Exhibits

The Story of Us: The Pikes Peaks Region from A – Z

The Story of Us: The Pikes Peak Region from A – Z, allows users to explore the history and geography of the area using 21^st Century technology. Open a letter from A – Z and learn about the people, places and events that make our region unique. Navigate dynamic maps that allow you to go back in time to understand how neighborhoods, businesses, climate and transportation have shaped our community. Where do you fit in? Come and discover your place in local history through The Story of Us!

Explore the online component of the Story of Us exhibit here!

The League of Wives: Vietnam’s POW/MIA Allies & Advocates

The League of Wives: Vietnam’s POW/MIA Allies & Advocates tells the story of the military wives who founded the organization that would later become the National League of POW/MIA Families. This traveling exhibit from The Dole Institute of Politics features documents, artifacts, oral histories, and multimedia, as well as local stories and artifacts collected by the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum that reveal the powerful grassroots movement in Colorado Springs during the Vietnam Era. The League of Wives: Vietnam’s POW/MIA Allies & Advocates will be on exhibit at CSPM through December 29th, 2018.

Programming made possible by funding from Harlan and Alice Ann Ochs of Colorado Springs, in honor of Larry Ochs.

Promoting Patriotism: World War I in Colorado Springs

April 6, 2017, marked the 100th anniversary of U.S. entry into World War I. Promoting Patriotism examines the history of that momentous time through the CSPM’s extensive collection of WWI-era propaganda posters and artifacts from local residence whose lives were influence by the Great War. This is a community curated exhibit developed in partnership with the faculty and students at the Fountain Valley School. View our World War I collection items in our online database here.

City of Sunshine

From its founding in 1871, local boosters advertised Colorado Springs as a premier health destination for the treatment of tuberculosis. Our region’s greatest asset-turned-industry was its stunning scenery, abundant sunshine and mild climate.

Historically, at least 1/3 of all visitors to Colorado came in search of a tuberculosis treatment. Once cured, many stayed on in the region to build families and businesses. Many of their contributions to this community are visible today. The City of Sunshine exhibit tells the story of how individuals, institutions, and treatments helped shape the Pikes Peak Region.

The museum and our partners at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Department of Geography and Environmental Studied and Tierra Plan have developed an innovative web-based mapping tool that allows you to explore the history of tuberculosis treatment in the Pikes Peak Region. To access this site click here.

Beads, Blankets and Buffalo: Trade at Bent’s Fort

CSPM’s Children’s Gallery exhibit, Beads, Blankets and Buffalo: Trade at Bent’s Fort, gives visitors ages 2-10 an interactive, hands-on experience of a “day in the life” at Bent’s Fort. Bent’s Fort was a multicultural place of trade and exchange along the Santa Fe Trail in the 1830’s and 1840’s. In the exhibit, children can explore a carpenter’s shop, trade counter, kitchen, tepee and Santa Fe Trail wagon!

Any Place North and West: African Americans in Colorado Springs

The title for the exhibit is drawn from a poem by Langston Hughes, which describes the exodus from the South of millions of African American families following the Civil War. It tells that story from a local perspective by describing what individuals and families found when they arrived in Colorado Springs, the supportive community they created for themselves, and the role they played in shaping the city we live in today.

Behind the Lens: Photographers of the Pikes Peak Region

An exhibit that examines the history of photography and highlights five photographers who captured the unique spirit and beauty of this area.

Cultural Crossroads: Highlights from the Collection

Cultural Crossroads features striking examples of American Indian bead work, clothing, baskets, and other materials representing over 30 nations. This exhibit illustrates the ongoing creativity, innovation and adaptation of native peoples in a region noted for being a Cultural Crossroads.

From Paris to the Plains: Van Briggle Art Pottery

The exhibit draws upon the museum’s renowned collection of Van Briggle Art Pottery and features the finest examples from the pottery’s first decade of operation.

Ongoing Exhibits

Helen Hunt Jackson House

Helen Hunt Jackson (1830–1885) was one of the most noteworthy literary figures of the 19th century. As the author of poetry, verse, children’s stories, historical pieces, documentary accounts, and a novel, she earned both widespread public acclaim and the respect of her literary peers. Her most productive years as a writer came after she moved to Colorado Springs in 1873, only two years after the town was founded. She completed her most famous works during this period. Included among these are the novel, Ramona, and a work of nonfiction that advocated for American Indian rights, titled A Century of Dishonor. Jackson’s home and her original furnishings are on display at CSPM. The Jackson house offers a peek into life in Colorado Springs in the 1870’s and 1880’s.

One Man and His Vision: General William Jackson Palmer

Who was General William J. Palmer and why is his life important to us today? New city residents wonder why his statue is in the intersection of Platte and Nevada Avenues while many long-time citizens believe they know all they need to about him: he founded our city, many landmarks carry his name, he fought to abolish slavery by participating in the Civil War, he was a teetotaler, and his spoiled wife Queen left him for easy living in England. Think again. Recent research and an updated exhibit at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum affirm and expound on the information that we know to be true and provide insight into his personal life to dispel the myths.

Past Exhibits

From the Ashes: The Waldo Canyon Fire

The day after the Waldo Canyon Fire tore through the Mountain Shadows neighborhood, the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum and the Pikes Peak Library District began collecting stories and artifacts from individuals, families, and businesses affected by the fire. This unique and powerful exhibit preserves and memorializes the impact of this historic event had on our community and landscape.