My Kind of Cripple Creek Gambling

On August 26, 2016, a busload of forty-one persons from the Arvada area arrived at Cripple Creek, Colorado. Casinos on both sides of the street, a District Museum at one end of the street and about eight blocks toward the opposite end of town there is the Outlaw and Lawmen Jail Museum, plus restaurants in between.

After the bus unloaded in front of Bronco Billy's everyone went in search of breakfast, a good machine, and card tables while a friend and I went to the District Museum. We were taken back in time with the antiques displayed from another era. I was surprised to see the Kerosene glass lamps, the flowered wall paper, and lace curtains that I remember having in my home when I was growing up!

The museum has three floors and is housed in the original train station. Every so often, we could hear the piercing train whistle which also brought back memories of when trains were popular. I saw mining equipment, medical equipment, collections of rocks and fool's gold, many photographs of people who had lived in the area, a wagon, and rooms as they used to be for persons living in
that era.  A six foot Indian and trapper (very realistic) slot machines welcome visitors with the slots situated in their tummies. We were told that the machines were illegal to play until 1991 when gambling became legal in Cripple Creek. Now they are a part of the museum.

My favorite area was the third floor where the Victorian rooms were located. It seemed like such a peaceful time though I am sure it was not. Beds, dolls, dishes, tablecloths, curtains, dress, and books are from that early era. I find museums to be interesting because they give us a view of what life might have been like in the 1890's.


In the Assay Office with equipment of the time, I found my perfect place to gamble!