Saturday, April 19, 2025
Small Town Vibe
Population 1000-2999

Nederland, CO: 6 Fun ways this town is way past its ‘Frozen Dead Guy’ Era

Small Town Vibe

Nederland, Colorado

2020 Population: 1,471*

February 2025: We visited Nederland to have lunch and explore the town on a beautiful, sunny Saturday in late winter. We were aware of the story of a frozen dead guy, but not the details. During our explorations, we learned that Nederland is a cool and unique place with many other impressive stories – keep reading to discover more!

Nederland is located in the foothills of southwest Boulder County, about 47 miles north and west of Denver.

Nederland – A Brief History

The Ute and Arapahoe Era

Nederland sits in a valley created by a glacier thousands of years ago. The original inhabitants included the Ute and Arapahoe tribes.  They used the valley and river left behind by the glacier to hunt and forage in the summer months as the herds traveled to higher terrain.

Early 1800’s – Homesteaders Arrive

The first non-native hunters and trappers looking for beaver pelts found their way to the area in the early 1800’s. The first white homesteaders who settled here gave the area a variety of names – first known as Dayton, then Brownsville, and eventually Middle Boulder. In 1871, Abel Breed purchased the Caribou Silver Mine and decided to transport his ore from cold and windy Caribou Hill to the “warmer” climate of Middle Boulder for processing.

1870’s – The Name Nederland and first Mining Boom and Bust

In 1873, Breed sold the Caribou Silver Mine to the owners of the Mining Company Nederland (Dutch). The sale resulted in Breed’s Caribou Mill in Middle Boulder becoming known among the miners as “the Netherlands,” meaning “low lands” (which it is, compared to the town of Caribou at 10,000′ elevation). In 1874, when the town was incorporated, the townspeople chose Nederland as the new name.

The mineral extraction at the Caribou Silver Mine soon declined, and the Dutch company pulled out just a few years later. By 1890, there was little ore remaining to be mined, and Nederland became another mountain ghost town, with only a handful of families staying year-round.

Early 1900s – A second and third Mining Boom and Bust

In the early 1900’s, Sam Conger, who had discovered the Caribou Silver Mine, found tungsten in areas to the north and east of Nederland, and he knew its value in making steel. The old silver mill in Nederland was converted to process tungsten. By 1916, Nederland had a population of nearly 3,000, about twice its present number.  However, by 1920, the Town’s population had plummeted to about 200 people, relying on a small amount of tourism.

The last small boom was in the 1940’s, when demand for tungsten again picked up during World War II. But once again, as demand for tungsten fell, the town was left to a small group of miners, farmers, ranchers, and summer people. Eventually, the theater, bowling alley, stores, and banks all closed.

1960’s – A Town Revived

Nederland in the 1960’s saw a steady increase in population, starting with “hippies” who brought a vibrant music scene and a new lifestyle to the sleepy valley. By the 1990’s, Nederland’s population included new residents who commuted all along the Front Range for work. At the turn of the 21st century, the town’s population growth began leveling out. New attractions brought increased tourism and revenue to local businesses.

The ‘Frozen Dead Guy’ Era

Ask anyone from Colorado what they know about Nederland, and odds are that they can recall something about a ‘frozen dead guy’. There is an interesting story behind this (true!) urban legend dating back to the late 1980s (source: Wikipedia “Frozen Dead Guy Days“)

