diff --git a/examples/basics/scene/colorbar_widget.py b/examples/basics/scene/colorbar_widget.py
index 24fb166ba5..bf0a24161a 100644
--- a/examples/basics/scene/colorbar_widget.py
+++ b/examples/basics/scene/colorbar_widget.py
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@
 canvas.show()
 grid = canvas.central_widget.add_grid(margin=10)
 
-
-cbar_widget = scene.ColorBarWidget(cmap="cool", orientation="right")
+cbar_widget = scene.ColorBarWidget(label="ColorBarWidget", clim=(0, 99),
+                                   cmap="cool", orientation="right",
+                                   border_width=1)
 grid.add_widget(cbar_widget)
 
-cbar_widget.pos = (300, 100)
 cbar_widget.border_color = "#212121"
 grid.bgcolor = "#ffffff"
 
diff --git a/vispy/scene/widgets/colorbar.py b/vispy/scene/widgets/colorbar.py
index fba1036b7b..85cb8d42b6 100644
--- a/vispy/scene/widgets/colorbar.py
+++ b/vispy/scene/widgets/colorbar.py
@@ -67,13 +67,14 @@ class ColorBarWidget(Widget):
     minor_axis_ratio = 0.05
 
     def __init__(self, cmap, orientation,
-                 label="", clim=("", ""),
+                 label="", clim=("", ""), label_color='black',
                  border_width=0.0, border_color="black", **kwargs):
 
         dummy_size = (1, 1)
         self._colorbar = ColorBarVisual(size=dummy_size, cmap=cmap,
                                         orientation=orientation,
-                                        label=label, clim=clim,
+                                        label_str=label, clim=clim,
+                                        label_color=label_color,
                                         border_width=border_width,
                                         border_color=border_color, **kwargs)
 
@@ -141,6 +142,14 @@ def label(self):
     def label(self, label):
         self._colorbar.label = label
 
+    @property
+    def ticks(self):
+        return self._colorbar.ticks
+
+    @ticks.setter
+    def ticks(self, ticks):
+        self._colorbar.ticks = ticks
+
     @property
     def clim(self):
         return self._colorbar.clim
@@ -149,6 +158,26 @@ def clim(self):
     def clim(self, clim):
         self._colorbar.clim = clim
 
+    @property
+    def border_color(self):
+        """ The color of the border around the ColorBar in pixels
+        """
+        return self._colorbar.border_color
+
+    @border_color.setter
+    def border_color(self, border_color):
+        self._colorbar.border_color = border_color
+
+    @property
+    def border_width(self):
+        """ The width of the border around the ColorBar in pixels
+        """
+        return self._colorbar.border_width
+
+    @border_width.setter
+    def border_width(self, border_width):
+        self._colorbar.border_width = border_width
+
     @property
     def orientation(self):
         return self._colorbar.orientation
diff --git a/vispy/visuals/colorbar.py b/vispy/visuals/colorbar.py
index 70e2c60fb4..e8af595fe7 100644
--- a/vispy/visuals/colorbar.py
+++ b/vispy/visuals/colorbar.py
@@ -275,23 +275,25 @@ class ColorBarVisual(CompoundVisual):
     def __init__(self, cmap, orientation, size,
                  pos=[0, 0],
                  label_str="",
+                 label_color='black',
                  clim=(0.0, 1.0),
                  border_width=1.0,
                  border_color="black",
                  **kwargs):
 
         self._label_str = label_str
+        self._label_color = label_color
         self._cmap = get_colormap(cmap)
         self._clim = clim
         self._pos = pos
         self._size = size
         self._orientation = orientation
 
-        self._label = TextVisual(text=self._label_str)
+        self._label = TextVisual(self._label_str, color=self._label_color)
 
         self._ticks = []
-        self._ticks.append(TextVisual(str(self._clim[0])))
-        self._ticks.append(TextVisual(str(self._clim[1])))
+        self._ticks.append(TextVisual(str(self._clim[0]), color=self._label_color))
+        self._ticks.append(TextVisual(str(self._clim[1]), color=self._label_color))
 
         if orientation in ["top", "bottom"]:
             (width, height) = size
@@ -323,7 +325,6 @@ def _update(self):
         self._colorbar.halfdim = self._halfdim
         self._border.halfdim = self._halfdim
 
-        self._label.text = self._label_str
         self._ticks[0].text = str(self._clim[0])
         self._ticks[1].text = str(self._clim[1])
 
@@ -634,6 +635,7 @@ def border_color(self):
     @border_color.setter
     def border_color(self, border_color):
         self._border.border_color = border_color
+        self._update()
 
     @property
     def orientation(self):