Fremont County Art and Culture
Fremont County
First-time visitors of Fremont County are immediately struck by this area’s mild climate and breathtaking natural beauty, otherwise known as the Royal Gorge Region. It’s the rich artistic expression and cultural diversity that brings people back. If you haven’t visited this area, there are many reasons why you need to consider a trip there. Below are standouts worthy of checking out.
The Fremont Center for the Arts
The Fremont Center for the Arts (FCA) was founded in 1947 and is the oldest privately run art center West of the Mississippi River. We are located in the heart of downtown Cañon City in the former 1931 Post Office building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Our mission is to foster and enrich the cultural and economic health of the greater Fremont County region through partnerships, presentations, education, and preservation of the arts for present and future generations.
We offer interactive classes on subjects from figure drawing, creative writing, portraiture, matting and framing, ceramics, dance, and more.
Each month, the main gallery show changes, offering artists of all levels an opportunity to display their works. The permanent collection started in 1947 and continues today with over 300 fabulous pieces. The collection is constantly rotated throughout the building and speaks to the art culture of Fremont County.
Live Theater
Musical and theater offerings are varied – from lavish stage productions presented by the Fremont Civic Theatre to solo and ensemble chamber recitals at the Fremont Center for the Arts and summer-long outdoor pop/jazz/bluegrass/eclectic musical performances in the park. In Florence, the Bell Tower presents varied concerts monthly. The historic Rialto Theater hosts periodic and varied events throughout the year.
Fremon County was the location of the first silent films telling the tales of the West.
Public Art
Public art in the Royal Gorge Region is displayed in downtown Cañon City. Macon Plaza, the pedestrian-only area on Macon Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets in front of the Fremont Center for the Arts, includes a Sculpture Garden across from the newly restored Carnegie Library. Along Main Street, you’ll find over a dozen changing displays. The Florence Art Council has purchased and placed art throughout the downtown as well.
The Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center
The Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center is the premier research facility for local historical information for Fremont County and the surrounding Royal Gorge Region. Located in the historic Municipal Build
ing in downtown Cañon City at 612 Royal Gorge Blvd. The Research Room has family and address files for a number of local residents, businesses, and homes. Other research materials include historical photographs, local newspapers on microfilm, and area maps.
The museum is primarily located on the second floor of the historic Municipal Building with three separate galleries showcasing locally found fossils, local artists, and rotating exhibits like the current “Around the World in 80 Artifacts” exhibit. To round out the museum tour, 1860’s Anson Rudd pioneer family cabin, the oldest residential structure in Cañon City, is open for visits behind the museum, weather permitting.
The Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center is open Wednesdays-Saturdays from 10 am to 4 p.m. Visit us on the web at rgmhc.org. Like us on Facebook. Or give us a call at 719-269-9036.
Museum of Colorado Prisons
The Museum of Colorado Prisons is quite unique, located next door to the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility, an operational prison that opened in 1871. The Museum of Colorado Prisons houses no inmates within its walls. Instead, the former Women’s Correctional Facility contains 30-plus cells, each transformed into exhibits covering more than 140 years of the state’s incarceration history. Displays encompass everything from confiscated contraband, inmate arts and crafts, original artifacts, and thousands of inmate records. Besides the audio tour or self-guided tour booklets (available in 4 languages), the museum invites visitors to participate in occasional events every year, such as nighttime ghost-hunting expeditions. Make the time to do time with us.