  • 1989 – a Norwegian citizen brought the corpse of his recently deceased grandfather, Bredo Morstøl, to the United States. The body was preserved on dry ice for the trip and stored in liquid nitrogen at a cryonics facility in California from 1990 to 1993.
  • 1993 – Bredo was transported to the town of Nederland, where the family planned to create a cryonic facility of their own. Unbeknownst to the town officials, Grampa Bredo was kept cryogenically frozen in a shack behind the family home.
  • 1995 – During an eviction event, the family told a reporter about frozen Grampa, who in turn told town officials that Grampa risked being thawed. A court trial ensued and the family was ordered to remove frozen Grampa from Nederland.
  • 1995 – a local environmental company was hired to keep the cryonic facility running. The CEO of the company (known locally as “The Iceman”) and caretaker responsible for transporting the dry ice necessary for cryopreservation to the IC Institute. A local Tuff Shed supplier, and a Denver radio station built a new shed in which to store the body of Bredo.
  • 2002 – Frozen Dead Guy Days celebration started an annual tradition, involving Coffin races, a hearse parade, and “Frozen Dead Guy” lookalike contests, a dance, called “Grandpa’s Blue Ball”; pancake breakfasts; Poetry Slam; a market showcasing local artists; Snowy Human Foosball, Fix-A-Frozen-Flat and frozen t-shirt competitions, and snow sculpture contests, etc.
  • 2012 – Another new caretaker took over the responsibility of transporting dry ice to the shed and generally watching over Grampa Bredo
  • March 2019 – The festival had an estimated 25,000 visitors!
  • March 2020 – The event was canceled due to rising concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
  • March 2022 – The final festival is held in Nederland, which no longer felt able to accommodate the increasingly large crowds. The ever-popular event is moved to Estes Park, Colorado
  • March 2023 – The first festival takes place in the new Estes Park, Colorado location

Small town vibe

6 Ways to Have a Good Time in Nederland!

We had a fantastic time eating, drinking and exploring the walkable business area in Nederland

Local Attractions in Nederland

#1. Terrific Restaurants, including 2 Craft Breweries

We love the vibe of a local Brewery for lunch! There are two excellent brewery options in Nederland, and a variety of other popular restaurant options. See below for some of the many ones easily walkable from the main street.

#2. Many Unique Shops

For a very small town, Nederland has a remarkable number of fun and unique shopping options! See below for examples:

#3. Hang out at Coffee Shops, Ice Cream Shops, and/or a Winery Tasting Room!

We Love a good community coffee shop – and Nederland has 3 wonderful places with amazing bakery items and lots of seating. We also enjoyed a stop by Augustina’s Wine tasting room in a strip mall on the main road heading to downtown. See below for some fun snacks and relaxation options

#4. Enjoy the many Murals while walking around town

What can I say… we love murals! 🙂 We learned that the mural with the cat wearing a top hat is the honorary Mayor.

#5. Ride the Carousel of Happiness!

This Carousel was described to us by a local as the pride of the town. We learned it has a unique back story involving a 1920 carousel that was restored by an amazing local artisan who hand-carved all the animals on the Carousel. Impressive! It is located in its own building near the small strip mall on the south end of town.

#6. Walk to the Barker Meadow Reservoir or take a short drive to Mount Eldora

Nederland is unique in many ways, but one of the most nurturing is the fact that it is located at the side of the Barker Reservoir and Recreation area… how cool is that! 🙂 In addition, its location is very near Eldora Mountain and its corresponding ski resort. As one might guess, there are many hiking trails nearby.

More to Explore!

There is a lot going on in this small town!


Annual Events in Nederland

  • April: Neder-Days Spring Thaw Out – “stop by the Nederland Visitor’s Center to pick up your complimentary trail pass, lanyard, and map, then head into Town. Walk the trail and show your pass to participating businesses for specials and spring-themed goodies that will only be available that day!“
  • Summers: Nederland Farmers Market – two Sundays each month, May – October
  • June: Neder-Day of Art – Immerse yourself in the Nederland’s local art scene! see map of locations at website
  • July: Ned Gravel – 4 different bicycle themed races
  • July: Big Top Circus Foundry – summer circus fundraiser sponsored by The Carousel of Happiness)
  • August: The Bizarre Cat Bazaar festival – downtown Nederland, celebrating Nederland’s historical honorary, purrrfectly furry Cat Mayor Fred!
  • August: Ned Jazz and Wine Festival: Nederland Jazz & Wine Festival – Chipeta Park
  • December: Nederland Holiday Mountain Market

Organizations that support Community in Nederland

Map of Nederland

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