- State Historical Fund to conduct a Historic Structure Assessment of our building. This extensive report labeled areas considered critical, serious and minor for building preservation, and proposed a phased rehabilitation plan to address these issues. The Museum needs to raise $500,000 to execute this plan and establish a building preservation fund. We’re asking you, friends of the Museum and guardians of Tony’s legacy, to ensure that Tony’s is preserved for many decades to come.
Our exhibits are always evolving and capturing forgotten pieces of local history, even though the themes remain the same. Each season when you visit, you'll see new items in every exhibit. We like to keep things fresh and pride ourselves for being a trusted repository for material culture.
The mission of the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum is to preserve and share the uniquely diverse cultural history of the Gunnison Valley. We make the past a living part of the future.
If you are interested in doing some research at Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum, we can help.
We’ve seen lots of small town historical museums and yours is the best.Craig and Ellen from Tulsa, OK
