Aurora was incorporated as the town of Fletcher on April 30, 1891. The new town, one of the new crop of suburbs sprouting up around Denver, was four square miles of prairie reaching from Yosemite Street to Peoria and 6th Avenue north to 26th Avenue. In 1907 the town was renamed Aurora. Aurora history is one of change, growth, diversity, and community.
Since its early history, Aurora has grown to a city of 154 square miles and a population of approximately 335,000 people. Aurora is one of the most diverse cities in the Aurora/Denver metro area.
The Aurora History Museum opened its doors in 1979 in a historic building with two very small galleries and an office. In 1990 the Museum moved to its present location, re-opened in 1991.
This geocache will take you inside the Museum to search for clues within "Growing Home", a permanent exhibit about Aurora’s history featuring their prized one-of-a-kind artifact, a fully-restored 1913 historic trolley trailer.
The Aurora History Museum offers free admission.
Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 9am – 4pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 4pm
Closed Mondays and all city holidays
Before we enter the Museum, we'll begin by collecting a few outdoor clues. Proceed to the coordinates above.
The Field of Blue statue features a young boy holding a folded American flag at his chest.
A = The month on the left-hand plaque, converted to a number
Next, proceed to: N39° 42.683' W104° 48.806'. The "Twin Totems" at this location stand near the entrance, welcoming you to the Museum.
B = The number of letters in the first name of the artist
Proceed inside and turn left at the desk. Enter the "Growing Home" exhibit. The remaining information you need can be gathered from within this exhibit.
Locate the Mission Viejo display. The Mission Viejo neighborhood in Aurora used bells as streetlight fixtures throughout the community. It was modeled after a community in California. Builders incorporated Spanish design elements into its homes, shopping, and recreation areas.
C = The last digit from the year the street light was installed
Locate the black rotary phone. It's behind glass, so you won't be able to make a call.
D = The first numeric digit, found on the label at the center of the phone (after "AU-")
Search for the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center display. There, you will see an old X-Ray machine. After using the equipment to inspect your insides, locate the code on the green transformer box ("MD X-2").
E = The last digit of the item number 9608...
Head east to the other gallery. Step right up, have a seat, and go for a ride back in time on the wonderfully-restored 1913 trolley.
F = The cost of "Fairy Soap", in cents
G = The number of letters in the activity passengers are prohibited from doing, by law. (The S-word)
All out! Last stop! Depart the trolley and go around on the other side. Locate the conductor's hat and vest and try it on! Take a picture! We'd love to see it!
While you're incognito, you can access the geocache that you just discovered underneath! Open it up and remove the inner container. DO NOT remove the outer container from the beam!
The combination for the lock is:
100 + A + B + C + D + E + F + G
While you are here, you should also check out this amazing adventure too!