Entry No. 121 — the Denver file — filed under: history
Hamill House Museum
“It is, unironically, billed as Colorado's finest outhouse”
Everyone photographs the silver baron's restored Victorian mansion; almost no one clocks the real story out back. The privy is a cupola-topped, six-hole monument to class hierarchy: three walnut seats for the Hamill family on one side, three plain pine seats for the servants on the other. Archaeologists digging the servant side found it stuffed with broken Haviland china and empty liquor bottles the staff had quietly hidden from the boss. It is, unironically, billed as Colorado's finest outhouse.
The move: Tour the mansion on a summer weekend, then make a beeline for the outhouse and read the servant-side excavation story to each other; cap it with a walk through Georgetown's Victorian district.
📍 Before you go Georgetown is a preserved silver-mining town about an hour west of Denver off I-70 — the whole place is a National Historic Landmark District, so streets are narrow and residential; park and walk respectfully. Free off-street parking sits behind the house near the west end of 4th Street. The famous privy is the freestanding structure out back, so save energy for the yard, not just the parlor. Drop-in tours run on summer weekends; the rest of the year is appointment-only, so check ahead if you're visiting off-season. Pair it with the Victorian main-street shops, the Georgetown Loop Railroad, or a drive up Guanella Pass.
- 📍 Georgetown
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoor or outdoor
Where: 305 Argentine Street, Georgetown, CO 80444 (operated by Historic Georgetown, Inc.; the six-seat privy is the freestanding structure behind the main house)
Hours: Memorial Day through Labor Day, Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm; rest of year by appointment only. Admission free, donations accepted. Confirm weekend hours seasonally.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: historicgeorgetown.org · uncovercolorado.com · frommers.com
last checked: 2026-06-07