Follow Our Construction Renovation

Construction Project Informational Update – November 11, 2023

Update from Lynn; Many of you have seen the Museum transformation firsthand.  We continue to work ahead of schedule. This is great, so I thank everyone who has come in and made that possible.  We have now removed ALL exhibits from the Museum floor, and they are actively being processed upstairs by the Archive Team.  All exhibit and presentation electronics have been removed.  The store area is packed, although we continue to be challenged with many books and many puzzles.  The kitchen area is partially packed.  Overall, we’re at the stage where we have to say that “it will get worse before it gets better”.  Today, Mike and Ray moved “the M” and the Gusher bottle into storage.

We will move the remaining “heavy artifacts” from the railroad exhibits upstairs – most of these are already accessioned.  We will move the COG wheels and the Hebe Statues soon.  The historical automotive sprayer has been removed from the wall and we have now exposed the Faces of Manitou window and the Cliff Dwellings mural.  These items will need to be accessioned.  We will continue to pack things with the upmost care.

To see the presentation, click this link 2024 Construction Presentation_2023 10 18

Big things in motion at the Heritage Center

The Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum is excited to announce our newest project which will ensure that we are able to further our mission to collect, preserve, research, and interpret the history and culture of Manitou Springs and the Pikes Peak Region.
Over the past several years with the support of the community and various grants from across Colorado we raised over $336,000 which was used purchase the building and began renovations and upgrades to the property; including the recent completion of external repairs (roof replacement, new windows, stucco, drainage).
Our museum is housed in a historic structure that was built in various stages beginning as early as 1890. We are entering the final phase of the major renovation project planned for Jan 2024. The scope includes rehabilitating the storefront to how it appeared in the 1930s; installing structural support for the upper floor, replacing the HVAC systems that will provide significant energy and costs; updating the electrical and lighting, and installing insulation and drywall on the interior of the museum. The planned work will be done in a single phase to limit the mess and disruption of construction. The museum will be closed during this time.
The Heritage Center will close to the public on November 1st. Beginning that date through December 31st, our team of dedicated volunteers and student interns will be packing up and archiving the current exhibits and moving them to either onsite and offsite storage. Once we have safely secured the historical artifacts, construction will begin. We anticipated this multi sequenced effort of removing everything in the museum, construction, then repopulating the upgraded museum, will take through May of 2024. During this time we will share updates on our progress as well as produce and present virtual presentations to keep our museum and the History of Manitou Springs as available as possible.
As you may imagine, this major construction comes with major costs. The anticipated investment in the museum for this phase of improvement is estimated at an additional $350,000. Funds for this work have been obtained through the museum’s Capital Campaign over the last 10 years and have included donations, grants, and monies raised from events. Please know the full amount of the construction costs have not yet been raised. We have faith that continued support from the Manitou Springs community and grants will close the funding gap. Please consider making a donation to the Heritage Center to help bring the upgraded museum to the Manitou Springs community. You can make a donation here: Heritage-Museum-Capital Campaign Or through the Pikes Peak Enterprise Zone.
We look forward to sharing our progress with you all and will be hosting an informational meeting at the Heritage   Center on October 25th from 6pm to 7pm. This will be an opportunity to stop by and look at our construction plans, say good bye for now to our exhibits, and visit with the key volunteers who maintain the artifacts and information about our great city of Manitou Springs. We hope to see you there!