GOLDEN, Colo. – Experience high-altitude adventure from ground level at the new Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum, the only U.S. museum dedicated to mountains and mountaineering.

Occupying 3,800 square feet in the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, the $3.5 million museum has something to interest people of all ages, from the curious spectator to the advanced climber.

Peer into a crevasse, touch and feel types of rocks, hang from an ice ax, listen to climbers' stories and see the world's mountains on a giant screen. Exhibits not only show how climbing is done but also explain highland cultures, sacred mountains, Colorado's climbing history, global conservation and mountain safety.

Visitors enter the museum, 12 miles west of downtown Denver, and cross a simulated snowfield and realistic crevasse with ambient sounds and theatrical lighting.

Here are highlights:

Climbing timeline – Walk through a graphic timeline of climbing history, which begins in seventh-century Japan and ends with modern bouldering and rock climbing.

World mountains – Learn about the world's 14 peaks that are 25,000 feet or higher. Another panel highlights those who have climbed the "Seven Summits," the highest peaks on each of the seven continents.

Mount Everest –The gallery's centerpiece is a 14- by 14-foot, three-dimensional model of Mount Everest. It was built by world-class climber Bradford Washburn (1910-2007), for whom the museum is named. Kiosks with push-button controls and audio wands offer film clips about the mountain and climbers who have reached the 29,035-foot summit.

Colorado – Photographs from the Colorado Mountain Club's collection and an interactive touch-screen map teach about the state's sky-scraping mountain ranges.

Mountain safety and science –Danger from avalanches, cold and high altitude are described in films and displays. In the "Living on Big Walls" panels, kids can jump into the port-a-ledge and see how climbers sleep while suspended on a mountain face.

Activity theater –See film clips about mountain sports and historic climbing experiences. World War II training for the 10th Mountain Division ski troopers in Colorado is featured.

American Mountaineering Center, 710 10th St., Golden, Colo.; 303-996-2755; www.bwamm.org.

Janet Reese is a freelance writer in Colorado.