MUSEUM DIRECTOR EXCITED TO CARRY ON TOWN’S HISTORY
The new museum director of the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum in Berthoud is excited to continue to share the history of the area to local residents.
Lindsay Nilles took over as the museum director earlier this year following her graduation from the University of Denver in 2022 with a degree in history and a minor in anthropology.
“Since I was a kid I wanted to be a museum curator,” she said.
Nilles, who was born in Lafayette, said she spent many of her teenage years in Guffey, Colo. She said while she initially went to Colorado Mountain College to pursue a science degree, she quickly realized it was not the right path for her and moved to Denver.
She said, after working for a while in Denver, she realized that she missed school and decided to attend again. While at Metropolitan State University of Denver she found a love in history and carried that to the University of Denver, where she would later graduate.
Nilles said that following her graduation she was searching for museum positions in the state and saw the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum was looking for a new director and decided to apply.
While she has only been with the museum for a few weeks, she said she is already having a great time in the position.
“I really love it,” she said. “I feel very adopted by (the board of directors).”
Nilles said museums like the one in Berthoud are a great way to not only teach people about the area but continue to build community bonds.
With their myriad of historical items, from an antique carriage to classic schoolhouse and much more, she said a museum like the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum is important to a town like Berthoud.
“If it (wasn’t) here it would be a really sad thing for the community,” she said.
The museum, 224 Mountain Ave., is currently operating during its winter hours, from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. More information on the museum and the Berthoud Historical Society can be found at berthoudhistoricalsociety.org.