The Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) and the American Alpine Club (AAC), both nonprofit organizations headquartered in the American Mountaineering Center (AMC) in Golden, have come together to build America's first museum devoted to the history of mountaineering and the role which Americans have played--the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum.

In addition to highlighting current achievements and issues facing contemporary climbers, the topics of climate change, conservation, cultures and science will be explored, as will Colorado mountains and sacred summits from around the globe.

The museum will also explore the age-old questions: "Why do people climb?" and "How do they get those ropes up there?" Both the AAC and the CMC have long histories and are in possession of the artifacts, oral histories, and engaged members that will make the museum a one-of-a-kind experience.

The museum is named for Bradford Washburn, a pioneer of mountain photography, who with his wife, Barbara, climbed, trekked, and flew over the Alaska Range beginning in the 1930s; they returned nearly every year for over 60 years.

Besides his photographic work, Bradford was a pioneering cartographer and the "Father" of Boston's Museum of Science. His legacy for integrating science, mountain exploration, and art will live on in the museum. A giant model of Mt. Everest, designed and constructed from aerial photographs taken by Bradford, will be the centerpiece of the museum's collection.

The two founding organizations of this amazing venture represent the past, present, and future of mountaineering, recreation, and conservation.

The CMC, founded in 1912, is the oldest outdoor education, recreation and conservation organization in Colorado. With programs on education, conservation, science, history, policy, recreation, arts and culture, the CMC allows all Coloradoans the opportunity to explore, observe, and learn about the Southern Rockies, while simultaneously leading efforts to protect the species, habitats, and wildness of Colorado's public lands.

Founded in 1902, the AAC is the premier national organization in the United States devoted to mountaineering, rock climbing and the multitude of issues facing climbers. For more than 100 years, the AAC has led mountaineering adventure, scientific research and education in the United States.

It is also the home to the American Alpine Club Library, the second largest library of its kind in the world, and one of the oldest and most complete alpine research facilities in the United States.

Together, the two organizations have taken the final steps toward completing their vision of the American Mountaineering Center. Already, the historic building possesses a professional conference center and auditorium; with the addition of the museum, the AMC will become the foremost center for mountain-related activities in the country. Indeed, the National Geographic Society will create its Western "base camp" within its walls, upon the completion of the museum in early 2008.