A century-old house that has served as a boarding house, gift shop, and art museum has entered its next chapter as a creative makerspace and meeting place.
Members of Estes Park’s business, arts, nonprofit and civic communities gathered Thursday afternoon for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the renovated Wonderful Things house at 170 Moraine Ave., now home to the Bear and Bee Pottery Studio and Makerspace and the Wonderful Things Coffee Shop.
Walt Dietrich, president of the Whimsadoodle Foundation, welcomed guests and reflected on the vision of Barb Marshall, an Estes Park resident and longtime patron of the arts.
For months, carpenters, tile setters, stone masons, painters, and other skilled tradespeople worked to restore and reimagine the historic Dutch Colonial Revival home into a place where artists can create, teach, and exhibit their work while providing a gathering space for residents and community organizations.
Designed by architect T. Robert Wieger and built in the early 1920s by Estes Park’s first electrician, Walter Baldridge, and his wife, Winnie, the home has long been part of the town’s history.
The first floor has been renovated to include a gallery, meeting space and pottery studio. Six new electric pottery wheels — including models that rotate in opposite directions to accommodate both right- and left-handed potters — line one studio alongside a clay press. An adjoining room serves as a glazing studio and hand-building space.
The second floor has been converted into two artist-in-residence apartments, each with a private kitchen and bathroom, while the lower level now contains studio apartments. Plans also call for adding a wine bar and outdoor patio on the south side of the house.
For decades, the building housed Wonderful Things, a gift and home décor store. Long before that, the Baldridges operated it as the Colonial Rooms boarding house, renting five upstairs bedrooms to supplement the family’s income while Winnie Baldridge ran a hand laundry in the basement.
The property also once housed the Satirical World of Art Museum, which displayed the colorful, whimsical paintings of artist Jose Perez.
The Wonderful Things renovation is one of several initiatives undertaken by the Whimsadoodle Foundation, a nonprofit organization established after Marshall’s death in 2024. The organization was created to carry forward her vision of connecting artists, businesses and the broader community.
The foundation’s work extends beyond the Moraine Avenue property. Whimsadoodle is exploring a possible partnership with the Town of Estes Park and the Estes Park Housing Authority on a new mixed-use development on Cleave Street that would integrate residential spaces and essential parking with retail, art, and public gathering areas.
Whimsadoodle has entered into a partnership with the Historic Park Theatre to preserve and renovate the theater. It has also acquired the former Estes Park Rental building on Manford Avenue, where it plans to develop additional artist studios and workshop space.
Foundation leaders envision year-round programming, including classes, workshops, seminars, conferences and artist residencies designed to attract creatives and expand cultural opportunities for residents.
With Thursday’s ribbon cutting, the historic home begins another chapter focused on providing a place where artists can create, collaborate, and connect with the resident and visitor community.
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