Interesting fact: In the early days of Colorado, the question of which city should be named state capitol was waged. It came down to Golden, nestled in the hills and rich from mining dollars, or the wagon-wheel shaped Denver.

We all know how that turned out.

But say you find yourself on the streets of the quaint, would-be capitol city, make a stop by the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum , located at 1111 Washington Street, right off the main drag.

Currently, two exhibits fill the gallery space. One is a exhibition of historical quilts. Making their way to California, many pioneers would often sew a rich butterscotch color fabric into their quilts. Known as “California Gold,” the quilts celebrate not only the craftwork of the early settlers but also the mining history of California itself.

In the second gallery, the “Speaking in Cloth” exhibit finds six quilters have created artistic quilts that use the techniques of traditional quilting to tell their stories. I was particularly impressed with the exacting stitch work involved in these art pieces. The cat-shaped quilts with cave drawings etched onto their cloth were particularly eye catching.

These quilts are worth a look for art lovers, quilt lovers, and others who want an educational and entertaining gallery visit.