COMING TO CREEDE: History Colorado Exhibits Celebrating America 250/ Colorado 150 Anniversaries
In 2026, the Creede Underground Mining Museum is slated to host two exhibits from History Colorado's traveling collection! Ute STEM, Colorado's Original Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math will be available from August thru October 2026, and showcases the ingenuity of the people who hunted this area thousands of years before the first European settlers arrived. More information coming soon!
First up, opening February 24th and running through May 17th, 2026 is The Dry: Black Women's Legacy in a Farming Community, a tale steeped in the hardworking women, much like our own homesteading families, who built not just a town, but developed a thriving community.
This exhibition, developed in collaboration with History Colorado and the Craig Family, explores The Dry's history through four themes-Origins, Family, Environment, and Legacy- highlighting the Rucker sisters' founding efforts, the strength successive generations, adaptation to a challenging environment, and ongoing preservation of the community's story. Through historic photographs and personal narratives, it honors the resilience and enduring legacy of this remarkable Black farming community in southeastern Colorado.
Events of 2026
In January, we will begin our 3" annual Winter Writer's Workshop in conjunction with Creede Center for the Arts. In February, our gift shop staff adventures to Denver to attend the Rocky Mountain Gift & Apparel show to pick out merchandise for the upcoming summer season.
We will host an exhibit unveiling on February 21" for The Dry: Black Women's Legacy in a Farming Community where we will honor some of the original homesteading women of the Upper Rio Grande River Valley who helped turn a stagecoach route into the guest ranches we know and love today. The Dry will be on display thru May 2026.
Jumping forward to June, Elk's Monday Night Bingo returns for another summer of fun! Also coming back in June, our Cave Yoga Sound Bath series with the Creede Musical Arts Collective. Running July 11-15, we welcome the Creede Woodcarver's Rendezvous for their 35th annual event. Hot on their tail, rock hounds will descend in early August for the Creede Rock and Mineral Show. Mid-August will also bring our second traveling exhibit from History Colorado: Ute STEM, will open in our Cave space following the Rock and Mineral Show and will run through October.
October will also bring our annual Halloween Party in partnership with Creede Parks and Recreation. In November we will host the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner followed by the Elk's Community Christmas Dinner.
More info and class registration for the Woodcarver's Rendezvous can be found online at www.creedewoodcarvers.com
Visit www.creede.com for more info about the Rock and Mineral Show.
The Dig Report - COVERING ALL THINGS FACILITIES RELATED
Since the construction of the new awning in 2019, after severe damage to the original façade, we have begun to once again see the effects of erosion in realtime action. We are in need of a drainage system for our awning structure, as well as ground
stabilization on the hillside above our gift shop entrance, to maintain the integrity of our facility.
Donations of $250 or more will be honored through a plaque in our hall of donors.
A huge shout out to everyone who has donated to the ongoing campaign for our Awning Drainage and Ground Stabilization project!
Community support alone has raised over $20,000 so far!
How close does this bring us to our goal? With the support of our wonderful community, donations from The Rio Grande Masonic Lodge #200, HECLA Mining Company's Foundation, El Pomar Foundation, and the Gates Foundation, we currently have $87,000 of the estimated $150,000 we will need to complete this project. Which means, we're just over halfway there! We are currently working on further grant funding. More updates coming soon! THANK YOU for your gracious support!