The museum building originally served as the Colorado Springs carriage works for the Van Briggle Pottery company.
Many of the buildings displayed were relocated from actual Colorado ghost towns to prevent their destruction by the elements.
The museum features a rare, fully operational 19th-century nickelodeon and an antique arcade.
Visitors can practice gold panning using genuine gold-bearing ore found in the local mountains.
The collection includes an authentic narrow-gauge steam locomotive once used in the regional mining industry.
The Ghost Town Museum in Colorado Springs preserves authentic artifacts from the Pikes Peak region’s gold mining era within a climate-controlled indoor setting. The facility features a reconstructed Wild West town street housed inside a historic 1899 carriage house. Visitors can view original equipment from local mines, including ore carts and drilling tools. Interactive elements include an operational arcade and a panning-for-gold station where guests can keep what they find. The collection includes various period-appropriate buildings rescued from decaying ghost towns across Colorado. It functions as a preserved snapshot of 19th-century frontier commerce and daily life.
Inside the town saloon display, which captures the most authentic lighting and detail of the period.
Visit the gold panning station early in your walkthrough to avoid peak crowds.
Wear comfortable, flat-soled walking shoes to navigate the various surface materials of the indoor 'town square'.
Bring a camera, as the low-light environment inside the historic buildings provides a unique aesthetic for photography.
Do not treat the exhibits as purely decorative; many items are fragile, irreplaceable historical artifacts that should not be touched unless marked as interactive.
Closed on Mondays during the off-season; check for potential seasonal shifts in operating days during late autumn and winter.
