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Pueblo receives final approval for Leonardo da Vinci Museum

By 02/23/2025 | updated 9 months ago

Pueblo officially will be the home of North America’s first and only Leonardo da Vinci Museum, according to a Thursday news release.

The Colorado Economic Development Commission has granted final approval for the STEAM-focused museum, which will feature interactive exhibits and life-sized machine replicas from da Vinci’s many drawings and sketches. STEAM is an approach to education that combines science, technology, engineering, the arts and math to guide problem-solving.

City officials expect to open the museum in the late fall.

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“This approval allows us to move forward with our plans to create an interactive and educational experience that celebrates the genius of Leonardo da Vinci,” said Joe Arrigo, board chair of the Southern Colorado Science Center.

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Could Pueblo land North America’s first da Vinci museum?

“We believe this museum will be a transformative addition to the Pueblo community in the areas of STEAM education and a significant draw for visitors from across North America.”

“Today is an exciting day to celebrate the beginning of opening the first and only Leonardo da Vinci Museum in the United States, right in the heart of downtown Pueblo,” added Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham.

Da Vinci Rendering 1.jpg

A rendering of the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America, as seen from the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk in Pueblo. The museum, one of only six in the world, will be located at the former Professional Bull Riders Center.



Courtesy of Digital Hart Media


The approval comes on the heels of a 10-year exclusivity memorandum of understanding with the Artisans of Florence, an Italy-based craftsman’s organization that operates da Vinci museums in Italy, France, South Korea, Australia and Brazil. The MOU, which ensures that Pueblo will house the only permanent da Vinci museum in the U.S., was an influential factor in the EDC’s decision, the release stated.

“We couldn’t be more excited,” said museum board Vice President Craig Eliot Cisney. “It’s a really, really good day for the kids in the southern half of the state that are going to benefit from this museum.”

In 2022, Pueblo’s Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center hosted “Da Vinci Machines and Robotics,” a collection of over 60 machines and reconstructed art pieces based on da Vinci’s work. After the show, Pueblo kept many of the models, distributing them to exhibits across the U.S.

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The museum will be at the former Professional Bull Riders Center near the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk. There are also plans for an outdoor cafe, to be named Café Leonardo, Cisney said.

“Now that we have the approval, we have a lot to do.

“In the next few days we expect to kick off a capital campaign to begin raising funding. The city will have to get all the old equipment out of the building so we can start renovating it. We are planning to meet with a designer soon so we can firm up the plans for Café Leonardo. So there’s a lot, and it’s going to take a village. But we’re going to get it done.”

For more information about the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America, visit leonardomuseumna.org.

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By O’Dell Isaac odell.isaac@gazette.com

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