Hunter S. Thompson’s Colorado Home Will Soon Become a Private Museum

Early self portrait of Hunter S. Thompson

In what is presumably great news for Gonzo
enthusiasts, Owl Farm, the 35-year home of famous American outlaw journalist Hunter
S. Thompson, will be turned into a permanent museum.

For those who aren’t familiar, Thompson was a 60s and 70s
outlaw journalist who wrote about politics, drugs, and the social climate,
among many topics. His most famous works were Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Rum Diaries, both of which are now major motion pictures. He
resided in Woody Creek, CO just outside of Aspen for much of his adult life, on
his property called Owl Farm. Thompson’s widow, Anita Thompson, has kept the
house virtually as it was when Thompson sadly ended his own life ten years ago,
and plans to turn it into an everlasting testament to his profound work and
life.

 “That’s why these rooms have remained the way Hunter left
them,” Anita told The Cannabist
regarding her home. “At first, it brought me comfort, and then over the last
few years, I’ve kept it this way simply because it is history. I want others to
experience it.” There is no official timeline for the museum yet, but she seems
determined to keep things as they are and eventually share this with the rest
of the world.

Anita also runs an organization called The Gonzo Foundation,
which hosts fundraising events and provides writing workshops for aspiring
young writers who admire Thompson’s work.

“Our work’s focus is to promote political activism, American
literature and journalism through honoring Hunter’s legacy,” she stated while
speaking to The Cannabist. “We also
have an endowment to a few universities to support young writers and activists
who want to change and take control of their environment.”

Owl Farm via The Gonzo Foundation

While it is tragic that Thompson isn’t here to enjoy the
lack of prohibition in Colorado and the wonderful changes that have taken place
since his death, it is inspiring that his memory is going to live on in the
form of a shrine to where he felt the most comfortable, in addition to his
immortal writing.