Happy Birthday Colorado! 143 Years Of Statehood

DENVER (CBS4)- Colorado celebrates 143 years as a state on Thursday. History Colorado Center is just one of several venues celebrating the milestone for the Centennial state.

Families can get into the History Colorado Center free of charge all day Thursday. Visitors can meet the Colorado Rockies mascot Dinger or pet an alpaca while learning more about Colorado history.

It was also the perfect day for the Colorado Department of Agriculture to kick off its month-long Colorado Proud program. It's a chance to showcase all the great products grown in Colorado, some are sold across the U.S.

"I think producers notice the difference because people just clamor for these products, 'Where are my Palisade peaches, Rocky Ford melons?' A lot of our products have brand identities of their own," said Colorado Dept. of Agriculture spokeswoman Wendy White.

Here are some fun facts that you might not know about Colorado: the state claims the invention of the hamburger and Christmas lights.

A whopping 75% of the land in the U.S. that has an altitude over 1,000 feet is in Colorado.

State historians say learning about the state's history is important for where we're heading into the future.

"If they're are going to know who they are, and how they arrived at this particular time, they need to know their past. And if they are to understand what they might become in the future, they need to understand their past. So we need to provide the most accurate understanding of the past as humanly possible," said state historian Prof. William Wei.

The celebration continues through 5 p.m. at History Colorado Center. Those who might not make that celebration can visit all Colorado State Parks for free on Monday.