Museum History

Our Mission

The mission of the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum is to bring about a better understanding and appreciation by the community of its history and cultural heritage of mining, ranching, skiing, and other activities which have been indigenous to the East River Valley, particularly Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. The Museum is committed to making the past a living part of our community’s future.

A Brief History

Crested Butte is a Certified Local Government and, as such, strives to protect the historical nature of our community through its architectural review commission. We are the only non-profit organization within the community dedicated to historical preservation activities. From 1982 to 1994 there was no historical Museum in Crested Butte or Mt. Crested Butte, and without a museum there was not a repository for the many historical pieces from its past mining era and more recent skiing history. The Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum, Inc. was formed in 1993 to raise funds to display and organize the collection.

The Museum was set up in only 700 square feet of the old D&RGR Depot in September 1994. It soon became apparent that a larger and more central location was required. An appeal to the community for funds and artifacts to expand the collection was launched and, with the aid of grant from the State Historical Fund, the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum opened in the Spritzer House in the Historic District in December 1995.

As the organization grew, it became evident in the summer of 2000 that the Museum needed to move once again to a larger and more prominent location in Crested Butte to allow for the long-term growth of its displays and collection. The Museum decided to take the opportunity to move its location to the historic Crested Butte Hardware Store, locally known as Tony’s Conoco, located on Elk Avenue. Tony’s is centrally located and is one of the more significant buildings in the town’s Historic District and carries with it a spirit that represents the very best of Crested Butte. The “Save Tony’s” campaign was launched to raise the funds for acquisition and rehabilitation. The building was acquired in September 2001; rehabilitation commenced in June 2002 and opened to the public in July 2003.

Tony’s Conoco was originally built in 1883, making it one of the oldest standing structures in town. It housed the town’s blacksmith shop and in 1911 the first gas pump. Tony Mihelich became a partner in the store in 1940 and ran it as Crested Butte Hardware and Auto Supply until his death in 1996. Locals have affectionately called the business “Tony’s Conoco” for many years.

The Museum’s acquisition of Tony’s Conoco has ensured that the building will retain its integrity as a historic structure and that the building will not succumb to either a non-appropriate use or to the harsh mountain elements. The new location gives the Museum a highly visible permanent home with new educational and entertaining interactive exhibits.