Native Americans
Things to See & Do in Colorado
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain region’s leading resource for informal science education. A variety of exhibitions, programs, and activities help Museum visitors experience the natural wonders of Colorado, Earth, and the universe. Includes an IMAX theater and a planetarium.
Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center
Explore Colorado Springs' paradise in one magical stop. Garden of the Gods Park is a registered National Natural Landmark. Imagine dramatic views, 300' towering sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snow-capped Pikes Peak and brilliant blue skies. This world-class Visitor & Nature Center and museum is the most visited attraction in the region with all new interactive exhibits. Learn how the amazing red rocks got there with the NEW Geo-Trekker movie experience, shown every 20 minutes. Delight in one of Colorado's most photographed views while eating in our glass-enclosed café or from our terrace overlooking Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods. Admission into the Park and Visitor Center is free.
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
This site in Kiowa County is being developed to recognize the national significance of the massacre of about 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho people by 700 U.S. volunteer soldiers led by Colonel John M. Chivington.
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is dedicated to engaging and inspiring their audiences to explore the legacies of the peoples and environments of the Cache La Poudre Rivery Valley. The Main Gallery highlights the early history of Fort Collins from paleolithic Indians that lived 10,800 years ago, to the fort era, and the agricultural boom of the sugar beet industry. Also features special exhibits including a ferret cam, music and sound lab, and tot spot.
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
More than 30 years ago, Crow Canyon was founded on the idea that members of the public could play an important role in archaeology. Each year, they welcome people of all ages to their campus near Mesa Verde in southwest Colorado. Their volunteers support their mission of archaeological research, education programs, and partnership with American Indians.
University of Denver Museum of Anthropology
Explore the DU Museum of Anthropology, located on the campus of the University of Denver. The Museum houses 165,000 archaeological and ethnographic objects and site collections and records from over 1,800 Colorado archaeological sites and from hundreds of other sites in twelve western states.
Old West Books

Phone: 719-260-6030
Email: info@oldwestbooks.com

Old West Books has been in business since 1997 and specializes in books on the American West, Custer, military, Civil War, Indian Wars, cowboys, cattle industry, fur trade, Lewis and Clark, travel and exploration. They stock a mix of rare out-of-print books and new titles. Books are shown by appointment only. Books may also be bought via the Internet, catalogs, and book shows. 

