Museum Collection & Research

The Museum cares for around 35,000 objects that range from historic photographs, postcards, archives, textiles, artwork, furniture, tools, and even a Stanley Steamer automobile. The Museum collection is publicly available for study and research.

For further inquiries regarding the Museum collection or Estes Park history that cannot be found on the online database, please contact the Curator of Collections. Requests for non-digitized material may take additional time, please allow at least two weeks for access. Museum staff reserves the right to deny requests to view artifacts and archival materials if necessary, to preserve the integrity of the object.

The Estes Park Museum, the Estes Valley Library, with support from the Estes Park Museum Friends & Foundation Inc., in cooperation with the Estes Park Trail Gazette are working to provide high quality, word-searchable access to all years of the Trail Gazette. This collection is added to annually. Currently, Estes Park newspapers from 1912 - 2000 are available online.

The Estes Park Museum hosts a collection of around 12,000 images and growing. Digital reproductions of these photographs are available for sale to individuals, groups, or for commercial publication. Search the photograph collection online, select an image, and complete the order form in the lower right corner or contact the Curator of Collections for more information.

Since the 1970s, the Estes Park Museum and the Estes Valley Library collected over three hundred oral history interviews with individuals from the community. Ranging from Charles Eagle Plume to Dr. Thomas Hornbein, from local businesses to the recent wildfires, Estes Park locals are sharing their story. The Museum is making a selection of interviews available. The oral histories are alphabetized by last name and includes a link to the oral history recording hosted on YouTube, Museum catalog entry, and/or transcript (if available). 

Official Town of Estes Park records are available through the Public Records Portal powered by Laserfiche. Some of the searchable records include meeting minutes, ordinances, agendas and packets, honors and proclamations, and much more. More information about the public records portal can be found on the Town Clerk webpage. 

The Estes Park Museum collects and preserves materials which establish or illustrate the unique history of Estes Park. The collection represents life, conditions, events, and activities relevant to Estes Park. Donations of objects and archives for the permanent collection are welcome for consideration. If you have any questions regarding donation procedures please contact the Curator of Collections to set up an appointment.

Estes Park Historian Laureate, Dr. James Pickering, has made two of his recent titles available online and free of charge. The works, Essays Old & New: Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Other Places, 1989-2020 and From the Archives: Essays and Documents on the Early History of Rocky Mountain National Park can be access via the links below. 

PDF Editions: Essays Old & New | From the Archives

Kindle Editions: Essays Old & New | From the Archives