Frequently Asked Questions

The Aspen History Snowsports Museum at Skiers Chalet is a new museum that is being developed by Aspen Historical Society (AHS) in the historical Skiers Chalet lodge building at the western base of Aspen Mountain, where lift-served skiing began in Aspen over 80 years ago. The slopeside museum will showcase the site itself, as well as house permanent and temporary exhibits that explore the area’s ski and snowboard history and Aspen’s unique role in the trajectory of winter sports.  

The Skiers Chalet facility will also include a café, a gift shop, private ski lockers, and a flexible event and program space, all managed by Aspen Historical Society. Aspen Skiing Company will operate a ticket sales office and public ski lockers within the shared building.  

In total, the Skiers Chalet community hub will place the Roaring Fork Valley’s robust ski and snowboard heritage front and center at one of the sport’s most iconic locations.

• Lead: Aspen Historical Society 

• Partners: 

• • Aspen Skiing Company: shared space in Skiers Chalet; adjacent lift 
  • City of Aspen: adjacent public park 
  • Design/Planning: HealyKohler Design; Carolynne Harris 
  • Architecture: Charles Cunniffe Architecture 
  • Business Plan: Elevativ LLC 
  • Feasibility Study: Rebecca Mirsky Consulting 

• Lift One Corridor Redevelopment project developers: 
  • OKO Group/Aman: Aman Hotel (consists of one property, formerly known as Gorsuch Haus hotel) 
  • Irongate and Haymax: Chalet Alpina (consists of two buildings of hotel/fractional ownership rooms and the Chalet Alpina team is also responsible for relocating and renovating the Skiers Chalet Steak House; relocating the Skiers Chalet Lodge and delivering it to AHS in “grey box” condition) 

Based on the anticipated construction schedule, the target opening date is January 1, 2029 

The Skiers Chalet lodge building is a former hotel, built in 1965 and part of a two-building compound that included the Steakhouse building, located slightly uphill and to the west. The lodge and restaurant closed in 2005, and Skiers Chalet eventually became home to many local workforce renters and a beloved landmark in the quiet Lift 1 / Lift 1A neighborhood. Aspen voters “saved” the Skiers Chalet structures and granted Aspen Historical Society the privilege of creating and managing a new museum. It is our honor to assume this role and the stewardship of such a treasured piece of local heritage.

The historically designated structure will be relocated slightly downhill from its existing location by the developers of Chalet Alpina, who will deliver the building to Aspen Historical Society in a code-compliant “grey box” condition. Aspen Historical Society will be responsible for the remainder of the construction and museum development. 

The facility includes:

• ~8,784 SF across 4 levels (~910 SF shared): 

• • Lower Level: Exhibit gallery (~3,300 SF) 

• • The exhibit gallery will feature artifacts and images from the AHS Collection alongside interpretation and hands on interactives. AHS has retained the exhibition design firm Healy Kohler to create an engaging and exciting permanent exhibition for all ages.  

• • Street Level: AHS and ASC ticket offices, gift shop, public lockers 

• • Snow Level: Café, private ski lockers 

• • Upper Level: Multi-use event and program space; rotating display and exhibition space

Not yet. The developers of Chalet Alpine are responsible for stabilizing and relocating the building slightly downhill from its existing location and renovations to deliver the building to Aspen Historical Society in a code-compliant “grey box” condition. AHS will then complete the necessary interiors renovations and museum build-out.

The museum will be located in Skiers Chalet at the site of Aspen’s Mountain’s original Lift 1 chair—the birthplace of lift-served skiing over 80 years ago—and the more recent location of the Lift 1A or “Shadow Mountain” chair. Just steps from Wagner Park in the heart of downtown Aspen, the museum is adjacent to the Dolinsek Gardens park and the original Lift 1 tower and bullwheel structures.

The museum will anchor the revitalized base area, alongside two new hotels and a new Telemix lift operated by Aspen Skiing Company, which follows the historic chairlift corridor. 

