Perserving the History of Manitou Springs
Did you know that the Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum has an active all volunteer Archive Team? The Archive Team’s mission is to preserve the history of Manitou Springs, by physically protecting historical documents, artifacts and photographs in our Collections Room. Each document, object or photograph is also catalogued into our PastPerfect Museum software and organized into interesting collections related to many different aspects of Manitou Springs and the Pikes Peak Region.
Since the cataloguing effort began 5 years ago, the Archive Team has entered over 6000 records into the system. These records have been indexed and are available for public research by making an appointment at our Lew Archer Research Room.
If you would like to submit a historical information request, make an appointment at our Lew Archer Research Room, or donate documents, artifacts or photographs to the Heritage Center Collections, please use the form below. Our experienced Archive Team would love to hear from you!
Our Archive Software
The Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum uses the PastPerfect Museum Software to track and manage its archive records. Since 1998, PastPerfect has become the industry standard archive software and is used by over 11,000 museums worldwide.
When you make a historical information request, please be specific as possible about what you’re looking for. A member of our Archive Team can help determine if the information you’re looking for is contained within our collections.
If the requested information is not available, we may refer to you other research resources to complete your request. If your requested information is available and you would like to make a research appointment, the Archive Team can help you dig deeper using our PastPerfect Museum Software to narrow your search by subject or information type—Objects, Photos, Archives (documents, newspapers) or Library (books). We have many different subject collections to choose from, ranging from Manitou Springs Art, Mineral Water, Old City Records, Tourist Attractions and many more. Many of these items date back to the late 1800s.
Coming soon—see our collections online!
Who was Lew Archer?
Dr. Lewis Archer was an outstanding individual who loved Manitou Springs and it’s history. He served his community through the Kiwanis Club of Manitou Springs, earning the prestigious Lusche Fellow Award in 2012. After he passed away, Mr. Archer’s family generously donated much of his extensive collection of books about Manitou Springs, Colorado, Western History and Railroad History, establishing the memorial Lew Archer Research Room at the Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum.
When you make an appointment at the Lew Archer Research Room and search our collections, a member of the Archive Team can help you locate what your looking for and pull it from the Collections Room. There, you will be able conduct further research and for a small donation, make copies if necessary. However, materials will not be available for home check out use.
We Love Donations!
Over the years, we have received amazing pieces of Manitou Springs history from over 200 donors. These donations of documents, objects or artifacts are handled and stored with care to protect them for years to come.
If you would like to make a donation, please download this form, fill it out with a pen, sign, and submit it along with a photo of your donation. You can submit a scan of the form via email, or mail the completed form to our street address. Please note that all potential donations will be reviewed to ensure they align with our mission and collection management policies.
Questions? Use our contact form below to reach the Archive Team.
