Official Visitor Guide

Cooper, pioneered by these soldiers, opened to the
public as a family-friendly ski area for locals and
visitors alike.
Just 15 minutes from Leadville lies the historic village
of Twin Lakes, a busy mountain transportation hub
between Aspen and Leadville during the gold rush days
with its hotel, general store, blacksmith shop and
schoolhouse. The Interlaken Resort originally opened
in 1897 and eventually grew into a 100-acre complex
that included a lodge, cabin, dance pavilion, servants’
quarters, stable and hexagonal outhouse! To get there,
take a boat tour across the lake, or if you have time,
take the two-mile hike around the lake.
Today, Leadville and Twin Lakes have preserved an
astonishing history. Explore and experience it at eight
museums and two National Historic Districts. Guided
and self-guided walking and driving tours of
downtown, the Evergreen Cemetery and the historic
mining district are available. There are also two
festivals, Ski Joring in March and Boom Days in
August that you won’t want to miss: book lodging early
for these events.
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Evergreen Cemetery
Many people came and went during Leadville’s boom,
and many died and were buried here. Evergreen
Cemetery, located at McWethy Drive and James Street,
is a grand turn-of-the-century Victorian cemetery.
About 17,000 souls have been laid to rest in plots,
some adorned with expensive wrought iron enclosures
and elaborate headstones. But Leadville also had its
share of the homeless and destitute, buried in the free
sections of the cemetery in graves with no markers, or
wood markers that are still intact but unreadable.
Countless headstones of children and babies who died
at a tender age are a reminder of the harsh conditions
that existed here in the late 1800s.
Two of the most famous residents of Evergreen
Cemetery are: "Texas Jack" Omohundro, co-founder of
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and Marshal George
O'Connor, the first Leadville lawman killed in the line
of duty in 1878. Other notable grave sites are the
Homestake Avalanche Memorial, a testament to ten
miners who were killed at the mine in 1885, and the Red
Mausoleum which contains the remains of the Teller
family, each in a hermetically sealed glass-top coffin.
Museums & More
Museums – No big surprise
for one of the most historic cities in
Colorado, Leadville has eight attractions
within its historic district. You will want to
see all, so stop by the Leadville - Twin Lakes
Visitor Center at 809 Harrison Avenue to
purchase a Passport good for discounted
admissions during the summer months.
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National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum
120 W. 9th St. • 719-486-1229
Housed in Leadville's old high school building, it is the
showcase of American mining. Called "The
Smithsonian of the West," visitors are always impressed
by the detailed dioramas depicting the early days of
mining, walk-through replicas of underground mines,
a fabulous collection of minerals and much more. Kids
will love the exhibit of everyday things and how mining
plays a role in their manufacture.
www.mininghalloffame.org. Open 9 am to 5 pm daily
(closed Monday late Nov-early May).
Matchless Mine
1 ¼ miles on E. 7th St. • 719-486-1229
This mine was at the heart of the Tabor fortune. Upon
his death, Horace Tabor left the mine to his second
wife, Baby Doe. She lost the mine in 1927 to satisfy her
debts, but remained living in an old cabin on the site.
After a blizzard in 1935, some neighbors noticed that
no smoke was coming out of the chimney and found
the body of Baby Doe frozen on the floor.
www.mininghalloffame.org.
Open daily noon-5pm, late May-late Sept.