Exhibitions

Utopia: Adaptation on the Plains

Visitors can explore the history of Greeley, including the formation of the Union Colony, the area’s agricultural heritage, water usage, and growth over time. Learn the stories of some of Northern Colorado’s most famous residents like “Rattlesnake” Kate Slaughterback, Nathan Cook Meeker and more! Exhibit ongoing.

13 Minute Warning: Weld County in the Atomic Age

At any moment, the siren could sound, whether you’re at work, at school, or even fast asleep. And when it does, you could have as little as 13 minutes before a nuclear missile strikes. Are you prepared?

Visit the Greeley History Museum’s newest exhibit, “13 Minute Warning: Weld County in the Atomic Age,” to learn the Cold War story behind our local Atlas Missile Sites and how local residents lived their daily lives prepared for disaster. Exhibit open April 24 through December 11, 2025.

Seven Symphonic Portraits: A Weld County Reflection

Composer Dylan Fixmer spent many long hours discovering the rich stories that make up Greeley and Weld County’s past and present. He traveled city streets, learned the landscape, met colorful characters, and researched the interviews held in the archives of the Greeley Museums. As he explored, music began to form in his mind. The resulting music he composed paints portraits of the people who have called Greeley and Weld County home. Broken into seven movements, the piece explores the hopes, dreams, struggles, and shortcomings that bind us all together in our search for utopia.

Fixmer also worked with the Greeley Museums staff to create a companion exhibit, which explores each of the seven themes through images and objects held in the Museums’ collections. Located in the Garden Level Lobby of the Greeley History Museum, visitors can discover the music and stories that make up this journey through our shared history. Exhibit open November 16, 2023 through August 9, 2025.

Viewfinder: Through the Lens of Time

At their most basic, the machines we call cameras all do the same thing. They capture light. In 1839, Louis-Jacques Mande Daguerre figured out how to transfer that light onto copper, allowing us to record and preserve images for the future. These amazing mechanisms go back nearly 200 years – and have continued to evolve ever since. Journey behind the lens and discover how cameras developed into the digital tools of today. Exhibit ongoing.

Reporting from Greeley

Dedicated to the history of printing, this exhibit includes historic photos, stereotype mats, and turn-of-the-century printing equipment including an 1899 Chandler and Price treadle press. The building that houses the Greeley History Museum was originally built in 1929 for the Greeley Tribune. Exhibit ongoing.

Policies

• Food and beverages are not allowed in the galleries.
• No backpacks allowed in the galleries.
• Photography: Non-flash photography welcome except in special exhibitions. No tripods or selfie sticks allowed. Commercial photography allowed with prior permission from Museum Manager.
• City ordinance does not permit smoking, including electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices, in the museum or within 25 feet of any of the building entrances.
• No pets allowed. Service animals are welcome.
• Please silence electronic devices while in the museum.

The Greeley History Museum is part of Museums for All, offering reduced admission for individuals and families receiving food assistance. Present your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card and a valid ID at visitor services. Reduced admission is $3 per person for up to four individuals per EBT card. Welcome!