100 Years Young When pioneer naturalist Edwin Carter moved to Breckenridge and began studying Colorado’s birds and mammals in 1868, he probably didn’t realize that he was starting one of the five largest natural history museums in the United States. He simply spent the next thirty years amassing the finest collection of the state’s wildlife. He displayed his specimens in the Carter Museum, the log cabin that doubled as his home (pictured above).
Those humble beginnings gave rise to what eventually became the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS). Over the years, the Museum has hosted millions of visitors from around the world, its scientists have conducted cutting-edge research, and its collections have preserved some of the world’s most significant natural treasures. This December 6, the Museum celebrates the centennial of its founding. Our 100th birthday seems a good time to reflect back on a few of the people and events that made the Museum what it is today.
