If you are a Colorado native, you may think you have seen everything there is to see and have visited every place there is to visit, but did you know that the Centennial State is home to an insane asylum museum? We didn’t either, but we happen to think the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo Museum is quite the hidden gem and one of the best museums in Colorado.

Welcome to the incredibly eerie yet fascinating Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo Museum.
Google/Christal Coufal
Located in the former Superintendent's Residence, the Colorado Mental Health Institute is on a mission to "collect, preserve, interpret and exhibit artifacts and archives from the Mental Health Institute (formerly Colorado State Hospital)," making it one of the most unique museums in the state.
Google/Rick Sheridan
When you visit, you will get an inside look at this once-bustling hospital that was founded in 1879 and, at its peak, housed a whopping 6,000+ patients.
Colorado Mental Health Institute Pueblo Museum Facebook
Thankfully, mental health treatment has changed drastically between 1879 and now. However, you can still see what the practice once looked like via the displayed electroshock therapy equipment and straight jackets.
Google/Rita Amber

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Whether you take a guided or self-guided tour, you are guaranteed to learn so much about this often-overlooked part of American history.
TripAdvisor/Hiking University
In addition to these more unsettling exhibits, the Museum also features antique records and photos, a stunning 1920s master time clock, and other fascinating artifacts.
TripAdvisor/Hiking University
Admission to the Colorado Mental Health Institute is free.
Google/Rick Sheridan
To learn more about the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo Museum - including hours of operation and special events - please visit their website.
TripAdvisor/C G

Do you have a favorite place in Colorado that you would like to see featured here on Only in Colorado? Remember to nominate it here! To discover even more to see and do around Pueblo, check out The Secret Tropical Beach In Colorado Where The Water Is A Mesmerizing Blue.

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Featured Addresses
Colorado Mental Health Institute, 1600 W 24th St, Pueblo, CO 81003, USA