Telluride Historical Museum: January at a Glance

03 Jan Telluride Historical Museum: January at a Glance

Alta Lakes

As we head into the New Year, the Telluride Historical Museum is not missing a beat with on-mountain as well as in-house happenings such as:

Ski Into History. Every Friday, January 3 – March 28. 10 a.m. – noon. Tour the slopes with local storyteller Ashley Boling. Meet at the Peaks Resort & Spa, Level B.

Historic Snowshoe Tour: Alta Lakes. Saturday, January 18, 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Snowshoe trek to Alta Lakes to take in the natural beauty and historic significance of the mining ghost town. Meet at Eco Adventures in Mountain Village at 9:30 a.m. (Snowshoe rental is included in price of  $45 or $35 for museum members and students. Purchase your ticket here.

After School at the Museum: Electricity Experiments, Wednesday, January 22, 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. FREE. Embrace your inner mad scientist and head to the Museum after school for some electrifying experiments. Learn more of Telluride’s innovative past and conduct some electricity of your own during this FREE family program.

Saloon Night at the Steaming Bean. Thursday, January 30, 7 – 10 p.m. Round up yer friends and head over to the local watering hole for a night at the Saloon! Step back into Telluride in 1890 and try yer hand at cards, swing a saloon girl around the floor, enjoy live music, while supporting the Telluride Museum and its educational outreach programs. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door and include one drink. Purchase your ticket here.

Exhibits: New addition to Red Light District. Now on display in the Museum’s Red Light District Exhibit is an elegant reproduction of a brothel madam’s dress. Most madams of the time would have worn lavish and colorful gowns to flaunt their status, while also advertising their business. Most gowns and finery in Telluride were purchased from traveling merchants or ordered from companies “out East.” Most working girls purchased their attire through their madam, usually at a 20% increase, leaving many women heavily in debt to their madam. Many thanks to Melissa Sumpter of Melange for the reproduction.

Record-breaking Suit. One sunny April day in 1982, Telluride local Marti Martin-Kuntz joined the mass of competitors, press and curious onlookers for the hike up Velocity Peak in Silverton. Martin-Kuntz, a newcomer to speed skiing, was hardly new to skiing as a sport. She discovered the sport at 7 and was instantly hooked. Years later in April 1982, Martin-Kuntz competed at the Camel International Speed Skiing Championships in Silverton and her flawless run that day set a new World Record in Women’s Speed Skiing. Marti Martin-Kuntz went on to break her record twice more, eventually setting a new World Record in April 1983 of 120.59mph, a speed comparable to most skydivers. The suit she wore in Silverton was produced by Snowfox, a ski gear company no longer in business, out of a skin-tight rubber designed to improve aerodynamic speed. The suit is currently on display in the “Telluride Reborn” room as part of an exhibit on Martin-Kuntz.

 Want to learn more?  Contact Programs and Interpretation Coordinator Anne Gerhard at 970.728.3344 x4 or e-mail anne@telluridemuseum.org.