Entry No. 15 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: offbeat-museum
Pioneer Town Museum
“Jaws of death, renamed in 2020 — dug out of the Mancos Shale by a teenager in 1975.”
Twenty-four buildings of resurrected frontier town — the 1907 jail, the Lizard Head Saloon, a working blacksmith shop — but the welcome center holds the real prize: a skull cast of the mosasaur a Cedaredge teenager dug out of the Mancos Shale in 1975, renamed Gnathomortis — jaws of death — in 2020. The Charles States building keeps a 40-inch dinosaur footprint cast from a coal mine where miners tunneled beneath hundreds of tracks. Out front, three multi-sided 1916 Bar I silos sit on the National Register.
The story
At first glance, this corner on the southern edge of Cedaredge looks like a standard high-desert historic park: twenty-four relocated frontier buildings, including a 1907 town jail, the Lizard Head Saloon, a working blacksmith shop, and the Austin Train Depot. Out front, three multi-sided wooden silos built in 1916 for the Bar I Ranch stand watch, earned through rare architectural survival on the National Register of Historic Places.
Walk past the silos into the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway Welcome Center, however, and the timeline drops eighty million years. In 1975, a local teenager scraped open the nearby Mancos Shale and unearthed the skull of an ancient marine apex predator. In 2020, paleontologists gave the specimen its own genus: Gnathomortis, literally "jaws of death." The welcome center keeps a skull cast on display, while the nearby Charles States building holds a 40-inch dinosaur footprint cast taken directly from the ceiling of a local coal mine, where miners spent their workdays tunneling under vast trackways suspended in the rock overhead.
What it's like
Arriving feels like stepping into a sprawling, quiet backlot rather than a manicured museum. You can wander the flat, pet-friendly grounds at your own pace, step inside rustic log structures, or tap out messages on the telegraph keys at the Austin Train Depot. The catch is seasonality: the historic town buildings are only unlocked from Memorial Day weekend into early October (though off-season group tours are available by appointment). Fortunately, the welcome center, the Gnathomortis skull display, and the 1916 wooden silos are open year-round right off Highway 65.
The move: Tap out each other's names in Morse code at the Austin Train Depot, then drive Highway 65 straight up the Grand Mesa for a lakeside picnic.
📍 Before you go Enter through the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway Welcome Center on Highway 65 at the south edge of Cedaredge — the three tall wooden silos mark the spot, with a free lot beside them. The town itself runs seasonally from Memorial Day weekend into early October; off-season it opens for group tours by appointment, though the silos and welcome center are reachable year-round. The grounds are flat, hands-on, and pet-friendly. Pair it with the climb up Highway 65 onto the Grand Mesa, which starts rising right past the parking lot.
- 📍 Cedaredge
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 388 S Grand Mesa Dr, Cedaredge, CO 81413
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Tru Vu Drive-In — Pair an afternoon examining ancient fossils and timber silos with a double feature under the stars at Delta's single-screen drive-in, operating since 1955.
- Grand Mesa Observatory — Follow up a trip to the foot of the Grand Mesa by heading further up its flanks to observe deep space under Bortle-3 skies at this research observatory.
- Captain Smith’s Cabin — If hand-assembled pioneer history appeals to you, head south into Escalante Canyon to see a Civil War veteran's 1911 stone cabin built against a sandstone fin.
- Alfred Eames Cellars — Trade the weathered wooden silos of Cedaredge for a underground concrete wine cave hand-crafted by an artist in neighboring Paonia.
Good to know
When is Pioneer Town Museum open?
The full historic village operates seasonally from Memorial Day weekend through early October. The Grand Mesa Welcome Center, dinosaur displays, and outer silos are open year-round, with off-season village tours available by appointment.
What paleontological finds are kept here?
The welcome center houses a skull cast of Gnathomortis, a Cretaceous marine reptile discovered in Cedaredge in 1975. The Charles States building displays a 40-inch dinosaur footprint cast retrieved from a local coal mine roof.
Is the museum dog-friendly?
Yes, the outdoor village grounds are flat and pet-friendly, making it an easy stop with a dog before driving up the Grand Mesa.
Where do I park when I arrive?
Park in the free lot beside the three 1916 wooden Bar I silos at 388 S Grand Mesa Dr (Highway 65) on the south side of Cedaredge.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · uncovercolorado.com · sciencedaily.com · highcountryspotlight.com
last checked: 2026-06-11