Montezuma Heritage Museum

Background Statement

The Montezuma County Historical Society (MCHS) and its predecessors have been working since the 1950s to collect and preserve the cultural and natural history of this diverse county and area. Many dedicated community volunteers, past and present, have worked thousands of hours to save our history. Throughout the decades, some of the many collected historical artifacts, photographs, letters and many other records were publicly displayed, but none of the locations were permanently available.

Today’s Montezuma County Historical Society was reorganized in 2001. Hundreds more historic objects and records have since been collected. Dozens of history programs and activities have been carried out, attended by area residents of all ages as well as tourists. A series of four county history books – Great Sage Plain to Timberline – and a vintage recipe cookbook have been published and are sold throughout the county. Several years ago, the Lake Vista Grange building between Dolores and Cortez was made available at no charge to MCHS, allowing all collections to be stored in one location.

The Montezuma County Historical Society planned and worked for over five years to achieve the Montezuma Heritage Museum. In 2018, Montezuma County donated a permanent lease of a 4,800 square foot building in downtown Cortez and a major “Save Our History, Tell Our Stories” fundraising campaign successfully raised over $400,000 to renovate the museum building, develop professional exhibitions, and make this community-driven project a reality.

The Montezuma Heritage Museum: (a) exhibits, interprets and serves all segments of the county’s and area’s populations, including Native American and Hispanic residents, as well as serving visitors from around the country and world; (b) will cooperate and collaborate with other cultural institutions and with public and private schools; (c) will preserve and care for Montezuma County’s historic treasure; (d) will contribute positively to the economy of Montezuma County and the region; (e) and will help residents and visitors understand and appreciate Montezuma County’s place in the story of the American southwest.

Creating the museum is the single most important step the historical society has ever taken to better achieve its mission.