Colfax Avenue Museum

Welcome to the Colfax Avenue Museum!

GATEWAY TO THE LONGEST,

WICKEDEST MAIN STREET

IN AMERICA




Please visit our exhibit currently on display at History Colorado entitled Forty Years on the 'Fax!
 
The Colfax Avenue Museum is a History Museum and official 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to Schuyler Colfax and Colfax Avenue: the Longest, Wickedest Main Street in America that bears his name. The Colfax Avenue Museum provides an enlightening education regarding Colorado’s history along the legendary strip and showcases an extensive collection of one-of-a-kind Colfax items and curiosities.

The Colfax Avenue Museum's original location in Ed Moore Flowers and More on East Colfax

Jonny and Anistacia Barber started ColfaxAvenue.com in 2004 (now ColfaxAvenue.org), and began collecting Colfax stories and artifacts off the street from closing businesses — a street sign here, an awning there — until they had enough to open a museum in November 2017. The museum got its' start at Ed Moore Flowers and More, all thanks to owner Lydia Mary.

According to Denver Historian Phil Goodstein, "Having a Colfax Museum in a flower shop is just like carrying Posies during The Plague: it covers the smell!" At least we can say the space smelled incredible.

We were open for one day when an article about us ended up on the front page of the Los Angeles Times next to Charles Manson's obituary! We also received a Best New Museum mention in Denver's Westword Magazine.

Thanks to Denver's Westword for giving us the Best New Museum in Best of Westword 2018!
Things were humming along until Lydia got an offer too good to refuse for her building. Now gentrified out of Denver, the museum moved West to find a new home inside the Pasternack's Art Hub in the 40 West Arts District in Lakewood, Colorado.

 

Despite our best efforts to get open, the Lakewood location ended up being in the middle of a floodplain, and after two substantial floods, we decided to close up shop and go On The Road. Refusing to be contained, The Colfax Avenue Museum now runs the entire length of the Colfax Avenue. We have also created or are in the process of creating installations up and down the corridor, which now include:

Ed Moore's Flowers & More (November 2017 - May 2018)
Pasternack's Art Hub (June 2018 - October 2019)
Denver International Airport, Concourse A (February-July 2019)
Counterpath Books (October, 2019 - November 2021)
History Colorado (opened June 29, 2020 - present)
Route 40 Cafe (March 2020 - March 2022)
Sie Film Center (April 2022 - present)

We are still working toward the long-term goal of having our own building to house the collection.

Friends of the Colfax Avenue Museum:
Write us to schedule an appointment or if you have questions, comments, photos, film, video, stories, postcards, memorabilia, etc. to share at colfaxavenuemuseum@gmail.com. Thanks!

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9 comments:

  1. Mike Macey, ColoradoMuseums.COApril 20, 2017 at 6:51 PM

    It's exciting to learn you have a museum in the works. Please add us to your email list. Our email for updates is events@coloradomuseums.co.

    I would welcome blog post you may want to share as you plan and execute; our blog portion will launch soon. Please visit our website to learn about 355+ Colorado Museums -- http://coloradomuseums.co.

    Mike Macey

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  2. Colfax AvenueSeptember 23, 2017 at 5:55 PM

    Thanks Mike, we really appreciate your input. Your website is very cool and very informative. We'll keep you posted on our progress!

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  3. Isaac SOctober 25, 2017 at 8:46 AM

    The former PT's (Saturdays) might work.not sure how much space is needed.

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  4. Colfax AvenueNovember 15, 2017 at 6:11 PM

    Aren't they planning on turning the old Saturday's into affordable housing?

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  5. AnonymousNovember 30, 2017 at 9:46 PM

    I was stationed at Fitzsimons from Jan 78 to Dec 80 and have driven up and down the whole length of Colfax lots of times. Hope to visit next year for the first time in 38 years!

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  6. Mike Macey, ColoradoMuseums.COMarch 7, 2018 at 3:55 PM

    Hello Jonny,

    I wasn't aware you had opened (see first comment above April 2017). I was visiting the Aurora Museum and the U.S. 40 exhibit when we bumped into Scott Willams. I saw many of your images and learned from Scott that you were open . . . congratulations.

    My wife Kathy and I are coming to your March 21st brown bag lunch/talk. We are looking forward to meeting you and scheduling a museum visit. We also need to add you to our website!

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  7. CraigFebruary 25, 2020 at 1:46 PM

    Send any updates my way and I will Post on my heavily Colorado oriented site "Popboprocktiludrop"

    Best Craig Swank

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  8. UnknownAugust 14, 2020 at 10:02 AM

    I lived at 1103 east Colfax with my husband and new baby there was a drugstore and a ice cream shop across the street,we lived in an apartment above a doctor office, he claimed to cure cancer,and many other illness.
    is the Museum open,I have always wanted to visit it,but wasn't sure if it was open.I have a Ration book from OMIGOSH GROCERY AND MARKET it was on 13th ave.

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  9. UnknownSeptember 8, 2020 at 6:42 PM

    Hello. I'm trying to find information on a double club called Friday's and Saturdays and a band that played there regularly called the Illusions. Any information you can share with me or pointers in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time

    ReplyDelete

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