Discover the Remarkable Molly Brown House Museum

There was no stopping her. Margaret Brown was an unstoppable force of nature. After she and her husband struck it rich in the largest gold mine discovery in the Unites States, Margaret became an unabashed philanthropist and advocate for women’s suffrage (she even ran for Senate before women had the right to vote nationally). Her home in downtown Denver is a fantastic place to visit to learn about this remarkable lady. Here is what you can expect at the Molly Brown House Museum in Colorado.

Who Was Molly Brown?

Margaret Brown (the nickname Molly was invented by Hollywood) was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri to a poor Irish family. She went to public school until she was 16-years-old. Then she began working at a tobacco plant. Her brother moved to Colorado to seek a fortune in that state’s gold mines. When he reached Leadville, he wrote to Margaret telling her of many eligible wealthy miners.

She soon relocated to Leadville, Colorado. Instead of finding her wealthy miner, Margaret fell in love with a poor Irish miner and married him. She and J.J. Brown had two children, a son named Lawrence and a daughter named Helen.

J.J. rose through the ranks of miners and became superintendent of the Little Johnny Mine. When the mine produced the largest gold vein ever discovered in the U.S., the owners gave J.J. and Margaret stocks in the company. They became overnight millionaires. Shortly after, the left Leadville and found a home in Denver near the Capital building with a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains.

How to Get to the Molly Brown House Museum

The home is located in downtown Denver, Colorado, a couple of blocks from the State Capital Building. The address is 1340 Pennsylvania St, Denver, CO 80203.

There is limited parking around the home. There are paid parking lots near the home, and a large parking garage within walking distance to the house.

Can I See the Molly Brown House without Paying for a Tour?

Yes, but you only see the exterior of the home and the carriage house in the back lot. The Carriage House has a gift shop. You can also tour the bottom rooms of the house, where you’ll find a short video about Margaret Brown and some historical displays. These can get you a glimpse into the life of the suffragette.

It is in the back carriage house that you’ll learn a little about what Molly Brown is most famous for today. We know her as a survivor of the Titanic. The Titanic ocean liner infamously sank in the Atlantic Ocean during its maiden voyage. Brown was a first-class passenger aboard the ship, and survived the tragedy.

While her survival is well known today, it was one small incident in a remarkable life. And that means, while there is some talk of the Titanic during the tour, it is not the major focus in the house, or in the Carriage House museum.

However, a paid tour of the house is by far the best way to see the home and museum.

On the Molly Brown House Museum Tour

The tours meet on the hour and half hour at the front porch. Tours last 50 minutes. On the tour you’ll get to see three floors of the home, but do not have access to the basement.

The Browns purchased the home in 1894 for $30,000. The Queen Anne style house was very modern for the day, with running water, central heat, and electricity.

During the tour, you get to see the parlor, dining room, study, bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen.

Our docent provided stories and context to fill in the gaps in the life of the amazing Margaret Brown.

One memorable story tells how Margaret made sure that her house staff learned to read. She understood that education was significantly important, and went to great lengths to make sure her staff (especially the women) knew how to read.

We learned that Margaret was a strong proponent of women’s suffrage, fighting for the right to vote during a time of intense discussion on the subject. One of the rooms inside the house displays suffrage paraphernalia in the classic purple and yellow colors of the movement.

Did you know that Margaret ran for political office? She ran for Colorado U.S. Senate before women had secured the right to vote. However, she dropped out of the race in 1914 with the start of WWI in Europe. Brown traveled to France as Director of the American Committee for Devastated France. After the Great War, she continued working in France for the Red Cross. She earned the French Legion of Honor in 1932 for her altruistic work.

Christmas at the Molly Brown House

We fortunately visited the Molly Brown House Museum during the Christmas holiday season.

I planned our tour during this time because I heard that the museum is one of the best places to spend the holiday because of all of the decorations peppered throughout the home.

We were not disappointed. The house took on a special feel with the holiday decorations. It made the house feel more like a home than a museum.

Each room had decorations, from decorated Christmas trees, to streams of garland, to gingerbread cookies in the kitchen.

Our Take

We do love museums and history. The Molly Brown House Museum allowed us to indulge both interests during our tour of the Denver home. The Christmas-time decorations gave our tour a special extra flare, making the museum feel more like a home.

I felt our tour fleshed out the life of Margaret Brown. We learned so much about her altruistic work and her rise from humble beginnings.

You May Also Enjoy:

See Denver’s first home at Four Mile Historic Park

Margaret is not the only famous Denver resident. Visit the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave.

While in Colorado, make a stop of the Quirky Sasquatch Outpost.

All photos and content are by Family Well Traveled and use of photos or content without permission will result in legal action.