Out on the 1860s and 1890s living history farms our visitors will learn about the evolution of daily life and culture in this area of Colorado. When they visit the farms between 10 am and 4 pm they are likely to encounter some of our incredible historic interpreters, many of whom have been with the museum for more than 15 years! Their work, in addition to explaining historic trades and skills, is to maintain the two gardens, pumpkin fields, and livestock on both farms. Much of the produce that visitors see being used in our cooking demonstrations comes from the gardens our interpreters plant and maintain throughout the year. 

The living history farms allow visitors to experience life in 19th-century Littleton. Interpretive staff and volunteers dressed in period-appropriate costume perform the day-to-day activities essential to 19th-century farm life. Unique to each farm are the breeds of livestock and the types and varieties of plants found in the gardens and fields. Great care has been taken to ensure that plants and animals are historically accurate for the time period they represent.

While we do have animals on the farms, this is not a petting zoo. Do not feed or pet the animals.

Are the Animals Okay in the Winter?

Yes! We work hard to ensure they are all comfortable when the temperature dips.

Our livestock (including Julie the Mule, Ernest the Donkey, Fitzgerald & Ford the Oxen, Jed & Ferdinand the Rams, Bud the Bull, June the Cow, Blanche the Sow, Daniel and Horace the Boars, and the sheep flock) receive straw beds to bundle down in. We give them extra hay to help with the extra calories for their bodies to produce the needed body heat, and we supply them with water heaters in each trough to keep their water from freezing.

Our poultry (chickens and turkeys) are still given as much food as they can eat and are under heat lamps in their coops when they are put away for the evenings. We have a heated base that their water sit on to prevent those from freezing as well.

Our animals are kept warm, happy, and well cared for all year round. Bundle up and come say hello!