Looking for some inexpensive entertainment for the hoards of relatives and guests due to arrive this month? Here are some ideas, especially for the guys.They’re three local museums ñ but don’t think of them as ìmuseums.î They’re more like places where boys’ toys are stored. But many ladies might enjoy these museums as well.Peterson Air & Space Museum150 East Ent Ave.Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday, Monday and on federal holidaysFree admission; see below for admission requirementsThis museum is located on Peterson Air Force Base, 7 miles east of Colorado Springs.The Terminal Building indoor exhibit was updated a year ago to reflect the World War II period and honor the baseís namesake, Colorado native Lt. Edward Peterson, who was killed when the left engine of his Lockheed F-4 failed upon takeoff in 1942.The City Hangar indoor exhibit features artifacts from the Air Defense, Missile Warning and Space Surveillance and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile missions, as well as the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. The hangar is also the home of restored military aircraft, such as a P-47N Thunderbolt built by Republic Aviation for long-range flights over water, required in the Pacific Theatre of WWII.Eleven historic military aircraft are on display outdoors, including a North American Aviation F-86L, a Northrup F-89J and a Lockheed 387 F-94C, along with four types of missiles and two launchers.Visitors with current military identification or Department of Defense identification (active duty, retired or civilian employee) or those escorted by someone with the aforementioned credentials can visit the museum without making prior arrangements. However, they are advised to call museum staff at 719-556-4915 to check for changes to the policy.Visitors without a current military or DOD identification must arrange base access. Go to http://petemuseum.org/VisitorAccess07Oct11.txt for details.Dr. Lester Williams Fire Museum375 Printers ParkwayColorado Springs, Colo.Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through FridayFree admission; donations acceptedThis museum occupies the first floor of the Colorado Springs Fire Department’s administrative building. It’s named for Dr. Lester Williams, who moved to Colorado Springs in 1946; and, starting in 1952, served 30 years as the fire department’s unpaid physician.During those years, Williams collected many of the artifacts on display at the museum.Posters on the museum’s east wall tell the story of the city’s fire department and the many catastrophic fires it fought.The city’s first fire company was formed in 1872; a year after a stake was driven into the ground at the corner of Cascade Avenue and Pikes Peak Avenue to formally establish the city of Colorado Springs.That first fire company purchased a Babcock No. 1 fire engine. In 1875, a second fire company was formed and it purchased its first ladder wagon.The equipment was put to good use when, on Oct. 7, 1876, a fire destroyed a large part of downtown, but it was volunteers who formed bucket brigades that put the fire out.Two years later, construction began on a pipeline to bring water from a reservoir on the north side of town to fire hydrants in the downtown area. In anticipation of the new water system, two volunteer hose companies were formed.In 1894, a conflict arose between the two hose companies in the midst of a fire at the Pikes Peak Mill. The incident prompted the City Council to meet in secret and pass an ordinance establishing the Colorado Springs Fire Department, complete with a paid chief and five paid firefighters.The staff of six, however, was not enough to fight the fire that destroyed the Antlers Hotel in 1898. The Denver and Pueblo fire departments loaned their steam-powered pumpers to fight the Antlersí fire, which impressed the fire chief so much that he ordered a horse-drawn Metropolitan steam pumper. The Metropolitan cost $4,500 and pumped water at 700 gallons a minute.The museum is packed with other firefighting equipment from that era and later, including an 1896 hose and chemical wagon, as well as the 2,900-pound alarm bell that was once mounted on a 30-foot tower behind the fire department’s engine house.Williams also advocated for self-contained breathing apparatus in 1959, at a time when firefighters had no protection from exposure to the smoke from fires.Western Museum of Mining & Industry225 North Gate BoulevardColorado Springs, Colo.Open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Adults: $8; military/AAA: $7; over age 60: $6; students over age 13: $6; ages 3 to 12: $4; Under 3 years with paid adult: freeWhen the Western Museum of Mining & Industry isn’t decked out as a Halloween haunt, visitors to this 27-acre indoor/outdoor facility can view more than 4,000 artifacts from Colorado’s mining history and learn about industrial technology, geology and the environment.In addition to interactive exhibits, admission includes a two-hour-plus tour by knowledgeable guides who demonstrate how to handle and place dynamite in a mine and operate old but working pieces of mining equipment, such as a hoist lift. Be warned that the old machines are deafeningly loud.The main building houses a Corliss steam engine that was anchored to the building’s foundation prior to its construction. The Corliss is now powered by electricity so visitors can see how it worked.Outside, there’s a 10-stamp ore mill and a steam shovel that is fired up in the summer.Visitors also have a chance to pan for gold while learning about the history of the Colorado gold rush; plus, they can rub the noses of Oro and Nugget, the museum’s two resident burros.
