Good afternoon everyone!
Today is the day we’ve all been looking forward to all
season as we’re celebrating our 100th birthday! In honor of our
birthday, here’s a quick history of the Baldpate. Before our main lodge was
built, the Mace family opened up their “Baldpate” home and a few cabins that
they rented out and found steady business with, registering officially under
the Homestead Act in 1917. As business grew, the main building that we all love
was built in 1918 and was again christened as The Baldpate Inn, after the
novel, Seven Keys to Baldpate by Earl
Derr Biggers when the author came to stay and exclaimed that the building
looked exactly how he had written it in the book! Several additions to the
property have been completed since 1917, including a dance hall that is now our
key-thedral where we will be offering the play based on our namesake novel. In
1986, the Smith family took over from the Mace family and continue the amazing
job of keeping up the hotel and key room.
Speaking of our key room, did you know it’s been around since
1935?? It all started with a tradition that Ethel and Gordon Mace started, by
letting guests keep their key from their stay as a memento. With World War II
and rising steel prices, it was no longer feasible for the family to continue
this practice, so in turn Baldpate regulars decided to flip the script and
bring a key to the Baldpate instead. This soon became a regular habit for
guests of the Baldpate, and with a mounting key collection, Ethel and Gordon
dedicated a room in the lodge to the keys, starting with a few hundred keys and
today we have over 30,000!
If you’re around Estes Park, come celebrate with us from 2-5
pm with remarks at 3:30 pm! We hope to see you!
Cheers to 100 years!
The Baldpate Museum Curation Staff
