Denver Public Library's Western History Department is recognized for having one of the outstanding collections of Western Americana in the country. The collection, which opened to the public in 1935, reflects all phases of development of the trans-Mississippi West and includes approximately 200,000 cataloged books, maps, atlases, business records, and scrapbooks; 600,000 photographs; and 3,700 manuscript archives. Collections of special depth include Western railroads publications, reports and maps of Colorado mining companies, trade catalogs, frontier theater programs, land grant materials, and printed memorabilia of Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows.
In 1995, the Western History Collection and the Genealogy Collection merged into one department in 1995, moving into the fifth level of the new Michael Graves library building. The Genealogy Collection, which began in 1910, is the second largest between the Mississippi River and the West Coast and the largest in the Rocky Mountain area. Family history researchers can find material spanning dozens of generations and covering a wide spectrum of ethnic and geographic categories. This portion of the collection includes 60,000, 75,000 pieces of microform, and hundreds of magazine and newsletter titles, charts, clippings, atlases, and manuscripts.
Tours fill up quickly, so be sure to register early. There is no charge, but
advance registration is required by June 8. [Bus Tour: 15 minute drive]
