Museum initiates historic virtual tours
The Longmont Museum has initiated two new historic tours to help celebrate this year’s 150th anniversary of Longmont’s founding.
The new tours explore the contributions that women and members of the Latino community have made throughout the city’s histor y, Longmont Museum staff said in a news release.
“For years, the Longmont Museum’s historic walking tours have sold out quickly,” said Curator of History Erik Mason. “We developed these virtual tours to provide deeper access for our community, whether people can join us in person or from the web.”
The new tours add to the Museum’s existing virtual offerings, including a tour launched last year that explores the landmarks of historic downtown Longmont.
Staff said the Latino History Virtual Tour begins in the early 1900s, when Longmont’s economic growth relied largely upon agriculture and the hard work of many Spanish-speaking men, women and children. The tour explores Longmont’s Latino neighborhoods and heritage — from schools and dances to restaurants and celebrations — and honors some of the many sacrifices, challenges and successes experienced by this remarkable community.
The Latino History tour was
created with the help of Layra Nicli, who narrated in both Spanish and English, Linda Arroyo-holmstrom, Esther Blazón, Marjorie K. Mcintosh, and Ron Quintana.
The Women of Longmont Virtual Tour features the lives of influential women who helped make Longmont the vibrant, community-focused town it is today, staff said. It tells their stories: how they ran thriving businesses, published books, formed civic and professional groups, collected funds for social welfare causes and raised families.
“As we commemorate Longmont’s sesquicentennial, we are committed to sharing the histor y of the diverse people who helped shape our community,” Museum Director Kim Manajek said in the news release. “These tours will help contextualize the Longmont landmarks people pass every day.”
All three Virtual Historic Longmont Tours are available by visiting tourlongmont.oncell.com.
These virtual tours offer audio and text in both Spanish and English, as well as photographs that bring Longmont’s rich history to life.
They are free to use, don’t require any downloads, and can be accessed anywhere from a smartphone or computer.