About Us
The Mission of the of Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center is to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of our region for future generations.
Our Facilities
Cañon City Municipal Building
The Municipal Building was built in 1927 with the help of local businessman Dall DeWeese. He helped to acquire funding for the construction of the building with the condition that the second floor of the building would always be a museum. He also stipulated that the building be fire proof with concrete floors and sturdy walls to hold large taxidermy mounts. DeWeese even designed the fireplace on the second floor that incorporates dinosaur fossils, petrified wood, minerals, and a part of a stalactite. The first artifacts displayed in the museum were items collected and donated by Dall DeWeese.
Denver architect Eugene Groves designed the building. He also was the architect of the former Cañon City High School (currently Cañon City Middle School), the Administration Building at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colorado, just to name a few. The Municipal Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Properties.
Today, the Cañon City Municipal Building houses the museum’s exhibit galleries, program room, and research room.
Anson Rudd Cabin
Just behind the Cañon City Municipal Building sits the wood cabin of early settler Anson Rudd. Anson and his wife Harriet arrived in Cañon City in 1859 and finished building their cabin around 1860.
A blacksmith by trade, Anson became a notable citizen serving as County Sheriff and Postmaster. He also helped establish the boundaries of Fremont County and helped to create the Fremont County School District.
Anson and Harriet had a son, Anson Jr., in 1861. The Rudds were one of only a few people who stayed in Cañon City during the Civil War. The family waited out the war until people started to settle back in the area and the town began to prosper.
The cabin is furnished with all the comforts of 1860’s pioneer life with a rope turned bed, a chamber pot, a fireplace, and a spinning wheel. Visitors are welcome to view the cabin during the summer to learn about the lives of our area’s early pioneers. Both the Rudd Cabin and the Rudd House are listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Places.
Anson Rudd House
Built in 1881, the Anson Rudd House served as a retirement home for Anson Rudd and his wife Harriet. It was a major improvement from their cabin next door. The Rudds lived in the wood cabin for over twenty years before building this two-story stone house. The house originally had a daylight basement and a porch across the back of the house.
Anson and Harriet occupied the house until they moved to Boulder to live with their son in 1904. The house was then rented out and served as a boarding house. In 1918, the property was given to the City of Cañon City with the condition that the Rudd cabin be restored. The house became a residence of various City employees until 1974. The following year the house was remodeled to serve as a historic house museum.
The City of Cañon City is working to rehabilitate the house to the historical period it was constructed. We hope to have it open to the public in the future. Both the Rudd Cabin and the Rudd House are listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Places.
