Molly Brown House Museum

Did you know that Denver has a connection to the Titanic?

While it may seem a little odd that a city in a landlocked state shares a tie with one of the most famous ocean liners in history, I'm here to let you know that it's true!

Do you remember Kathy Bates' character in the movie Titanic? The loud and brash American woman with the big hats and personality to match. Unlike the main characters Rose and Jack, she was actually a real person who survived the Titanic sinking. Her name was Margaret "Molly" Brown and she was a Denver based mining millionaire and philanthropist. 

While Molly Brown was already well known in Colorado for her philanthropy work, her efforts to help less fortunate survivors of the Titanic's sinking rocketed her to national fame. She went on to become a well known leader of the suffrage movement and a cultural icon, portrayed on stage and in iconic movies including Titanic and The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Molly Brown's restored Denver mansion still stands today and is home to a museum that features aspects of her life including her experience on the Titanic, her many travels and her suffrage work. It's a stunning example of Queen Anne style architecture filled with furniture, art works and memorabilia of the time.

If you've been here a while you'll know that I'm a huge history buff, so visiting places where I get to step back in time, even if it's only 100 years or so, is something I find truly fascinating. We recently visited the Molly Brown House for the first time and I'm excited to share it with you here today.

Let's take a look...

Located in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood, the Molly Brown House was built in 1889 by William Lang. It was purchased by Molly Brown and her husband JJ Brown in 1894 after they made their fortune as part owners of a successful gold mine near Leadville. At the time the house had many modern features that weren't common in most homes. This included electricity. The house stayed in Molly Brown's possession until her death in 1932.

For the next few decades the house changed ownership several times, becoming a rooming house for men as well as individual apartments. In 1970 the house was in a state of disrepair and was purchased by a citizens group called Historic Denver Inc who raised funds to restore it to its former glory. This was painstakingly done using photographs from 1910 and original documentation. In 1971 Molly Brown House opened to the public as a museum and has been popular with locals and tourists alike ever since.

No detail was missed during the restorations over the years and visitors will find a wealth of detail in every part of the house. From the exterior to the intricate stain glassed windows, the ornate ceilings and fire place tiles, the books, family photographs and fashion accessories, the kitchen goods and advanced technology of the time... Everything is just as it would have been during the time that Molly Brown lived in the house. 

Ground Floor

Entry Hall

Upon entering the Molly Brown House visitors will find themselves in an entry hall with gold walls and ceilings. An ornate oak staircase leads to the second floor and in the stairwell you'll find stunning stained glass windows with floral motifs. 

Drawing Room

The drawing room was used for entertaining and was off limits to the Brown's children. The stand out pieces in this room include an ornately painted grand piano under which a bear skin rugs lays and a fireplace with decorative tiles.  

Library

The library is home to a rather large collection of books that showcased the Browns' love of knowledge and travel. You'll find a small exhibit about their travels and even a photo viewing device similar to an early View Master that visitors can look through.

 

JJ's Office

JJ's office features a large roll top desk and many mementos that  would have been found in the Brown's home during the time they lived there. 

 

Dining Room

The dining room was designed with a trompe l'oeil ceiling that gives the impression of being a glass sunroom. The large table was where the family are all of their meals as well as hosting guests.

Kitchen

While the stunning rooms frequented by the Browns are interesting to explore, I really enjoyed checking out the rooms that were used on a daily basis by the household staff. This is where you really notice the difference in the technology of the day compared to today. The kitchen is one such room with its wood fire over, ice box "refrigerator" and bell system for summoning staff to other rooms.

Second Floor

The second floor is home to a small sunroom that leads to a balcony, the family's bedrooms and a bathroom.

Molly's Bedroom

Molly's bedroom with its vibrant green wallpaper and carpet has been decorated with items from her travels and her time as a suffragette. 

JJ's Bedroom

It was very common during Molly Brown's time for wealthy married couple to have separate rooms. Like Molly's room, JJ's room features a day bed by the windows where he would've taken naps. Apparently it was considered rude to sleep on an actual bed during the day after it had been made up for the day. 

Helen's Bedroom

Both of the Brown's children, Helen and Lawrence, have rooms on display at the Molly Brown House. I was unable to take photos of Larry's room so I'm only including Helen's here. It features the four poster bed she slept in as well as many children's belongings such as toys and dolls. 

Guest Bedroom

The guest bedroom is set up quite simply, but one thing that really caught my eye on a desk was a set of lace making tools.

Bathroom

The bathroom was surprisingly modern with a toilet not unsimilar to the type I remember using as a young kid! Or maybe I'm just getting old!

Third Floor

Servant's Bedroom

On the third floor you'll find a room where the Browns' servants would've slept. It is furnished rather simply and features a maid's outfit laid out of the bed.

Event Space

Much of the third floor is used as an event space. Presentations are held here as well as high tea.

Museum Exhibits

A small museum exhibit can also be found on the third floor. During our visit we saw items relating to the Titanic on display along with information about popular artworks of the time (such as the "Blackamoor" sculpture below), and mementoes from theatrical productions about Molly Brown's life.

Exterior

The exterior of the Molly Brown house is just as stunning as the interior. The stunning stone facade features a staircase that leads to both the front porch and the gift store in the rear. The pillars of hte wall are dotted with sculptures of lions, vases and even a sphinx.  

Now for all the stuff you need to know to visit.

Molly Brown House Museum is located at 1340 Pennsylvania Street, Denver.

The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm with extended hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays through 7pm.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://mollybrown.org/ or onsite at the gift shop in the rear. 

Both guided tours and explore on your own options are available.  

Tickets for guided tours are $22 for adults and $18 for children (ages 5 - 18). Explore on your own tickets are $17 for adults and $13 for children. Children under the age of 5 are admitted free of charge. Discounted tickets are available for seniors, college students and military. A $2 discount per ticket is applied to Colorado residents.

Tours are limited to 12 people at a time. For groups larger that 12 please contact the museum in advance. 

As the museum is a historic house there is no air conditioning. Please be prepared for this in the warmer months and bring bottled water.

Backpacks and strollers are not permitted inside the Molly Brown House. 

For more information visit https://mollybrown.org/.