Aurora History Museum & Historic Sites

06/03/2026

We talk a lot about history and museum exhibits, but don’t forget, we are the Aurora History Museum AND Historic Sites!

This summer, we’re giving our historic sites a little extra love with special open days at DeLaney Farm and Centennial House.

Located just five miles apart, DeLaney Farm and Centennial House tell two very different stories from Aurora’s early days in the late 1800s. DeLaney Farm shows Aurora’s roots as a homestead farming community, while Centennial House highlights the city’s beginnings as a wealthy Denver suburb. Together, they help tell the story of how Aurora developed into the city it is today.

Historic Site Open Days are:
✨ Free and open to the public
✨ Family-friendly drop-in programs
✨ A great way to explore local history
✨ Complete with refreshments for those hot summer days

Come explore Aurora’s past beyond the museum walls this summer! See the dates, times, and learn more through the link: https://tinyurl.com/3xnb3489

[Image Description: 1 exterior view of Centennial House, a two story queen anne style home. Centennial House Open Days 2025: June 20 3-6 p.m. August 9 9 a.m. to noon. September 6 from 3 to 6 p.m. October 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Historic Houses of Galena Street Tour on September 6 and October 10. Exterior Image of Gully House at DeLaney Farm. DeLaney Open Days August 8 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. September 5 from noon to 3 p.m. October 11 from 9 a.m. to noon]

06/03/2026

Aurora's Historic Growth. Post 8/25

Following World War II, Aurora experienced rapid suburban growth, as did many cities in Colorado and elsewhere in the country. The abundance of inexpensive land and the resolution of water problems spurred residential construction that met the critical housing shortage that followed the war. Many soldiers who trained in the Rocky Mountain region settled down here with their families.

The recently passed GI Bill gave them the means to purchase a home. Aurora's population of 3,437 residents in 1940 jumped to 48,548 by 1960.

Developers like Sam Hoffman took advantage of the housing shortage and built 1,700 homes using an assembly line method of construction in a new neighborhood called Hoffman Heights. Families desired a modern home with a yard and space for an automobile, as well as strong community ties and good schools. The self-contained community of Hoffman Heights included 7,000 residents by 1953, as well as a fire station, park, shopping center and school.

To address the needs of a growing population, the city professionalized and expanded its police and fire departments. It also required subdivision developers to pave roads, install water and sewer lines, and create space for parks and schools. Aurora purchased its first water rights in 1957 and soon began to initiate plans to ensure water independence and allow for future growth.

Hoffman Heights can be seen in this 1951 aerial shot, just south of the Fitzsimons Army Hospital campus.

The subdivision known as Hoffman Heights was annexed by the city of Aurora in 1954.

The annexation was challenged by a number of Hoffman Heights residents, who wanted to incorporate as a separate city. They filed a lawsuit that eventually was appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court, which ruled that the annexation had been legal.



[Image Description: 1951 aerial photo of Hoffman Heights subdivision, just south of Fitzsimons Army Hospital]

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

Join us on Saturday, June 20 at 11 a.m. for a special presentation on the Colorado Freedom Memorial featuring founder Rick Crandall. 🇺🇸

An Air Force veteran and longtime local radio personality, Rick Crandall created the nation’s first memorial dedicated to honoring fallen service members from a single state. Through perseverance, community support, and a vision for remembrance, the memorial has become a powerful place of reflection and education for future generations.

Learn about the story behind the memorial along with updates and future plans for this important Colorado landmark.
Registration is required, get your tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/24e8j4pn

Free for members
$5 for nonmembers

[Image Description: American Flag in front of the Colorado Freedom Memorial's glass panels]

05/30/2026

Aurora Fest (formerly known as Global Fest) is just a few weeks away and we’re so excited! 🌎🎉Since Aurora Fest takes place on the lawn outside the museum, the Aurora History Museum will be FREE and open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, so make time to stop by and explore Aurora’s history and our exhibit on the local Filipino community while you enjoy the festivities!

Celebrate the cultures, communities, and traditions that make Aurora “The World in a City” at this free, family-friendly festival filled with live music and dance performances, an international marketplace, local food trucks, the Parade of Nations, fashion shows, art, kids’ activities and so much more. Learn more about Aurora Fest here: https://tinyurl.com/bdtju66m

[Image description: people holding flags of various nations for a parade, vendors selling colorful drinks]

05/28/2026

Looking for a free way to explore local history this June? Join the Aurora History Museum for two engaging talks at Aurora libraries. Free, open to the public, and no registration required.

Local LGBTQ+ History Talk
Hoffman Heights Library
Thursday, June 4 at 5:30 p.m.

Aurora Prehistory Talk
Mission Viejo Library
Saturday, June 6 at 10:30 a.m.

Learn something new, connect with your community, and discover more about Aurora’s past. We hope to see you there!

[Image Description: Man presenting to audience with a slideshow]

05/27/2026

Explore birds, community activism and a gorgeous wetland on June’s History Hike! 🐦🌿

Learn the basics of birding while exploring the story of the Jewell Wetlands. Along the way, discover how local community members worked to protect the wetlands and keep an eye out for the many birds that call it home.

The Aurora History Museum and Denver Audubon are partnering for this special hike on Sunday, June 14 at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are just $4 and space is limited, so reserve your spot today! https://tinyurl.com/5n7zesbb

[Image Description: People walking on a boardwalk surrounded by wetland and trees]

05/27/2026

05/27/2026

Aurora's Historic Growth. Post 7/25

Buckley Air Force Base's origins can be traced to January 1938 when the city of Denver purchased 64,000 acres of land for a bombing range assigned to Lowry Field.

The range was activated in March 1938 on the site of the Phipps Sanitarium in Denver's Montclair neighborhood. The area was chosen due to its proximity to Lowry, just a few miles east of the installation. The decision to set aside 960 acres for the Army as an auxiliary landing field and ammunition depot for Lowry's aircraft saw the earliest development of what eventually became Buckley Air Force Base.

The advent of World War II in September 1939 coincided with a buildup of military activity at both Lowry and the bombing range as the United States prepared for a possible entry into the conflict. By 1941, the workload at the now-4,500 acre auxiliary field had grown enough that the War Department decided to designate it as a separate installation, under the authority of the United States Army Air Force Technical Training Command. On June 18th, it became Buckley Army Air Field, named after Longmont resident and World War I pilot Lt. John Harold Buckley, who died September 27th, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Buckley Air Force Base has established itself as one of the most prominent economic and physical landmarks in the history of Aurora.

From its early days as a bombing range for Lowry, to its current role in providing the nation with strategic missile warning defense as well as serving as a home for the Colorado Air National Guard's 140th Wing, Buckley has been a ubiquitous feature of the city's past.

[Image Description: Black and white photograph of three African American men working on what is identified as an AT-6 aircraft. One man is standing on the wing, the second is beneath the same wing, and the third man is working by the propeller. Image 2: R5D airplane with the Naval Air Station, Denver Colorado insignia on the front of the plane just underneath the pilot's window.]

05/26/2026