Sedalia Museum and Gardens

PO Box 394, 4037 Platte Ave, Sedalia, CO 80135

Please mail your tax-deductable donation to the address above. Thank you.

Community

Sedalia

Sedalia is bordered by Federal Highway 85 (the original Santa Fe Trail), bisected by a State Highway 67 (Manhart Street), cross-sectioned by two very busy railroads BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) and DRGW (Denver Rio Grande). Everything else is governed by Douglas County. No one quite knows where the town begins and ends.

Sedalia is designated by the state as an “unincorporated rural village”, and by the federal government as a “census designated place”. It has no local government, no town hall, no mayor, no local taxes, no sewer system. The water district bills about 200 customers in the “town” area. We have a post office serving about 2000 addresses, and one elementary school.

Sedalia Museum and Gardens are so much more than a museum. The town’s social structure is centered around the museum and its activities. The museum is adjacent to the fire department, and its training room is generously provided for various local meetings. Local activities often pop-up in the parking lot that we share with the fire department. Click here to read more about our relationship with the fire department.

Sedalia Salida Sedalia

Sedalia is often confused with Salida, Colorado or Sedalia, Missouri or even Sedalia, North Carolina.

Oh Sedalia, sweet and small,
Tucked by mountains, trees so tall,
A Colorado gem so fine,
With winding roads and whispering pine. 🌲

Not Salida — no, not there,
Though both have that mountain air,
But Sedalia’s charm is all its own,
With horses, hills, and cozy tone. 🐎

And please don’t mix it up, oh no,
With Missouri’s Sedalia show,
They’ve got fairs and country tunes,
We’ve got sunsets, stars, and moons. 🌙

We’re just south of Denver’s sprawl,
Near castles, trails, and nature's call,
A quiet town with heart and grace,
A peaceful, hidden, lovely place. 🏞️

So if you're lost or just unsure,
Take a breath — the air is pure!
Sedalia’s Colorado’s pride,
Come on in — enjoy the ride. 🚗💨

Outreach

Would you like us to come and talk to you about the museum or garden? We can visit your retirement community, school, business, or clubs and discuss our museum.We have a special relationship with the elementary school. We generate community spirit. We increase the public’s understanding and interest in history. We are completely inclusive and regionally focused and celebrate and preserve cultural identity. We share and collect stories that represent the lives and works of all Sedalians, past and present.

We partner with other community organizations and local businesses on special events such Winterfest. We strive to be a place of belonging for all Coloradans and Sedalians.

Affiliations

Historical Landmarks

There are several local structures which are landmarked by county, state, and/or federal organizations.

The Santa Fe Railroad Water Tank

Sedalia Water Tank was constructed in 1890 by the Santa Fe Railroad and served as a water supply for the locomotives until diesel supplanted the use of coal-fired steam engines.  Today, the water tank serves as the main water supply for Sedalia.  (There’s another modern tank inside.) The tank was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 for its role during the steam era of the rail system and for its contributions to Colorado history.

The Manhart House

George Manhart established a successful mercantile business in Sedalia in March 1878, where it grew from a one-room cabin to a two-story, 1,800 square-foot, rhyolite-constructed building by 1889.

George Manhart was a successful businessman, who served as postmaster and president of the Sedalia school board.  The Manhart House is nominated based on its association with persons significant in history. The house represents George’s successful mercantile business and served as the family’s residence from 1909 until 1973.

Sedalia Fire Station

The original fire station was constructed in 1907 and built to combat the fires often ignited by the railroad.

It was replaced in 1933 by a brick building, but the original bell and bell tower were moved to the new station. The new station became the first Sedalia Museum.

Sedalia School House

Sedalia School

The Sedalia School House was built in 1891.  By 1912, the one-room schoolhouse was overflowing with students, and an east wing was added to the existing structure.  The school was in use until 1951 when a new school was built for the community. It is now privately owned.

The Indian Park School House Association, a 501(c)(3) unites generations of rural western Douglas County residents in a multitude of positive efforts, while actively preserving the Indian Park School House site, its grounds and pioneer cemetery as well as the history of West Douglas County’s mountain communities.  The one room school house was built in 1884 and closed in 1959.

Devil’s Head Lookout Tower. The base of the tower can be reached via the Devil’s Head Trail, a 1.4 mile long route.  The lookout is situated at 9,748 feet elevation.  It is historically significant for its long association with conservation efforts of the US Forest Service in Colorado. In 1907 it was a selected as a lookout and the site was in continuous use from 1912 and was the last full-time lookout in Colorado.