Breckenridge Character

Breckenridge History Displayed

The New Breckenridge

The character of Breckenridge is ever-evoling from its rich, colorful past as a small mining outpost to a leader in the mountain resort industry. Breckenridge expertly balances its past and future, continually providing an unparalleled experience for visitors. Breckenridge's past is evident as you stroll down Main Street in the historic district. The architecture reflects our Victorian past but inside you will find modern enterprises that offer everything from art to clothing to food and more.

*****

The buildings in the "old town" represent construction from the first settlement in 1859 to the end of the gold dredge period in 1942. New construction buildings standards are strict to ensure the preservation of the town's character.

*****

In complement to the efforts to visibly preserve the mid-nineteenth century character of Breckenridge, both the town and the Breckenridge Ski Resort have embraced and implemented modern additions that define the area as one of America's most popular ski towns.

A number of historic buildings have been restored and are now open to the public. One such building is the Barney Ford House Museum. It was once the residence of an escaped slave who later became a prominent entrepreneur and a civil rights leader in Colorado. His lifestyle and character are evident from the wallpaper, antique furniture, patterned rugs and exhibit cases holding his personal belongings. Another in-town addition is the new Breckenridge Welcome Center in the center of town. The town wanted to find a way to centralize information about the wide variety of year-round events and activities. The Welcome Center is a place where guest can book activities and explore a bit of Breckenride's rich history. The site of the new Welcome Center is a building that used to be called the "Bailey Building". With this site, a design was anticipated that would include a series of interactive exhibits about the town's history and environmental accomplishments.

*****

Designers never anticipated the surprise that literally would immerse a visitor into our history. During demolition, crews discovered a well-preserved log cabin hidden between two newer additions. The plans for the Welcome Center changed dramatically! The 1880's cabin, which was likely someone's home, was fully exposed and renovated so the public can walk along the same floorboards and run their hands along the same hand-hewn beams that miners touched more than a century ago.

A spectacular view of the additions around the ski area, the entire town and the surrounding mountain ranges is provided on the new Imperial Express SuperChair. This high-speed quad takes you to the top of Peak 8 at an elevation of 12,840 feet. It is the highest, high-speed chairlift in the Northern Hemisphere. The ride takes approximately two and half minutes and positions you to ski 400 acres of in-bounds, double black and extreme terrain that was previously only accessible by a 45-minute hike.

*****

Just northeast of town is the Golden Horseshoe area - 1,840 acres of open space devoted to hikers, bikers, cross-country skiers and recreationalist. This area is rich in mining history. The town and county partnered to preserve this area, spending about one million dollars to clean up residual mining minerals from the water to encourage a healthy Brown Trout population. Some of the old mine sites will be closed off, others will be restored with the intention of providing the public with a historical tour of the activity at the turn of the century. Breckenridge's past and its future are cornerstones to the pride the community feels. The Breckenridge community looks forward to its future without forgetting its past.