Before the box canyon town of Telluride became world-famous for its rich scenery and ski terrain, this hidden pocket in southwest Colorado was settled by miners. Today, you can walk in their footfalls with living history tours and in the restored rooms of a great local museum.

Take a walking tour of Telluride, which is a National Historic District. You can take a self-guided tour through the Telluride Historical Museum (970-728-3344; http://www.telluridemuseum.org), 201 West Gregory Avenue, which also offers exhibits, materials and audio tours. The building is in the old hospital, which is open in the summer Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. From Telluride's oldest and rowdiest tavern to an 1896 Catholic church, 14 structures make up the historic district: San Miguel Courthouse, New Sheridan Hotel & Opera House, Roma Bar, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Old Waggoner House, Town Hall, Telluride Historical Museum, North Oak House, Davis House, L.L. Nunn House, Rio Grande Southern Railway Depot, Finn Town, Popcorn Alley and The Pekkarine Building.

Local thespian Ashley Boling will dress the part and take you on a guided tour with Boling's Historical Tours (970-728-6639). His Historic Tours of Telluride include stops at the bank Butch Cassidy made a withdrawal from in 1889, the Senate building where famed fighter Jack Dempsey washed dishes and the former bordellos on Popcorn Alley.