About Us

The Museums of the San Luis Valley and Southern Colorado was established in 1998 in a collaborative effort for the museums in the Valley. The www.museumtrail.org website went live that same year providing the first internet access for all the Valley's museums.

This collaboration and support of each museum has allowed these small, mostly volunteer-run museums to keep their doors open and continue their efforts to preserve, protect and celebrate the history of the San Luis Valley and Southern Colorado.


"Your Pathway to the History of the San Luis Valley and Southern Colorado"

Our organization has grown from its original 12 member museums to twenty two (22). We were happy to bring into our family during 2019/20 some of our neighboring museum in the town of Walsenburg the Walsenburg Mining Museum, Museum of Friends, and the Huerfano Historical Society. With the addition of these three museums plus the Francisco Fort Museum in La Veta that brings all the museums in Huerfano County into our organization. The museum members from Huerfano County plus the membership of the Hinsdale County Museum to the west of the SLV supports our larger mission of supporting those museums in Southern Colorado that wish to preserve the history of the people's and cultures that have called this area of Colorado home. We also have the unique pleasure to include the La Verada del Norte Chapter of the Old Spanish Trail, our "outdoor museum." Our museumtrail.org also supports and promotes the three scenic byways that are in this part of Southern Colorado that includes - Highway of Legends Scenic and Historic byway; the Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway, and the Silver Thread Scenic Byway.


Expanding - As the SLV Museum Association has expanded to include additional museums throughout Southern Colorado we have updated our name as of 2020 to the Museums of the San Luis Valley and Southern Colorado.


Our mission - to support the MuseumTrail.org member museums in their efforts to celebrate, preserve and promote the history of the Valley through its collections and in the study of the people, culture, places, and events of the San Luis Valley.


Support Through Donations

To make a donation to the Museum of the San Luis Valley and Southern Colorado in support of our efforts, click here.

By providing your support through monetary donations you are helping all of the member museums. We created of a video that features all the museums. The idea for the video came from Anita McDaniel, Fort Garland Museum, to run at the Colorado Welcome Center - Alamosa. The video will provide much needed and deserved visibility for each museum to the thousands of visitors to the Welcome Center. Our next collaborative effort is the digitization of the photograph collections of the Valley museums. See our page for Donations to help support our association's museums.

Collections: If you are interested in making a collections donation, of art, artifacts or memorabilia and not sure which museum might be the appropriate museum feel free to give us a call @ 719-580-4346 or fill out the 
Contact Us form. We will contact each museum based on the information you provide. It is advised that you do not ship the collection to the museum until it is determined by the museum director if the items are appropriate for that museum as well as confirming that they have the facilities that can properly store and care for those items. 

Donations are Always Appreciated
The museums are all in need of funding. By using a combined/collaborative approach we are able to pool our resources without placing a larger financial burden on the individual museums.

Donations can be made payable to:
Museums of the SLV and Southern Colorado
PO Box 1972
Alamosa, CO 81101


Sponsors

The Association couldn't function without the supportive efforts and financial contributions from the following:


Looking to move your family or business to the Valley? Check out the SLV Colorado Genuine link above for information for Chamber of Commerces around the Valley @ https://www.slvcolorado.org/


Membership Options

Museums - There is a $50 a year fee to join the association. Though our name indicates the support and inclusion only of museums with the boundaries of the San Luis Valley, other museums will be considered and voted on by the board members.  New museums within the Valley are encouraged to join us. Memberships provides an internet presence on our website and promotional materials including listing in a rack card that features all the museums, featured in our Alamosa Welcome Center video and website video as well as sharing of social media postings on the Association's pages. Association funds have and will continue to support collaborative efforts such as preservation grants and marketing efforts where the museums come together as a group to promote our area as a whole. Please fill out our "Contact Us" form for consideration of membership.

For museum memberships -- Once your membership request has been approved, make checks out to: 
Museum of the San Luis Valley and Southern Colorado
PO Box 1972
Alamosa, CO 81101

To make a request to be an industry partner member, 
click here.

"Come out and step into Colorado history!!"

Standing L to R: Judy Walden, Jane Rhett (Homelake Veterans Museum), Peg Schall (Monte Vista Historical Society Museum), Kim McKee (Francisco Fort Museum), Anita McDaniel (Fort Garland Museum), Jeannie Ewing (Saguache County Museum), Louise Colville and Nancy Schrader (Rio Grande County Museum), Kat Olance (SLVMA). Seated L to R: Sue Getz (Homelake Veterans Museum), Jim Loud and Bob Seago (Creede Historical Society Museum).

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