The Fort Collins Museum began as the Pioneer Museum in 1941 with the help of the Indian Relic Hobby Club, the Pioneer Association, and the Daughters of Colorado Pioneers. Operated by the City of Fort Collins, the Museum's first curator was Clyde Brown, a member of the Indian Relic Hobby Club and a Fort Collins native. In 1976, the Pioneer Museum relocated across the park into the old Carnegie Library building and became the Fort Collins Museum. The Museum has evolved into a regional center focusing on area history and culture.
Today, multiple galleries feature temporary and permanent exhibitions and a Courtyard encompassed three historic structures. The Museum offers an array of programs and educational opportunities.
The Carnegie Library Building
One of the true treasures of the Fort Collins Museum is the Museum building itself. Constructed in 1904 of native sandstone, the Museum building originally served as the Fort Collins Public Library. The chiseled words "Public Library" can still be seen over the West Entrance to the Museum. Industrialist Andrew Carnegie provided the $12,500 to fund the building. The Eastern addition was completed in 1939 under the Works Projects Administration. The building became the Fort Collins Museum in 1976 and is a registered historic landmark.
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