Two Grand Openings Announced

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum has announced that it will open its doors to the public for its Grand Opening on February 16, 2008. Before then, however, the museum will open its new gift store, Base Camp, on November 23, 2007. The store, located within the American Mountaineering Center, will feature exciting items from the museum and the world of mountaineering that can be found few other places in the country. Featuring official products from the partnering organizations of The Colorado Mountain Club, American Alpine Club, and National Geographic Society, including:

• National Geographic Society items, including topographic maps
• Photography prints from the museum exhibit
• CMC Press books
  
• Gift items such as calenders, note cards, and jewelry
• Unique holiday items including stocking stuffers
• Mountain art
  
• Books from culture to Colorado, from mountaineering to the world's mountains

Today, we unveiled a new banner that hangs from the outside of the American Mountaineering Center. Phil Powers, Executive Director of the AAC, and Doug Skiba, Development Director of the CMC, rappelled down the face of the building to help unfurl the banner. Have a look...

We've Got Stairs!

If there's any indication that the museum is getting closer to opening, it just may be the completion of the grand staircase. When the museum opens, it will take visitors from the mezzanine to the level of the museum. Sweeping down to the center of the exhibit, visitors will then be able to choose what to see and experience first. The ornamentation of the staircase mimics that of the existing staircases throughout the American Mountaineering Center.

The images below take you through the transformation -- from piles of steel to finished staircase.









Before the staircase was pieced together, it had to be worked into the museum space on a boom, guided by hand.