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Kit Carson County • Burlington, Flagler, Seibert, Stratton Take a step back in time at Burlington’s Old Town

Complex features 21 restored historic buildings

While in Kit Carson County, a stop in Burlington at the Old Town Museum is a must. This sprawling museum is set on six and a half acres and is a wonder ful gateway to the past.

Take the walking tour through the complex that includes 21 fully restored buildings containing some 25,000 ar tifacts.

The big red barn, a landmark that can be seen from I-70, was built in 1937. It was moved from its original home of Kanorado, Kan. in one piece in 1986, and was actually the beginning of what would become Old Town.

Other buildings that were moved in from around the community include the depot, which also happens to be the oldest building. It originally constr ucted in 1889 in Bethune, and was used by the Rock Island Railroad until the early 1940s.

The church was built in 1921 in Armel through kindness and community ef for t. An interesting architectural feature of the church is the sloping floor that is immediately noticed upon stepping inside. This was a purposeful design of the time to allow people in the back to see the minister.

The Boese House, built in 1915 originates from south of Vona. It would have been considered a mansion of its time with its six bedrooms and running water. The upstairs sewing room has the original wallpaper and cur tains; over 100 years old.

The Harmony School House was built in 1911 near Cope and

An exhibit in the Old Town Museum in Burlington celebrates the first people to inhabit the plains. (Courtney Cisneros/Burlington Record)

Visitors to Burlington can take a trip to the past at the Old Town Museum, which is filled with history and memorabilia of what the area was once like many years ago. (Burlington Record photo)

housed grades 1-8. You can view a school desk inside that, although not original to the schoolhouse, was dated 1889.

This is just a small sampling of what you will find in this immersive self-guided tour. A touching tribute to local veterans past and present awaits you as do special interactive exhibits for the children that of fer unique oppor tunities to learn about early pioneer life on the plains of Colorado.

Visiting dif ferent times of the year of fers dif ferent activities. Bring the kids during the fall and enjoy Old Town Ghost Town, where the young are treated to trick-or-treating up and down the streets of Old Town. Or, if you’re a bit more daring, enter the barn, which has been turned into a haunted barn for a scarily delightful time.

Winter brings on Winter Wonderlights, a beautiful time to enjoy Old Town as the streets are lit up with thousands upon thousands of Christmas lights, as well as fun activities for the kids.

But summer takes the cake. Summer brings Old Town to life. Memorial Day through Labor Day you can experience the “High Noon” can-can shows, live gunfights in the saloon (Saturdays) and enjoy an ice-cream treat inside the Emporium.

So pull over your RV (there’s plenty of room for parking), your Prius, or whatever vehicle brought you to town and enjoy an immersive interactive journey back in time.