Yucca House National Monument
Yucca House National Monument is a large, unexcavated Ancestral Puebloan surface site. Yucca House is located in Southwest Colorado between the towns of Towaoc and Cortez.
Cañon City Municipal Museum and Rudd House
Tour the Anson and Harriet Rudd Cabin, built in 1860, preserved as part of the Cañon City Municipal Museum, and numerous displays of artifacts from Cañon City’s history. The two galleries contain game trophies, fossils, minerals, weaponry, tools, household objects and American Indian artifacts from the 1860s to the 1950s.
Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde, Spanish for "green table", offers an unparalleled opportunity to see and experience a unique cultural and physical landscape. The culture represented at Mesa Verde reflects more than 700 years of history. From approximately A.D. 600 through A.D. 1300 people lived and flourished in communities throughout the area, eventually building elaborate stone villages in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls. Today most people call these sheltered villages "cliff dwellings". The cliff dwellings represent the last 75 to 100 years of occupation at Mesa Verde. The archeological sites found in Mesa Verde are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States. Mesa Verde National Park offers visitors a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people.
Beecher's Island Battlefield Monument
Located in Beecher Island, Yuma County, the Beecher's Island Battlefield Monument is a joint Colorado - Kansas historical site established in 1905 to commemorate the 17-19 September 1868 battle fought there between Colonel George A. Forsyth's Scouts and a group of about 750 Indians from several Plains Indian tribes.
Koshare Indian Museum
The Koshare Indian Museum in La Junta is patterned after the Pueblo architecture found throughout the southwest, featuring the world's largest self supporting log roof and housing a collection of Native American art and artifacts.
El Pueblo History Museum
The El Pueblo History Museum showcases the history and traditions of the various cultural and ethnic groups in Pueblo, and includes exhibits focusing on the region’s early history through the twentieth century with objects, art, and photographs that represent the events and people who shaped the area. The outdoor El Pueblo Trading Post placita is also available for tours.
Manitou Cliff Dwellings
Explore the fascinating architecture of the ancient Anasazi and browse through two museums featuring cultural displays all overlooking the historic town of Manitou Springs. Be sure to include Manitou Cliff Dwellings during your visit to the Pikes Peak Region. The magic and mystery of the Native American culture is sure to delight visitors of all ages. Inside the Pueblo you'll tour the Anasazi Museum where dioramas depict daily life. There are also exhibits of tools, pottery, and weapons offering a glimpse of the mysterious people who left a remarkable architectural legacy on mesa tops and in cliff walls like the one at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. When you visit, there will be no need to hurry as you follow the self-guided tour and explore each room of these carefully preserved structures. As you do, imagine what it was like to live over seven hundred years ago in a structure like this. You can even have your picture taken in front of a building that’s a lot older than your Grandfather!
Fort Morgan Museum
Come explore Ft. Morgan, the boyhood home of Glenn Miller. Exhibits include the Old Hillrose Soda Fountain, farming exhibits, Native American exhibits, and more, all focused on the history of the Ft. Morgan area.
Anasazi Heritage Center
Located in Dolores, Colorado, the Anasazi Heritage Center is a museum of the Ancestral Puebloan (or Anasazi) culture and other Native cultures in the Four Corners region. It is also the starting point for visits to Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The museum features exhibits on archaeology, local history, and Native American cultures, interpretive programs, archaeological sites, and a research library.
Southern Ute Indian Cultural Center Museum
Located on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation southeast of Durango, the Southern Ute Indian Cultural Center Museum brings to life the rich history of the Ute Indian People who occupied all of Colorado, eastern Utah, and northern New Mexico when the U. S. Civil War ended in 1868.
Teaching Tips & Ideas
Colorado Ute Legacy
Sponsored by the Southern Ute Indian Cultural Center, this site and database support a 30 minute educational video, "Colorado Ute Legacy," which has been distributed to over 500 Colorado schools. The project was jointly funded by the Colorado Historical Society and the Southern Ute Indian Cultural Center. The script from the video is included with links to databases that include a historical chronology, photos, and maps. Educators are encouraged to review the teachers' section for lesson plan ideas.
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Featured Resources

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The Story of the World
This book series by Susan Wise Bauer is another that is best enjoyed as a read aloud rather than seen as a history textbook. It is full of engaging stories, mixing facts and historical legends. The companion study guides offer questions, narration exercises, activities, crafts, and reproducible pages. There are also lists for each chapter of supplemental books that are easily found at your local library. Story of the World: History for the Classical Child, Volume 1: Ancient Times (From the Ear...
Alpha-Phonics
Alpha Phonics is a primer for beginning readers. It features 128 self-explanatory lessons, printed in large, clear calligraphy suitable for beginning readers. You'll find product information about Alpha-Phonics here.
Elementary Geography
Elementary Geography is a reprint of the original work by Charlotte Mason. It includes her ideas about teaching children about their world, with poetry selections throughout the book. Explores ideas of place from space to our earth, seasons, map making, and topography. Written in a pleasing conversational style, it is useful for understanding teaching methods, memorization, and copy work. 
Cuisenaire Rods Multi-Pack
Grades Pre K & up. An economical way to bring rods into the classroom. Pack contains six sets of 74 rods, six trays with, and Teacher's Guide. For use with 12-18 students.
Phonics Pathways
Phonics Pathways begins with short-vowel sounds, slowly progressing to whole words, phrases, and sentences of gradually increasing complexity. Special teaching tips, extensive examples, and 100% decodable practice readings reinforce each lesson. Contains all spelling rules with a spelling index, spelling charts, spelling short-cuts, diacritical markings, and a wealth of inspirational proverbs. The new 9th edition of Phonics Pathways features many new enhancements including a wealth of reproducib...