Friends Of The Museum

Projects Supported by the Friends

Preservation:
Photographic collections, archival materials, and artifacts are accepted and preserved in the museum's collection.  Museum volunteers assist with research, digitization, and cataloging of these items.  Gallery displays are created to allow the public to view these items.  The Friends have contributed monies for storage supplies, audio and video equipment, and security cameras.

Fossils:
Since September 2014, the Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center has been a federal repository for fossils collected in public lands in Fremont County, Colorado.  Fossilized dinosaur remains have been found in the Cañon City area since 1877. 

Historically, fossils found in the Garden Park Fossil Area have gone to the Smithsonian Institute, the Peabody Museum at Yale University, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Cleveland Museum.  

The agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management allows fossils to remain here, close to their original home.  The Museum has an extensive display in their local fossil exhibit found in the DeWeese Gallery on the second floor of the museum.

Anson Rudd Cabin and Stone House:
The wood cabin built in 1860 by early Cañon City settler Anson Rudd is maintained by the museum and can be made open to the public upon request.

The two-story Rudd Stone House built in 1881 is currently not open.  With donations from the Friends as well as grant monies, rehabilitation efforts have begun.  Drainage issues, porch reconstruction, historic roof replacement, and stabilization of the structure have been completed.  Plans for masonry and mortar repair, window restoration, replacement of exterior doors, and other major restoration projects are ongoing.  The goal is to open the house for tours once the restoration work is completed.

Bison Restoration:  restoration of four Bison in the Amick Gallery Diorama that were in very delicate condition and deteriorating fast. This important project was completed in 2010 and funded with donations and dues. The Bison are now in excellent condition and a permanent fixture to the Amick Gallery on the second floor of the museum.

Other Projects supported by the Friends:

• Preservation of Photograph Collections
• Digitization of the Holy Cross Abbey Film Collection
• Refreshments and other support for exhibit openings and special programs

Fund Raising:
Among other fundraising efforts, the Friends have also received two large donations 
of historic "Royal Gorge" bricks manufactured by Colorado Refactories.
These bricks are being sold by the Friends as an ongoing fundraiser until the supply
 of bricks is depleted.  

The bricks are available for purchase at the museum Wednesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm.

$15 Vintage/Used bricks
$20 Unused/Stored bricks

The Museum & History Center’s exhibit galleries, program room and research room are located in the former Cañon City Municipal Building, built in 1927 with the help of local businessman Dall DeWeese. He helped to acquire funding for the construction of the building with the condition that the second floor of the building would always be a museum. He also stipulated that the building be fire proof with concrete floors and sturdy walls to hold large taxidermy mounts. DeWeese even designed the fireplace on the second floor that incorporates dinosaur fossils, petrified wood, minerals and a part of a stalactite. The first artifacts displayed in the museum were of course items collected and donated by Dall DeWeese.

Denver architect Eugene Groves designed the building. He also was the architect of the former Cañon City High School (now the Middle School), the Administration Building at Colorado State University in Fort Collins and the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colorado, among others. The Municipal Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Properties.