temple israel

This is a lovely little building, nicely restored and with some interesting photos and artifacts of Leadville's Jewish community 100 years ago. What is a little sad is that while the Jewish community obviously played a significant part in the early history of the town it effectively disappeared by the 1930s and the synagogue is now rarely used. But worth spending a few minutes in when wandering around the charming little town of Leadville.

Freshly renovated space. Lovely colors and light. Welcoming host that shared stories, history and perspective. Right across the street from an equally charming Episcopal church. And the mountain views....

The first time I saw this building, I was blown away! The restoration of this old building from what it was to how they restored it to look like it did in the 1880s is remarkable! I can't say enough about the wonderful job they did and highest quality of the materials and workmanship. A must see when going to or through Leadville, Colorado!

One of the highlights of the town. Rich history of Jewish life in Leadville. Who would have known? The fee is in the form of a donation.

Leadville is a sweet little town in Colorado,Honest, Who ever heard of it ? Well I am glad we found it, love walking the streets of nice little towns in the middle of no where, Also all around are nice charming old homes.Shul = Synagogue or Temple.Its seems while traveling these days I have come across some really old Shuls, Love the old architecture, Seems in this case there is a Shul & a Church right across the street from each other both the same architecture, interestingly it is the architecture of a Church;As has often happened to me, there I am outside a closed up building & out of no where someone shows up & let us in, It was the care taker a real nice local guy, Told us some history about the Shul & about the current owner of it etc,He also told us about a really old Jewish cemetery near by also now owned & cared for by the same person;We did a fast stop at the cemetery too, some really old graves & one of a Jewish Cowboy, how often do you see that ?

We are sorry that this reviewer paid an admission fee since we do not now, nor have we ever, charged a fee to visit our museum. We do have a donation box (no obligation) and perhaps this caused some confusion. We hope, at least, that the reviewer feels the money was well spent.

This is certainly worth a visit, but I urge you to take some time to read the extensive website first to make the most of your visit and have an idea of what you will or will not see: www.jewishleadville.org This is an interesting side trip (for adults) while in Leadville. Do not bring food, drink, or pets with you. There are 2 sites: the Temple and the cemetery. The cemetery is just a few minutes away from the temple.