From Logs to Mission 66 in Estes Park

Join Susan Quinnell and Rebekah Schields for an exploration of how Colorado’s mountain landscapes were transformed into destinations that millions of visitors now enjoy. Quinnell will discuss the Estes Park area, examining the labor, infrastructure, and rustic architecture that create the seemingly effortless experience of escaping into nature. Behind every scenic vista, trail, lodge, and mountain retreat is a story of planning, construction, and ongoing stewardship that is often overlooked.
Schields will explore the influence of Mission 66; a major National Park Service initiative launched in 1956 to modernize and expand visitor facilities in America’s national parks in anticipation of the agency’s 50th anniversary in 1966. The program introduced a new generation of visitor centers, lodges, roads, and other facilities designed to accommodate the postwar boom in automobile tourism. Together, these presentations reveal how architecture, infrastructure, and human labor have shaped Colorado’s tourism landscape and our experience of the natural world.
Suggested Donation: $5.00 per person. A board member from Historic Larimer County will collect cash, checks, or Square payments.
We will be meeting at the Estes Park Museum, 200 4th Street, Estes Park.
Please park in the upper parking lot to the right of the Museum, in front of the Collections Building.
Note that this is the second of two events that Historic Larimer county is hosting in Estes Park on July 25th.