Snowmass history: Kinderheim

As reported by the Snowmass Sun in 2015, the Little Red School House on Owl Creek as it is known today was originally opened when Snowmass Village was first developed in 1967 by Gracie Oliphant. “Called Kinderheim after similar programs she’d seen while traveling in Europe, Oliphant’s business was a day camp for both local and visiting children focused on outdoor activities. In the winter, Kinderheim teachers would teach the children how to ski, then bring them indoors for puppet shows, arts and crafts, and playing with animals. Oliphant had everything from rabbits and guinea pigs to birds that the children could play with (with supervision), and it helped to both teach them about nature and set them at ease, she said.  

`’I’ve had animals all my life, and I know what a difference it makes for kids,’ Oliphant said.  `’I’ve had animals all my life, and I know what a difference it makes for kids,’ Oliphant said.  

Oliphant sold Kinderheim after 19 years. It closed not long after, but she went on to provide insight to Aspen Skiing Co. when it decided to fill the void by developing its own program for its youngest visitors.  

After that, Gracie, then single, juggled several jobs for a while. Having skied and explored the area that is now Two Creeks, she approached developers Jim Chaffin and Jim Light with a proposal to build a ski-in/ski-out cabin in those woods where she could host dinners. They agreed to give her a $10 annual lease for the land, and she and a friend cut logs with a chainsaw and hauled them in from Lenado, building her namesake cabin in 1977.”

Aspen Historical Society actively preserves and passionately presents local history in an inspired and provocative manner that will continue to anchor the local community and its evolving character. For more, visit aspenhistory.org.