Barney Ford House Museum
Breckenridge Colorado is the home of The Barney Ford House Museum, which honors Barney L. Ford, an escaped slave who prospered and became a prominent entrepreneur and black civil rights leader in Colorado. From his humble birth in 1822 into a slave family, “Ford was instilled with the importance of learning to read by his mother, who inspired his lifelong quest for education. After escaping via the Underground Railroad, Ford established various businesses in Chicago, the West and Nicaragua, eventually making his way to Colorado and Breckenridge.”
The lessons he learned early on helped him to become very successful in business and was Breckenridge’s first black businessman. In 1880 he opened Ford’s Restaurant and Chophouse and was regarded as one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his time. In 1882, he had a home built in Breckenridge for his family and that building has been restored to its original Victorian style, as the Barney Ford House Museum. Each part of Ford’s life is reflected in the different rooms of the home. For his part in fighting for the civil rights of African-Americans in Colorado, his portrait is among other outstanding citizens which are memorialized in the Colorado State Capitol building in Denver.
Museum Information
- Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm (open year round)
- Address: 111 Washington Ave., Breckenridge, Colorado
- Directions: From Main St. head East on Washington Ave. The museum is on your right hand side.
- Cost of admission: A suggested donation of $5
- For more information – visit the website
