New Exhibit on Transportation at Wheeler/Stallard

            As the summer season gets under way and the weather gets warmer the Aspen Historical Society will be reopening both the Wheeler/Stallard and the Holden/Marolt museums on Tuesday, June 10th.  A new exhibit focusing on the history of transportation into and around Aspen titled “Go West Young Man, But Park at the Intercept Lot” will be opening at the Wheeler/Stallard and should interest anyone who has ever walked, ridden, driven or flown into Aspen.  Additionally, with the opening of Independence Pass the ghost town of Independence is once again accessible and the ghost town of Ashcroft is also now open for tours and exploration. 
            Museum hours are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday for both museums and admission fees are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and free for children 12 and under, with one fee good for admission to both Museums.  Administrative hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday with Archive hours 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday by appointment.  The administrative offices and the Archives are both located at the Wheeler/Stallard Museum at 620 West Bleeker Street in Aspen’s historic West End neighborhood. 
            The Aspen Historical Society operates the Ashcroft and Independence ghost towns in partnership with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES).  Tours of Ashcroft (11 miles south of Aspen on Castle Creek Road) are available through Labor Day and cost $3 for adults and free for children under 12.  Independence ghost town (16 miles east of Aspen on Highway 82) is open daily through Labor Day with self guided tours available.  Resident “ghosts” at each site can answer questions and provide more information about the history of the towns.
            In addition to our sites, the Society also conducts West End Walking Tours which highlight the Victorian architecture and landmark buildings in Aspen’s historic West End, children’s camps which begin in July, and special events throughout the summer.  The grounds of both the Wheeler/Stallard Museum (Ruth Whyte Park) and the Holden/Marolt Mining and Ranching Museum are also available to rent for private functions.  And new this summer the Society will be introducing the “Aspen History Coach” electric vehicle tours that will take guests on guided tours of historic Aspen as well as to both museums.  The Coach will be officially unveiled during the Fourth of July weekend.
            For more information on museums, activities, programs, tours or even just the history of Aspen, please call 925-3721 or go online at www.aspenhistory.org.