COLORADO SPRINGS — Located in what was once known as the town of Roswell, this museum tells stories from more than 100 years ago.

“It was the home of coal miners and people working for this railroad, the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad,” said John Haney, a founder and secretary of the board of the Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation.

Don’t be alarmed if you haven’t heard of it before. It’s kind of a hidden gem that opened nearly 20 years ago.

“We’re kind of off the beaten path because we are a roundhouse and you had to have a lot of space for rail traffic to come here and go through here,” Haney said.

History buffs and kids from near and far have been making their way here.

“You can learn about our past, our present, and what can happen in our future,” Haney said.

Haney said streetcars are making a comeback and are being used to revitalize cities.

“Places like Portland, Oregon for example, have reintroduced streetcars and made a vibrant community of that city because of streetcars, big time! But that’s happening in over 80 communities in our country,” Haney said.

“The museum got one of their streetcars 18 years ago, and it’s 100 years old,” Haney said. “They’re hoping to have it up and running by the end of this year.”

It’s part of their mission: restore, acquire, and operate–keeping old things alive and bringing other things back to life.

The museum is located at 2333 Steel Drive, a few blocks west of Penrose Hospital in central Colorado Springs.

The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The last tour starts at 3 p.m. each day.

Tap here if you’d like to volunteer for the museum.