Entry No. 2 — the Boulder file — filed under: offbeat-museum
Nederland Mining Museum
“One of 25 steam shovels built for the Panama Canal. The only one that survived.”
Twenty-five Bucyrus 50-B steam shovels were shipped to the Panama Canal; twenty-four got scrapped on site. The sole survivor is parked in this museum’s yard at 8,200 feet — 130,000 pounds of riveted 1923 steel that worked a placer claim in Lump Gulch until 1978, then rolled into town in 2005 with a History Channel crew filming the move. It still runs; volunteers occasionally fire it up for demonstrations. Inside, pull the dynamite plunger and ring the hoist bell miners used to signal “get me out.”
The story
In 1923, twenty-five Bucyrus 50-B steam shovels shipped out to Panama to dig out bridges, roads, and drains for the canal. When the massive earth-moving operation wrapped up, twenty-four were chopped up for scrap on site. The sole survivor—130,000 pounds of riveted steel resting on heavy crawler tracks—was loaded onto a ship back to California, brought to Denver, and eventually hauled into Lump Gulch six miles south of Nederland. There, brothers Roy and Russell Durand put the 75-ton beast to work on a placer claim until 1978. Donated by Steve and Laurel Higgins, the machine made its final trek on October 21, 2005, when a haul crew rolled it into the museum yard while a History Channel television crew filmed the entire enterprise for Mega Movers.
It isn't an idle rusted carcass sitting at 8,200 feet. The thing actually still runs. Volunteer engineers periodically fire up the century-old steam engine, swiveling its frame 360 degrees and letting loose a steam whistle blast that echoes through the valley and startles tourists down the street. Inside the museum—housed in the county's former stone garage—the collection trades polished display cases for raw industrial artifacts. You can grip the wooden T-handle on a vintage dynamite plunger, press it down, and ring the iron hoist bell miners used to signal 'get me out of here.'
What it's like
You’ll spot the towering, rust-toned steam shovel standing in the gravel yard before you even park on Bridge Street. Admission inside is completely free, though the indoor exhibits run on a seasonal schedule from early summer through autumn (typically Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.). If you show up on a closed day, don't sweat it: the Bucyrus shovel sits outdoors on flat gravel, and you can walk right up to its crawler treads any day of the week. Plan on spending 30 to 60 minutes sifting through the claim maps, ore carts, and vintage drills—it’s an easy, self-paced stop that feels like stepping into a gritty old mechanic's workshop.
The move: Walk the full length of the 130,000-pound shovel and find the Bucyrus builder’s plate, then go inside and take turns on the dynamite plunger.
📍 Before you go The museum runs on a seasonal, weekends-only pattern from early summer into fall, but the steam shovel sits in the open yard and you can walk right up to it any day. Street parking on Bridge Street at the north edge of downtown Nederland; the yard is flat gravel, easy footing. It’s a 30–60 minute stop, so pair it with the Carousel of Happiness a couple blocks away or a walk along Barker Reservoir.
- 📍 Nederland
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 200 N. Bridge St, Nederland, CO 80466
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Carousel of Happiness — Walk two blocks down Bridge Street to swap 65 tons of heavy mining steel for a hand-carved 1910 carousel tucked inside a wooden mountain pavilion.
- Train Cars Coffee & Kava — Walk two blocks west to grab a hot drink inside three century-old railroad cars parked along the Peak to Peak Highway.
- Grandpa Bredo's Tuff Shed — Head four-tenths of a mile up the mountain to see the shed that housed Nederland's other famous preserved attraction—a cryogenically frozen Norwegian grandfather.
- Caribou Ghost Town — Drive 2.4 miles up high-elevation mountain roads to explore the stone ruins of the silver camp that supplied ore to Nederland's historic mills.
Good to know
How much does it cost to visit the museum?
Admission to both the indoor museum and the outdoor machinery yard is completely free.
Can I see the Bucyrus steam shovel if the museum building is closed?
Yes. While the indoor museum runs on a seasonal, weekends-only schedule from June through October, the steam shovel sits in an open gravel yard and can be inspected up close at any time.
Does the Panama Canal steam shovel actually still work?
It does. Volunteer operators periodically fire up the 1923 steam shovel for live demonstrations, swiveling the machine and sounding its steam whistle.
How long does a typical visit take?
Most visitors take 30 to 60 minutes to tour the indoor displays and walk around the outdoor shovel yard.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · bouldercounty.gov · Atlas Obscura · themountainear.com
last checked: 2026-06-11