Gold Rush in Leadville
February 28 through July 18, 2026
Dunning Gallery

Exhibit Events:

History Matters: Community History Harvest
Friday, March 13, 5 - 8 pm, FREE
With Colorado State University History Department

About the Exhibit:

In the mid-1800s, caravans of hopeful settlers pushed westward across an uncertain frontier, driven by the lure of gold and the promise of a new life. These prints capture both the myth and the reality of Leadville’s gold-rush beginnings. After the 1859 discoveries in California Gulch, the settlement rapidly transformed from a hardscrabble mining camp into one of Colorado’s fastest-growing industrial cities.

This collection reveals both the romance and the grit behind the rush—reminding us how mining, migration, and ambition shaped one of Colorado’s most storied communities.