Entry No. 2 — the Boulder file — filed under: offbeat-museum
Nederland Mining Museum
“One of 25 steam shovels built for the Panama Canal. The only one that survived.”
Twenty-five Bucyrus 50-B steam shovels were shipped to the Panama Canal; twenty-four got scrapped on site. The sole survivor is parked in this museum’s yard at 8,200 feet — 130,000 pounds of riveted 1923 steel that worked a placer claim in Lump Gulch until 1978, then rolled into town in 2005 with a History Channel crew filming the move. It still runs; volunteers occasionally fire it up for demonstrations. Inside, pull the dynamite plunger and ring the hoist bell miners used to signal “get me out.”
The move: Walk the full length of the 130,000-pound shovel and find the Bucyrus builder’s plate, then go inside and take turns on the dynamite plunger.
📍 Before you go The museum runs on a seasonal, weekends-only pattern from early summer into fall, but the steam shovel sits in the open yard and you can walk right up to it any day. Street parking on Bridge Street at the north edge of downtown Nederland; the yard is flat gravel, easy footing. It’s a 30–60 minute stop, so pair it with the Carousel of Happiness a couple blocks away or a walk along Barker Reservoir.
- 📍 Nederland
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 200 N. Bridge St, Nederland, CO 80466
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3
last checked: 2026-06-11