620 W. Bleeker St.
(Behind the Wheeler/Stallard Museum)
Aspen, CO 81611
Monday - Friday
10 a.m. - 4 p.m., appointments required
Closed major holidays
archiveaspen.org
archives@aspenhistory.org
970.925.3721
Situated behind the Wheeler/Stallard Museum, the Archives Building is home to the collections processing facility and a storage vault that houses a portion of the physical collection. The Community Gallery and administrative offices are also located in the Archives Building.
Research assistance and access to the physical Archives is available by appointment, email archives@aspenhistory.org or call 970.925.3721.
Complimentary guided tours of the Archives are offered monthly.
AHS operates one of the largest public archives on the Western Slope featuring images, historical papers, maps, and priceless artifacts from every era of the area’s history that are preserved according to archival best practices for the benefit of the community. From maps of 1800s mining claims to ledgers, oral histories, moving pictures, the entire Aspen Times newspaper archive since 1881, tens of thousands of historical images, over 7,900 three dimensional objects, and more. the AHS Archives is a treasure trove that grows each year, as do the number of archival consultations.
The public is invited to use the archives as a resource, for researching anything from genealogy to birth certificates to land use records. Research assistance and access to the physical Archives is available by appointment, email archives@aspenhistory.org or call 970.925.3721.
Explore the archives online! Featuring the majority of the AHS Collection, the online archives is updated in real-time and searchable by keyword. Photo files are available for purchase as prints or for commercial use on a fee basis.
The Community Gallery is a multi-use space located on the first floor of the Archives Building. The Community Gallery also features rotating displays highlighting works from the AHS Collection.
Currently on display, Ute Knowledge: Colorado’s Original Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, a special traveling exhibit from History Colorado and the National Science Foundation tells the story of how Ute Indians have used science, technology, engineering, and math to survive and thrive in the Rocky Mountains through interactives, short films, maps, images, and stories from Ute elders and youth. The exhibit was created as a part of the Ute STEM Project, a collaboration between History Colorado, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, archaeologists, and ethnobotanists. The Ute people are Colorado’s longest continuous residents, and they have thrived here through their deep understanding of, and a connection to, the Colorado landscape and environment.
Displayed alongside the visiting exhibit, AHS’s own traveling exhibit Seasons of the Nuche: Transitions of the Ute People explores the past and present of the Ute people locally and throughout the West. The modular traveling exhibit was curated with input from Northern Ute tribal members and is available to regional organizations to display in their community at no cost thanks to support from The Memnosyne Institute and the Louis and Harold Price Foundation.
In addition to the exhibits, AHS Educator and Ute tribal member Skyler Lomahaftewa will host Ute/Indigenous Culture Conversations on Tuesdays at 11am and Wednesdays at 3pm to celebrate and share his perspective on Ute and Indigenous history and culture.
The Roaring Fork Valley is the land of the Uncompahgre band of the Ute Nation, or Nuche, who called the region home for generations before their forced removal. It is a privilege to partner with History Colorado to bring the Ute Knowledge traveling exhibit to the community as part of our commitment to sharing the complete history of the land.
Exhibit supported in part by the City of Aspen
This replica carriage house was built in 1977. A major renovation was completed in 2017, funded by the AHS Campaign, which raised $1 million in capital expenses for the critical renovation project. Thanks to the collective generosity of many, the Archive Building now features community space for exhibitions, educational programming, and events; a 35% increase in collection storage capacity; a state-of-the-art climate control system and advanced hazard-protection system to safeguard our collection; and additional space for offices. The renovation allowed AHS to best protect the Collection, display more artifacts, and host additional and larger educational programs and lectures.
