An Evening with Dr. Justina Ford Living History Program

Dr. Justina Ford, Denver’s first licensed African American female physician, practiced from her Five Points home after being barred from hospitals because of her race and sex. For fifty years she made house calls, treated patients in her small exam room at 2335 Arapahoe Street, and delivered more than 7,000 babies to Black, immigrant, and working‑class families.

Her story of perseverance and service shaped Denver’s medical history.

Experience her life brought to the stage by the Jane Taylor Reenactor Guild, in association with the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center.

📅 September 29, 2026 | 6:00 pm
📍 Aurora History Museum
Presented by the Aurora Historical Society

Conan Doyle & Houdini: Two Believers Who Could Never Agree
An Evening with Keith Outcelt

A séance at midnight. A photograph of ghosts. A friendship lost.

Arthur Conan Doyle spent his life seeking proof of the supernatural. Harry Houdini devoted his later years to exposing it. Bound by grief and a longing to reach loved ones beyond the veil, the two men formed an unlikely friendship—one that ultimately fractured under the weight of their beliefs.

Keith Outcelt explores how these larger‑than‑life figures were drawn together, why they could never accept each other’s truth, and the surprising Denver connection that helped end their bond.

📅 November 17, 2026 | 6:00 pm
📍 Aurora History Museum
Presented by the Aurora Historical Society

“These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things . . .”
An Evening Behind the Scenes at the Aurora History Museum

Every object in a museum has a story. But have you ever wondered which ones the curators love most — and why?

On January 26th, Aurora History Museum curator Ms. Kerrie Iyoob pulls back the curtain and shares the stories behind her favorite treasures. Will they be a candlestick telephone. A mysterious silver piece. A painting of a familiar Aurora landmark. Some objects, it turns out, have sweeter stories than others.

Come with your own favorites in mind — and stay to find out the stories of the treasures in the Museum.

📅 January 26, 2027 | 6:00 pm
📍 Aurora History Museum
Presented by the Aurora Historical Society

Discovering Adelia: Two Paths Toward One Remarkable Woman

Nearly one in five Great Plains homesteaders were single women — and most have been forgotten. Adelia Wells is an exception. Through genealogy and archaeology, three presenters reconstruct how one woman homesteaded the harsh Colorado prairie, built an identity on the frontier, and left two very different kinds of evidence behind.

Speakers: Ms. Karol Shupe, genealogist; Dr. Gordon Tucker, archaeologist; and Ms. Fendi Despres, Plains Conservation Center.

📅 March 30, 2027 | 6:00 pm
📍 Aurora History Museum
Presented by the Aurora Historical Society