Archives, Guides & Collections

WMMI has custody of three major mining collections as well as numerous smaller collections ranging in size from a few documents to several boxes. Currently, the museum archival collections are housed in a climate-controlled room in the museum’s storage building, a mile from the main campus at 225 North Gate Boulevard. Thus, all researchers who want to examine specific collections must make an appointment with the museum curator to schedule a visit. The archives room is available during normal museum hours from Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm. If a Saturday visit is needed, please contact the curator to set up a time, based on the availability of a staff member to assist you.

There are a few general rules and regulations all researchers must follow:

1. Pencils, not pens, will be used for notetaking. Please bring your own paper and pencils.

2. Laptops may also be used to take notes.

3. Researchers may take photographs with smart phones at the discretion of the curator.

4. White gloves will be issued to researchers handling fragile or mildewed documents.

5. No flash photography is allowed.

6. Researchers will limit usage to one box at a time so that documents will not be inadvertently mixed.

7. Copying is available at the rate of ten cents per page. Researchers desiring copies of oversized documents and maps will be charged the museum’s cost at a local copying store plus shipping. WMMI reserves the right to refuse the copying of fragile documents.

8. If your research is used in a forthcoming publication, WMMI will receive one copy for its files as well as proper acknowledgment in the publication.

Most of the museum’s archival collections have finding aids to guide researchers to what they are seeking. These finding aids are listed below as PDF documents that can be printed. The finding aid for the Denver Equipment Company Collection has yet to be compiled.