Part of this museum started it’s life as a boarding house constructed with huge timbers, hand hewn and dovetailed together. It had served the miners of Caledonia Mine in the 1890s and was being destroyed by the elements when the historic society went to work to save it. It was carefully dismantled, trucked down many switchbacks and reassembled in Silverton. An addition has been added to display the large collection mining equipment and artifacts. Admission includes a 1902 pre-fab kit jail house. The warden and his family lived on the first floor with the prisoners living above them. Note the metal ceiling which supported a concrete floor on the second level.
Most of the museum is accessible. A ramp leads to the entrances of both the museum and jail. A small lift accesses the three floors of the museum. There’s a steep ramp in the basement of the museum which leads to the basement of the jail where a mineral collection is on display. Some of the doorways to the rooms in the living quarters of the jail have high barriers that are hard to see over. The second floor of the jail is not accessible – steps and no lift.
The parking lot is large enough for any RV. Museum
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