With restored ski corridors, preserved historic buildings, and the new museum at its center, this redevelopment will reimagine Aspen’s historic base area for the future. 

Total: $12.8 million 

• $10 million for fit-out and exhibits 

• $1 million for fundraising 

• $1.1 million for pre-opening operations 

• Stable Year Visitation: ~25,000 
• Earned Revenue: ~$601,000 
• Operating Expenses: ~$1.045 million 
• Annual Gap: ~$444,000 (to be covered through contributions, sponsorships, grants, or endowment) 

• Admissions: $239K 
• Additional membership revenue: $19K 
• Café: $28K 
• Gift shop: $109K 
• VIP lockers: $106K 
• Facility rentals: $93K 
• Miscellaneous: $6K 
• Contributed income: $444K 

Yes. 

• Phase 1: Ongoing estate planning campaign 

• • Phase 2: $10 million endowment for long-term sustainability 

Possibly. AHS is exploring donor underwriting and partnerships to provide free public admission. 

In the museum main gallery (the basement level) permanent exhibitions will share local snowsports stories, from the origins of the area to the first run cut on Aspen Mountain to the extreme sports that have taken root here. Through treasured artifacts, historical images, moving footage, and interactive interpretation, visitors will step back in time to experience the evolution of snowsports and the character of these ski town communities at the top of the storied Roaring Fork Valley.

Exhibition topics include: 

• For the Love of Winter
• Call of the Mountains
• Vision, Innovation, and a Little Luck
• Lift One & Beyond 
• On the World Stage 
• Ski People 
• Local Spotlight
• Mountain Magic
• Gear & Innovation
• Ski Fashion
• Community
• Aspen Culture 
• The Aspen Idea
• Beyond Alpine 
• “On the Slopes” Immersive AV experience
• Ski Town & Stories of the Slopes

Example artifacts include:

• 10th Mountain Division uniforms and skis
• The original “boat tow” tobbogan
• An original Lift 1 chair and blanket
• A robust ski model collection from wooden planks to race skis
• Ski fashion items
• Bauhaus-inspired resort promotional pieces
• Early snowboard memorabilia
• A SkiDoo early snowmobile from Snowmass
• Historical images and moving footage

Planned interactives include:

• Robust audio visuals with historical photographs and moving footage from many eras, such as mid-century resort promotional videos to hotdoggin’ 1960’s and 1970’s ski films to fast-paced ski racing coverage
• Topographical map interactive showing the four ski resorts
• “On the Slopes” immersive AV experience with multiple “terrain” options
• Ski fashion greenscreen and selfie station
• Share your snowsports story interactive

Yes. The upper level (third floor) will be set up for multi-use events, with robust audio visual capabilities and room for a crowd. In addition to the public programming AHS and rotating exhibitions and displays in the space, potential rental opportunities include community lectures, receptions, cocktail parties, small weddings, birthday parties, meetings, and other private or community events. 

Additionally, the City of Aspen will operate the outdoor public spaces around the museum with myriad public and private event opportunities.

Yes. A small café (on the snow level) will feature views of Shadow Mountain and will be operated in partnership with a local chef or restaurateur.

A robust gift shop will offer typical museum store retail as well as skier amenities. 

Yes. The museum will meet ADA standards and include enhanced accessibility and safety systems. The exhibitions will presented with multilingual access through Bloomberg Connects. 

Guests can ski or snowboard in, or… 

• guests can utilize public transit, hotel shuttles, the ACRA Downtowner, bike, or walk to the museum, which is conveniently located just a block and a half from the Rubey Park transit center and downtown Aspen.
• There are 50 on-site public parking spaces in a subterranean parking garage as well as on-street parking nearby.  

Yes. OKO and Irongate must meet City housing mitigation requirements. AHS is not required to provide housing but is exploring future housing strategies.