As our country celebrates 250 years and Colorado 150, we want to let you know about a piece of history in Aurora that's been lovingly preserved and is just a few years younger than the state.

It's called 1881 Park at Windler and sits on the site of the historic Windler homestead, established in 1881, in northeast Aurora. It gives us a unique chance to honor our city and Colorado's agricultural roots and connect a new community with its colorful past.

The park is open to the public and features the original silos from the homestead as well as other structures recreated using materials saved from the site. The barn has been rebuilt and houses tractors, an old stove and all kinds of items once used by the Windler family as they lived on and farmed the land.

There's also a playground featuring a giant owl partly dedicated to the barn owls in the area and one in particular who spent a lot of time on the site when it was being converted.

Two new gathering spots at 1881 Park, Anna's Place and The Coop, were also built using materials from the Windler homestead. They serve food and drinks.

1881 Park is located at 22601 E. 45th Place in Aurora.