Wheeler-Stallard House Museum in Aspen, CO
The Wheeler-Stallard House Museum is housed in a large Queen Anne style house that was originally built in 1888 by Jerome B Wheeler. Strangely the builder never lived in the house and it was eventually bought in 1917 by Edgar Stallard and his wife. Today the museum house is owned by the Aspen Historical Society and is open to the public from 1pm until 5pm Tuesday through Saturday.
The museum boasts a number of exhibits including 'Aspen under glass' which comprises of a wide range of early photography equipment dating back to the early 1900s, and also the 'Corsets, Hatpins and Petticoats' exhibit which details the lifestyle experienced by Victorians in Aspen. Recently a third exhibit has opened in the Wheeler-Stallard Museum which focuses on the politics, poetry and prose of Thomas W. Benton. These exhibits are static however the museum regularly houses a number of short term exhibits that focus on other aspects of Victorian life in Aspen, such as the silver mining rush and the advent of ranching. The museum is also home to a number of interesting artifacts such as the piano played by Albert Schweitzer in 1949.
You will need to book in advance if you want a guided tour of the house in which many aspects of Victorian life are bought to life by the guide's descriptions. You will also have to make an appointment if you wish to see the special collections and archived library. The museum is set in beautiful grounds and recently the newly renovated house has become popular as a wedding and party venue, especially during the romantic winter months when the snow is thick on the ground.
