Colorado's Newest Historic Property

Founded in 1941 by eight hardworking railroad pullman, waiters, and businessmen, The Owl Club of Denver was created to recognize the academic excellence of young African American women from Denver. Drawing early membership from the Five Points, Whittier, and Park Hill neighborhoods – which were some of the only areas where Black Denverites could live in the 1940s as a result of restrictive covenants and redlining – this social club provided a safe space where community members could feel a sense of belonging and celebrate one another’s achievements.

Join History Colorado to celebrate the yearlong residence of our new exhibition Owl Club of Denver: Legacies of Excellence, which explores the rich traditions of a prominent all-Black debutante cotillion club in the Mile High City. Built from oral histories, and featuring a remarkable collection of photographs, this exhibition recounts the rarely told history of debutante culture from the perspective of African Americans who were historically excluded from the beauty standards of this European-born tradition.

Please use promo code OCVISIT when visiting History Colorado and get a $10 discount on your ticket.