641 East 2nd Street Cortez, Colorado, 81321
Phone:(970) 565-1601
Website: http://cortezculturalcenter.org/
Hours of Operation: Mon thru Sat, 10am to 5pm
During the warmer season, Native American dancers entertain spectators outside on the weekends.
Housed in a historical building, the Cortez Cultural Center offers visitors an incite into this southwestern section of Colorado. While the gift shop takes up a good part of the interior, the museum and art gallery are full of wonderful examples of history and artistic talent. One section of the museum is dedicated to the "Hawkins Preserve"; a 122 acre land area featuring the Hawkins Pueblo, and a variety of plant and wildlife species indicative to SW Colorado.
The art gallery displays works of local artisans which can be purchased; in an alcove is an organ dating back to the 1800s.
The gift shop is stocked with all manner of Native American jewelry, pottery and weavings; candies such as prickly pear chews to jelly bean rocks; beans, flour, DVDs, CDs and books. I purchased two while I was visiting: "Cortez Cultural Center Volunteers Cookbook", and "The Old West Baking Book" by Lon Walters which features recipes dating back to the pioneers.
The ladies behind the counter are volunteers who are knowledgeable about all the items inside the Cultural Center. There is a donation box within the gift shop, so make sure to show your appreciation of, not just the volunteers, but all the work that has gone into preserving the history of Cortez, and SW Colorado.
Mary Cokenour
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