Wheeler / Stallard Museum

Location:
620 W Bleeker Street
Tel: 970.925.3721
Fax: 970.925.5347

Hours of Operation:
Tuesday – Saturday (closed Sunday and Monday and major holidays)
November 29, 2022 – April 2023: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Admission:*
Free for AHS members
Free for active military personnel through the Blue Star program
$10 adults / $8 seniors / children 18 and under free (must be accompanied by an adult)
Admission is free for all guests on the first Saturday of each month
*Admission fee includes access to the Holden/Marolt Museum during the summer.

About the Museum:
The Wheeler/Stallard house is a Queen Anne style Victorian built around 1887/1888. The first floor of the Museum is interpreted as a Victorian Aspen home and the second floor gallery features rotating exhibitions to explore area history.

Site History:
Jerome B. Wheeler built this Queen Anne style Victorian in 1888 for his family. Situated on an entire city block, the home was one of many stately properties in Aspen’s West End neighborhood. Despite his plans, his wife Harriet Macy Valentine Wheeler refused to leave their mansion in Manitou Springs, Colorado and the family never lived in the house. Edgar and Mary Ella Stallard moved in 1905, eventually purchasing the house in 1917. The family lived here for forty years. The house last served as the residence of the Aspen Institute’s president before the Aspen Historical Society purchased it in 1969.

We gratefully acknowledge we gather on the land of the Uncompahgre band of the Ute Nation, or Nuche, past and present. We honor this land and the people who lived in harmony with the natural world for generations before their forced removal. We are committed to sharing complete history of the land, recognizing and partnering with Native Peoples, and supporting the advancement of Native places and heritage. This calls us all to be better stewards of the land we inhabit and the natural resources we benefit from today.

View Brochure

Exhibit


Decade by Decade: Aspen Revealed

Summer 2020 – Spring 2024

Aspen Historical Society presents Decade by Decade: Aspen Revealed, a new exhibit that offers a comprehensive view of Aspen’s fascinating past. The exhibit explores the stories that shaped the community’s distinct identity: from mining boom to dilapidated ranching town to today’s international recreational and cultural resort, Aspen forged a unique path. Featuring photographs and artifacts that represent Aspen’s connection to national events and trends, the exhibition reflects on the community’s place within the larger historical landscape of the nation – sometimes congruent, sometimes divergent – but always exciting. Decade by Decade: Aspen Revealed will appeal to visitors and locals of all ages, showcasing the depth of the AHS Collection.

Thanks to our generous supporters who made this exhibit possible:

Century
Melony and Adam Lewis
Lynda and Stewart Resnick

Decade
Jacolyn and John Bucksbaum
Corrine and Lenny Sands Foundation
Fred and Elli Iselin Foundation
Thrift Shop of Aspen
ZG-CHICKS

Year
Charles Cunniffe Architects

Artifact
Austin Memorial Foundation
Bob Beattie Ski Foundation
Ruth Turnquist Carver
Karen Hartman
Barbara Reid and David Hyman
Allison and David Ratajczak
Susan and Chuck Riepenhoff
Christin and Mark Taché
Valley Fine Art

In-Kind
The Aspen Times

Archives Building


Archives & Collection Research

Hours of Operation:
The Archives Office is open from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday,* however appointments are requested: please contact [email protected] of 970.925.3721 ext. 103 to make an appointment for research assistance.

About the Archives:
Located on the same property as the Wheeler/Stallard Museum, the Archives Building is home to the Society’s Archives and a good portion of the Collection.

AHS operates one of the largest public archives on the Western slope, an invaluable public resource for the local and regional community. A significant portion of the Collection is housed in the Archives Building, including close to 50,000 historical images, oral histories, newspapers, manuscripts, films, and other records, as well as many of the 7,500-plus artifacts that have been accessioned and preserved by the Society for the benefit of the community. The Collection grows each year, as do the number of archival consultations.

The public is invited to use the archives for research, for anything from genealogy to birth certificates to historic land use records. Archivists are available for research assistance.

The AHS Online Archives is accessible to the public at archiveaspen.org, where more than 26,000 historical images from the AHS Collection can be searched and purchased online.

*The Archives Office is closed December 24 – January 1, as well as for major holidays including Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and the Friday after Thanksgiving.


Community Gallery

The Community Gallery is a multi-use space located on the first floor of the Archives Building. The room is available by appointment for use as a meeting space, contact [email protected] to reserve. The Community Gallery also features rotating displays highlighting works from the AHS Collection.

On display beginning Tuesday, June 30, 2020, Maps Through the Decades features historical maps of many varieties from the AHS Archives. From mining claims to trail maps, the new display presents a curated selection of the extensive AHS map collection. The display features maps as functional works of art from 1870 through 1970, celebrating the creation process of maps such as the Hayden Geological Survey and illustrating how maps shaped the evolution of the area from wildlands to mining camp to modern mountain town.

The Community Gallery will open on June 21, 2022 for the summer. The Gallery is open during Archives Office hours, however it is best to call ahead to confirm access in case there are meetings or gatherings in the room that prohibit viewing of the display.