All Pikes Peak Library District locations will close at 4 p.m. on Tue., Dec. 31 and be closed on Wed., Jan. 1 in observance of New Year's Day. 
In 1890 and 1891, prospectors in the Pikes Peak region discovered the rich gold ore that touched off the legendary Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Rush. With the modern comforts we enjoy today, it can be difficult to imagine what the gold rush was like for people living it. For an authentic gold rush experience of your own, visit our Pikes Peak Culture Pass partner Victor Thomas Lowell Museum in Victor, Colorado. Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) cardholders can check out a no-cost entry pass to this piece of regional history through the Culture Pass program.
Located in the heart of the town of Victor, the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum features displays exploring the historic gold mining days, as well as the miners and pioneers, some of them millionaires, who made the town famous. Victor’s history is one of exploration, ranching, gold mining, and railroading. The museum showcases two floors of artifacts, books, exhibits, and photographs depicting life in Victor from its beginnings to the heyday of gold mining. Among the exhibits you will find a diamond dust mirror, a large collection of mining artifacts, themed-rooms, and an old-fashioned doctor's office!
The 1899 building the museum calls home is a historic experience of its own, boasting its original wood floors, tin ceilings, and many fixtures dating back to the gold rush era.
While you are there, be sure to check out the newly renovated Lowell Thomas room. The exhibit is dedicated to sharing the life of famous journalist, author, and world traveler Lowell Thomas after whom the museum was named.
Victor Thomas Lowell Museum joined our Culture Pass program in June 2023 to increase awareness about the museum, the Town of Victor, and life in the gold rush era among PPLD patrons. What a great opportunity for library cardholders to experience a taste of the gold rush while enjoying a short drive out west!
Patrons can check out a Culture Pass to the Victor Museum in the summer months, and some weekends in the fall, weather permitting. Victor Thomas Lowell Museum will celebrate its 65th anniversary on June 26, 2024. Learn more about the celebration and the museum on their website.