Plan Your Visit
Hours & Location
Step back in time at Lafayette History Museum while enjoying all the amenities that modern Lafayette has to offer. Park for free on the surrounding streets or take one of the many buses that stops a block away. With restaurants, shops, and parks all within easy walking distance, it’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon in Old Town Lafayette.
108 E. Simpson St., Lafayette, CO 80026
Wednesday–Friday: 10 AM–2 PM
Saturday: 8 AM–12 PM
Sunday–Tuesday: Closed
FREE Admission
Donations are always appreciated.
Donations are what enable the Museum to develop programs, update exhibits, and care for our collections.
Contact
Call us at (303) 665-7030
Email us at info@lafayettehistoricalsociety.org
Featured Exhibit
Radical Lafayette: The Colorado Coal Strike of 1927 to 1928
From 1927 to 1928, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, nicknamed Wobblies) fanned the flames of discontent with a series of coal-mining strikes. All eyes were on Lafayette as our town became the center of a radical and militant workers’ rights movement.
Key elements of these coal strikes help us piece together our collective understanding of Lafayette, then and now. With almost all of Lafayette’s early residents connected to mining in some way, we look to both the history of the coal mines—and to the people involved—to explore multiple facets of local history. These stories afford us a deeper understanding of workers’ rights, civil rights, justice, racism, power, and the human condition.
Read the full press release here.
OPEN NOW
For Teachers & Families
School Groups
Field Trips available for all ages.
Lafayette History Museum has lessons and ideas from the Colorado Curriculum to help teachers and students make the most of a visit. Whatever age you teach, please contact us for a guided tour that meets the curriculum standards in your classroom!
Scheduling a Visit
Cost
Field trips are free! Donations are always appreciated; donations are what enable the Museum to develop programs, update exhibits, and care for our collections. Recommended donation is $2 per student.
Group Size
Class size of 25 is a maximum due to our limited space. If you have a group larger than that, we recommend planning other activities nearby (see our recommendations below!) and bringing groups to the museum for consecutive tours. We request one adult per 8 children for visiting elementary students.
Reservations
Please fill out the form below to request a field trip. Please schedule trips two weeks in advance. We will confirm with you via email. Your field trip is not scheduled until you have received a confirmation email from us.
Virtual Field Trips
We can conduct a virtual tour via Zoom—just ask if getting here is an issue!
Please fill out the form below to request a reservation.
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Age Groups
Preschool
Students will learn about how food was prepared, employment opportunities, things children did, tools that were used, how animals were used, machines of the time, and more. Students will be asked questions to show how the items at the museum relate to the items today. Docents will show telephones, stoves, washing machines, tools, safety equipment, household objects, and photographs.
Kindergarten – 2nd
Students will be able to answer such questions as:
- How did kids live in the 1920s and how do they live today? What is good about each? What is bad about each?
- Why were miners important—and what about mining today?
- How did mining affect our neighborhoods in Lafayette?
- What was it like for miners here compared to farmers in Colorado’s Eastern Plains? Or for people who lived in big cities like New York or Denver?
3rd – 5th
Students will be able to answer such questions as:
- How did kids live in the 1920s and how do they live today? What is good about each? What is bad about each?
- Why were miners important—and what about mining today?
- How did mining affect our neighborhoods in Lafayette?
- What was it like for miners here compared to farmers in Colorado’s Eastern Plains? Or for people who lived in big cities like New York or Denver?
Middle School
Students will be able to answer such questions as:
- What was the interaction between the miners with farmers, governmental organizations, Native peoples, and companies?
- What are the key artifacts or sources that help you understand the settlement of Lafayette? The lives of the miners? The conflicts between the miners and other groups? The fate of Native peoples in the area?
- Was the settlement of Colorado and the Front Range “Westward Expansion” or “Territorial Convergence”?
- What are basic values and principles of American democracy, how have they changed over time, and what has been preserved from the times of the miners here in Colorado?
High School
Colorado History Day research assistance
Many Colorado schools participate in Colorado History Day, an annual project-based contest for students in grades 6 through 12. Lafayette History Museum has many records of the area, including the town of Lafayette and the associated mines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will we have the museum to ourselves?
You can request a field trip on a Monday or Tuesday when the Museum is closed to the public, and we will do our best to accommodate you. If the field trip takes place on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, there is the possibility of other visitors coming to the Museum while your group is here.
Do I need to make a reservation?
Yes, all groups must schedule their visits at least two weeks ahead of time. Tours are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Your tour is not scheduled until you receive a confirmation email from us.
If your ideal visit date is less than two weeks away, feel free to reach out to see if we have availability, but know that we cannot guarantee anything.
How many students can we bring?
Class size of 25 is a maximum due to our limited space. If you have a group larger than that, we recommend planning other activities nearby (see our recommendations below!) and bringing groups to the museum for consecutive tours. We request one adult per eight children for visiting elementary students.
How many chaperones do we need?
We request one adult per eight children for visiting elementary students.
Is there a fee for students? Teachers? Parent chaperones?
Field trips are always free. Donations are always appreciated; donations are what enable the Museum to develop programs, update exhibits, and hire staff. Recommended donation is $2 per student.
What forms of payment does the museum accept?
The Museum accepts cash, credit cards, or checks payable to the Lafayette Historical Society.
Are there lunchroom facilities?
No. The Museum cannot accommodate food or drink inside museum facilities. There is a backyard available for lunch, as well as several nearby parks. At the Museum’s backyard, children will be eating “picnic style” on the ground.
Are there restrooms onsite?
The Museum is situated in a historic house, and therefore only has one restroom onsite. Your group is welcome to use it as needed, but we encourage groups to do their best to take care of these needs before arriving.
Is parking available?
There is free street parking available for cars, as well as free city parking lots within easy walking distance. If you plan to take a bus, let us know when making a reservation, and we can reserve enough space for the bus to pull up for drop-off and pick-up, but it will need to park elsewhere during the visit.
Is photography permitted?
Visitors may take photographs in the galleries as long as no flash, lights, or tripods are used. Videotaping is not permitted. Photographs may not be reproduced, distributed, or sold without permission from the Lafayette History Museum.
What do I do if we need to reschedule or cancel?
If you need to cancel, please give us 24 hours’ notice to notify our docents. Please email and call the Museum as soon as you are aware of your change of plans. The Museum aligns with Boulder Valley School District’s weather delays and closures. We will be in touch if it looks like there is a possibility of Museum closure due to weather.
My question hasn't been answered
Feel free to email us at education@lafayettehistoricalsociety.org if you have any remaining questions!
Families
Lafayette History Museum has plenty to offer kids of all ages. Bring the whole family to learn about Lafayette’s history with our hands-on object collection, kids’ room featuring a sensory bin and train table, and backyard learning space with mining and farming equipment. We also have kid-friendly activities like scavenger hunts, coloring pages, and even LEGO® miners hidden around the museum to discover!
In the Neighborhood
Lafayette History Museum is located in Old Town Lafayette, which offers restaurants, shops, parks, and more within easy walking distance. Make the museum part of your downtown exploration!
Parking
There is free street parking available on Simpson and Harrison Streets by the museum, including two spots reserved for visitors in front of the museum and a handicapped parking spot on the east side of the museum at the intersection.
Shopping
Eating
Exploring
The Collective Community Arts Center
Theater Company of Lafayette
Wow! Children’s Museum
Simpson Mine Park – 700 E. Simpson St, Lafayette, CO 80026
Lafayette Cemetery – Historic cemetery with burials dating back to the 1890s
Walking tours – You can schedule a guided walking tour with the museum, or enjoy this self-guided one (physical maps also available at the museum)