Trinidad History Museum Master Plan

Client: Colorado Historical Society

Site: Trinidad, Colorado

The decade of the 1990s was one of great change for Trinidad. The movement from a coal extraction economy was not an easy one, and many felt that the legalization of gambling would be a lifesaver for the community. While gambling did not become legalized, what did come to pass was a surge in an area population of people who were attracted by the climate, natural beauty, and history of Trinidad.

One premier Trinidad historical site is the Colorado Historical Society’s Trinidad History Museum. The Society decided it was time to take a fresh look at the future of the museum site, which is a delightful complex of historic buildings from varying time periods. The Master Plan project became a part of a continuing stream of major improvements to the site.

The Master Plan, completed by the Collaborative, consists of chapters on Site Analysis, Opportunities and Constraints Analysis, and Preservation Philosophy and Approach that includes Periods of Interpretation, Themes, Intrusions, Missing Elements, and Site Interpretation.