Colorado Remembers is creating two permanent spaces with different but connected purposes: the Colorado Remembers Educational Center at Calhan and the Colorado Remembers Memorial Preserve at MontemAra. Together, they will provide places to remember victims, preserve their stories, educate the public, and give families meaningful spaces connected to both memory and change.

The Healing Power of Place

For families affected by failures in Colorado’s death-care system, remembrance is not simple. Many were denied the ability to say goodbye in the way they expected, while others were left with unanswered questions about what happened to their loved ones.

These spaces are being created to give families and communities opportunities to:

  • Remember the people at the center of these tragedies.
  • Reflect on personal loss and shared experiences.
  • Connect with others who understand this unique kind of grief.
  • Honor victims with dignity, permanence, and purpose.

Two Places, Two Purposes

The <b>Colorado Remembers Educational Center at Calhan</b> will be the public-facing side of this work. Through exhibits, stories, memorial elements, and educational materials, visitors will be able to learn what happened, how families responded, and how Colorado’s death-care system has changed as a result.

The <b>Colorado Remembers Memorial Preserve at MontemAra</b> will serve a quieter purpose. Set apart from the educational center, it will be a permanent place of remembrance for victims and a respectful resting place for cremated remains that cannot be identified, verified, or otherwise appropriately laid to rest.

Designed with Compassion

Both locations will be shaped by the experiences of the people they are intended to serve.

Calhan will provide opportunities for education, gathering, remembrance, and advocacy without becoming a place defined only by tragedy.

MontemAra will remain peaceful, natural, and intentional—a place where grief, memory, and justice are allowed to remain.

Preserving What Happened

These projects are also about preserving history.

The failures that harmed these families should not disappear as court cases end, headlines fade, or laws change. The stories of the victims, the experiences of their families, and the reforms that followed deserve to be documented and remembered.

Through education and preservation, Colorado Remembers can help future generations understand both what happened and why continued accountability matters.

A Legacy Beyond Tragedy

Calhan and MontemAra will not exist only to look backward.

They will honor those who were harmed while carrying their stories forward through education, remembrance, advocacy, and lasting change.

Together, these two places will ensure that the victims are not reduced to case numbers or headlines. They will be remembered as people—and what happened to them will not be forgotten.