Take a step back in time and see what life was like in the Colorado high plains region 150 years ago at the Centennial Village Museum. The historical site contains some of Weld County’s oldest buildings and both Greeley residents and visitors will delight in the living history experience at Centennial Village.
The History of Centennial Village
Centennial Village Museum opened in 1976 as a way to preserve the region’s heritage and teach people about the past in Colorado. The site features over 35 historical buildings brought in from around the state, all ranging from different periods in history. There’s the original Weld County Courthouse, immigrants’ pioneer dwellings, and early 20th-century homes and businesses.
Visiting the Museum
In addition to walking the grounds and seeing the preserved historical buildings, visitors to the Centennial Village Museum can also see demonstrations of traditional crafts, such as blacksmithing. The Museum aims to tell a unique part of the region’s story, which covers westward expansion, immigrants, and daily town life at the turn of the century.
There’s a Cheyenne-Arapaho tipi, chuck wagons, and homes where visitors can learn about life on the western frontier. Many of northern Colorado’s first settlers were immigrants, who Museum visitors can learn about by visiting the Swedish-American Stuga, German-Russian Shanty, and Spanish Colony House. The industrious residents of early 20th-century northern Colorado left behind thriving agricultural communities, the 1917 Weld Centennial Church, the manually operated print shop, and 1921 fire station – all of which you can visit at Centennial Village Museum.
Centennial Village Museum has more than enough sites to see to enjoy on one outing and with special events happening year-round, you can go back to visit again!
How to Get There
Centennial Village Museum is on the northern end of Greeley, adjacent to Island Grove Regional Park. It’s only open in the summers, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The site hosts special events in the fall, winter, and spring, however, so be sure to check the calendar to see if there’s a fun activity coming up. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors (60+), $5 for youth (ages 3-17), and $3 for SNAP and EBT Card Holders.
To learn all about the history of northeastern Colorado by seeing it come to life, head to Centennial Village Museum. Not only can you see preserved buildings, structures, and equipment but you can also talk to living history characters and ask questions about Colorado heritage.