Entry No. 29 — the Fort Collins file — filed under: history
Seven Keys Lodge Key Collection
What started as a guest tradition in the 1920s — Clarence Darrow left the first key in 1923 — has grown into a catalogued collection of roughly 30,000 keys draped from the rafters and walls of this 1917 lodge at 9,000 feet. Formerly the Baldpate Inn (named after Earl Derr Biggers' mystery novel "Seven Keys to Baldpate"), the Key Room holds keys to Westminster Abbey, Mozart's wine cellar, Frankenstein's Castle, the Pentagon, and an ocean-liner deck. The White House declined to contribute — but the signed presidential refusal letter is on display. The lodge holds the world record for the largest public key collection and sits five miles south of Estes Park opposite Lily Lake.
The story
In 1917, a timber lodge went up at 9,000 feet directly across from Lily Lake, taking its original name—the Baldpate Inn—from Earl Derr Biggers' 1913 mystery novel *Seven Keys to Baldpate*. In the book, seven people each believe they hold the sole key to an isolated mountain estate. The real-life hosts turned that plot premise into an open challenge to guests, and in 1923, defense attorney Clarence Darrow handed over the first entry in what was intended to be a running joke.
A century later, the room holds roughly 30,000 keys draped in dense, metallic fringe from every rafter, post, and wall panel. The cataloging leans into the bizarre: you will spot keys that once turned locks on Mozart’s wine cellar, Westminster Abbey, Frankenstein’s Castle, the Pentagon, an ocean-liner deck, a Great Chicago Fire alarm box, and an alleged Hitler bunker. When the lodge asked the White House to contribute a set, Washington declined—though the archivist simply framed the signed presidential refusal letter and hung it on the wall as a trophy instead.
What it's like
You pull off Highway 7 five miles south of downtown Estes Park, park in front of Twin Sisters, and step straight into a log cabin room that feels like a timber-framed hoarder’s vault of brass and iron. Browsing the Key Room costs nothing and requires no reservation, but do not expect a quiet library atmosphere—drafts blowing through the cabin set the keys clinking like metallic wind chimes while you crane your neck upward to read hundreds of handwritten tags. The primary catch is calendar-based: the lodge operates strictly from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend and shuts down tight for winter. Bring an old house key or a spare cabinet key from home if you want to hand it over to the staff for cataloging.
The move: Park at the lodge, spend an hour hunting the Key Room for the strangest specimen you can find — the Hitler bunker key, the Great Chicago Fire alarm box — then stake out the patio rockers with pie from the restaurant and compare notes on who found the weirder item.
📍 Before you go The Key Room is free to enter; no reservation needed for the museum itself. The lodge is seasonal — open Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend only, closed all winter. Call ahead to confirm hours before making the drive: (970) 586-5397. The on-site steakhouse and the Key Room bar (now occupying the historic room) may require dining reservations on busy summer weekends. You can donate your own key to the collection.
- 📍 Estes Park
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 4900 State Highway 7, Estes Park, CO 80517
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Homestead Meadows Trailhead — Pair a walk through 30,000 brass keys with a 3.7-mile drive to Hermit Park to hike past turn-of-the-century abandoned ranch cabins.
- The Birch Ruins — Head five miles north to Knoll-Willows Open Space to contrast a preserved 1917 lodge with the stone shell of a 1930s mountain bungalow.
- Aiden Sinclair's Underground (Illusions of the Mind) — Follow up historic lock hardware with a trip to the Stanley Hotel to duck through a hidden bookcase into a subterranean magic venue.
- Astronomy in the Park (Rocky Mountain National Park) — Once you finish squinting at dim ceiling rafters, drive four miles into RMNP for ranger-led stargazing at the Bear Lake Park & Ride.
Good to know
Is there an admission fee for the key collection?
No, entry to the Key Room museum is free, and you do not need a reservation just to view the collection.
When is the lodge open?
It operates seasonally from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend, closing completely during the winter months.
Can I donate my own key to the collection?
Yes, visitors are allowed to donate keys to be tagged and added to the lodge's official holdings.
Do I need reservations to eat or drink at the lodge?
While the key collection itself is walk-in, the on-site steakhouse and Key Room bar frequently require dining reservations on summer weekends.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Roadside America · estesparkinformation.com · Wikipedia · worldrecordacademy.org · Official site · denver7.com
last checked: 2026-06-11