Museums of Western Colorado Celebrate 50 Year Anniversary

What started out as a single museum in Grand Junction 50 years ago, is now multiple locations across the Grand Valley, all showcasing the rich history of Western Colorado.

The Museums of Western Colorado are celebrating 50 years, but the history inside those museums far exceeds that.

The original Museum of Arts and Sciences opened in 1966 in the old Whitman School Building at 4th Street and Ute Avenue. The current location is just across the parking lot in the building that was built for the C.D. Smith Wholesale Drug Company.

Other parts of the Museums of Western Colorado include Dinosaur Journey and Cross Orchards Living History Farm. The museum also has active paleontology sites, an educational center, and a research library.

As part of the 50th-anniversary celebration May 1, the museum will roll back admission prices to what they charged in 1966. Prices will be 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. Families will pay the 1966 price of $1.25.

People visiting the museums on May 1 are asked to bring a canned food item or cash donation for the Community Food Bank.