Luther Bean Museum Holds a Collection of Rare Treasure

Photo by Rachel Decker: Artifacts and antiques at the Luther Bean Museum

Rachel Decker
The Paw Print

History buffs out there looking for a great place to see rare artifacts and learn things about cultures never known before, can find it at Adams State College’s own Luther Bean Museum.
The Luther Bean Museum is housed in the oldest building of Adams State College, Richardson Hall, in what was the college’s original library built in 1930. It is home to artifacts like authentic Navajo weavings, some even dating back to the 1850’s. The Luther Bean Museum is also home to a brilliant 49 feet wide by 12 feet tall painting called “The Naming of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains”, which overlooks the entire museum. Also in the collections are items that belonged to former State Senator and three term governor of Colorado, William “Billy” Adams, who founded the school.
The Luther Bean museum holds many fine treasure which include, but are in no way limited to: antique furniture, porcelain figurines, Havelin china, santos, retablos, ivory and sandstone figurines collected from around the world and donated by Mr. and Mrs. Woodard. A beautiful collection of Native American pottery, made by Maria “Marie” Martinez, is also on display.
Something else to look forward to is the Masonic sword from Colorado’s first Lieutenant Governor, Major Lafayette Head, which is currently hanging in the museum. A must-see for anyone interested in weaponry.
Another interesting piece that had been featured in the museum was the skeleton of Lady, aka Snippy the horse, who is hands-down one of the most well known pieces of alleged evidence of UFO activity, which was found here in the San Luis Valley. Snippy’s death was so famous it became worldwide news in less than a week. The horse’s owners had found Snippy’s body lying in the middle of a field, with unexplainable markings on it. To this day, the cause of death is unknown. Though the skeleton is no longer on display at the museum, it’s still what put Luther Bean and Alamosa on the map.
Admission to the museum is completely free. The museum is always open to donations so they can continue to improve the patron’s experience. The museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday thru Friday, and closed on all major holidays.
Unfortunately, the museum will be also closed to the public for the next few weeks, so students need to hold on just a little while longer to see the rich learning experience the Luther Bean Museum has to offer. The museum is currently in the process of having their floors remodeled, and they have just gotten the windows replaced to conserve energy and add more light onto the displays.
The museum will be opened again at the start of next semester, and will be even more enjoyable than before. Students may still get in contact with Linda Relyea, the assistant director of communications and chair of the committee regarding any questions they may have. Though no more events are scheduled for the remainder of the semester, new events will take place during next semester.