Durango Wildlife Museum to reopen June 12 with big celebration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  John Livingston
Southwest Region Public Information Officer
970-759-9590 / [email protected]
@CPW_SW

DURANGO, Colo. – For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is ready to reopen the Durango Wildlife Museum.

To mark the occasion along with the 125th anniversary of CPW, a celebration is planned from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 12. The Durango office is working alongside CPW volunteers and Durango VFW Post 4031 to provide a special day of activities.

The celebration will take place at 151 East 16th Street in Durango, the site of the Durango Fish Hatchery, Durango Wildlife Museum and CPW Durango office.

“We are looking forward to this event to celebrate the reopening of our Durango Wildlife Museum, CPW’s only wildlife museum in the state,” said CPW Durango Office Manager Leland Flores. “We remained closed the last two years for the health and safety of our volunteers and visitors, but everyone is eager for the museum to reopen to the public.”

The museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily after the grand reopening event through Sept. 11.

There is no fee for admission to the Durango Wildlife Museum, but donations are accepted and go toward improvements to the museum’s exhibits.

In 2019, the Durango Wildlife Museum saw a record of 16,923 visitors representing all 50 states and several countries. Since 2014, the museum has averaged 15,382 visitors per year.

“When I first started 22 years ago, we were lucky to get a couple thousand visitors per year,” said wildlife museum volunteer Derek Snyder. “Back then, we only had a few card tables with some mounts on them. It’s come a long way since then with the murals and all the mounts we’ve been able to add on a regular basis.

“We get a lot of people who visit who don’t know anything about the wildlife here. I think it’s a valuable asset that people really appreciate, so it’s a rewarding experience to share with people.”

Along with the reopening of the wildlife museum, the June 12 event will feature live music, wildlife education stations and free cupcakes. Food will also be available for purchase, with proceeds going to benefit the wildlife museum. 

Education stations will include lessons on fish casting, fish cleaning, fish management, dart gun shooting, wildlife management and a wildlife career station.

CPW and VFW Post 4031 will also host a youth fishing derby at the pond behind the Durango Fish Hatchery. Children 17 and under will get a free fishing pole. The pond will be stocked by the Durango Fish Hatchery, the oldest state-operated hatchery in Colorado.

“We really want to thank our friends at the VFW for continuing to support youth fishing and helping children in our area become the next generation of Colorado anglers,” Flores said.

For more information on the Durango Wildlife Museum and June 12 celebration, contact the Durango office at 970-247-0855.