A new exhibit takes Colorado down a very straight, very long memory lane.
Aurora History Museum is telling the old stories of the pre-interstate Route 40, also known as Colfax Avenue.
Colfax helped build Aurora after World War II. This was the main thoroughfare from the East into Denver and the mountains - that is, until the interstates were built in the 60s. Tourists would stay in the motels, eat at the restaurants and drive by the neon signs.
The "US Route 40 and The American Road Trip" exhibit features photographs from Colfax's heyday. Visitors can read the mid-century newspaper ads and the kitschy slogans businesses used to stand out among the rest. Curator Jennifer Cronk says one of the best parts of this exhibit is a map stretching across an 18-foot wall that shows Colfax in its entirety.
"US Route 40 and The American Road Trip" runs from Dec. 12 to May 6 at the Aurora History Museum, located at 15051 E. Alameda Parkway. Admission is free.
Several pieces in this exhibit are on loan from Colfax historian Jonny Barber. Barber is behind a separate museum dedicated to Colfax, which also opened recently. It's located at 6109 E. Colfax Ave.
