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2017 Calendar of Events for the Rio Grande County Museum

February 6, 2017

by Louise Colville, director


The 2017 calendar of events for the Rio Grande County Museum includes many exciting exhibits and programs.


Summitville - The museum’s opening event is scheduled to be a reception on April 22 from 10am – 4pm with an afternoon program featuring individuals who have lived and worked in Summitville and the work that is being done through the State of Colorado and Rio Grande County in the Summitville area with interpretative signs, a kiosk and picnic tables.  The exhibit on Summitville will start April 1 and run through June.  Artifacts from the museum’s collection as well as artifacts from local families and other museums will be on display.

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“Historic Summitville – Then and Now” will show the early mining and story of the Summit District of the 1870s through today with all the changes that the area has experienced.  This photo shows the remains of the old Summitville. 


Veterans of the Valley - The museum is also celebrating the Veterans who have served our country throughout history.  The museum is a Blue Star Museum through the National Endowment for the Arts and recognizes our veterans with free admission.  On May 20th, the first of the programs, “The Civil War Part I”, will be presented by Museum Assistant, Mikala Baird, who will explore the Civil War through stories, maps and music, its historical impact on the nation and how this relates to the veterans who settled in the San Luis Valley.  Ms. Baird has researched the Civil War veterans who are buried in our local cemeteries and will be telling their stories.  The overall program “Veterans of the Valley” will be a continuing exhibit in the museum.

Collins Exhibit - On July 15, Wade Collins, western artist and storyteller from Saguache will open his art show that will run into August and be part of the exhibit for Covered Wagon Days.

Covered Wagon Days - Hayride into History - Free ice cream will be one of the attractions in the museum on August 5th for Covered Wagon Days. The museum will be partnering with the Covered Wagon Days committee and the Old Spanish Trail’s La Vereda del Norte Chapter this year. “Hayride into History” will be researched by the Rio Grande County Museum staff and will be featured with hay wagon rides through town with the Covered Wagon Days committee. This may be a two-day event if there is enough interest in taking the tour. A event calendar for Covered Wagon Days which will be held Aug 3 - 6th in Del Norte will be posted by the end of May. The Old Spanish Trail - La Vereda del Norte Chapter will host outdoor events on the patios of the museum and will be coordinating with exhibits inside the museum that will feature the Rio Grande blankets in their collection that the traders on the trail would have taken from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. 

Bunker Site - The Bunker site exhibit will be coming to the museum during the summer. The date is still undetermined. There are also several talks being worked on that have not been finalized.

For more information, please contact the Rio Grande County Museum at (719)657-2847 or at our email at rgmuseum@riograndecounty.org. The museum's hours are Tuesday through Friday 10am to 4pm and on Saturday 10am to 3pm except on days of events. The museum is located at 580 Oak Street in Del Norte, Colorado, one block south of the stop light.

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