The Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Denver is an amazing city full of nature, beauty, archeological history, wildlife, culture, and so much more. Since we get so much sun, there is never a shortage of things to do, so if you’re coming in from out of town, or you’re a local looking for something unique and fascinating to check out, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science is an amazing place to spend some time at.

The museum makes some very large investments into their exhibitions so they can bring you something exciting, factual, family friendly, and educational, all while making it very affordable for the entire family.

Not only do they have their standard exhibitions, but they also have a planetarium for those who are fascinated with stars, planets, galaxies, black holes and more, but they also have an AMAZING IMAX theatre with shows that are constantly rotating with great content.

Whatever you and your family decide to see at the museum, you’ll have an amazing time and come out extremely happy that you made the stop into the exhibits.

When was the Denver Museum of Nature & Science built?

mammoth denver museum nature science

The story of the museum started over 150 years ago by a man named Edwin Carter from Breckenridge who was enamored with birds and mammals of the Rocky Mountains. He studied them so much that he quickly built one of the most complete collects of fauna that ever existed back then. 

Over the years he continued to build a collection of fauna, butterflies and moths, and crystallized gold. Eventually eight years later he officially incorporated the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and eight years of that, in 1908, he was able to open his doors to the public.

How much is admission to get into the museum?

t rex skeleton denver musuem nature science

The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm and from 9am to 9pm on Fridays with the last entry being 60 minutes before closing time. You should reserve your tickets online because there is pricing for peak times and non-peak times, and reserving online makes the entire process much easier.

Peak times:

For peak times (typically between 9am and 2pm) non-member admission is as follows:

Adults - $19.95

Youth ( ages 3-18) - $14.95

Senior (65+) - $16.95

Off peak times:

For off-peak times (typically between 2pm till 60 minutes prior to closing time) non-member admission is as follows:

Adults - $18.95

Youth (ages 3-18) - $13.95

Senior (65+) - $15.95

How long does it take to go through the Denver Museum of Nature & Science?

The current exhibits they have in place are extremely detailed and well put together so allow yourself plenty of time to see everything and to get through the entire exhibit. In general, we recommend allowing at least 2 hours to visit the museum and if you want to see other attractions such as the IMAX theatre or the planetarium you should give yourself another hour for each.

How many exhibits does the museum have?

At the time of this writing, the museum currently has the following exhibitions:

Permanent exhibitions:

           Space Odyssey

           Egyptian Mummies

           Discovery Zone

           Expedition Health

           Gems and Minerals

           North American Indian Cultures

           Wildlife Halls

           Konovalenko: Gem Carvings of Russian Folk Life

           Prehistoric Journey

Temporary exhibitions:

           Birdly Virtual Reality Experience

           After the Asteroid: Earth’s Comeback Story

           

IMAX Theatre:

           Sea Lions: Life by a Whisker

           Great Bear Rainforest

Planetarium:

           Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity (also available in Spanish)

           Cosmic Journey

           One World One Sky: Big Birds Adventure

           Dynamic Earth (also available in Spanish)

Are masks required to get into the Museum of Nature & Science?

Although masks are not required to get into the museum, they are strongly encouraged for those who are unvaccinated and over the age of 10. That being said, the museum is taking proactive measures to make sure they keep their guests and staff as healthy as possible by implementing the following measures:

  • They are following all public health orders regarding Covid-19
  • Specific cleaning and disinfecting protocols for high touch areas
  • Using EPA approved N disinfectant cleaners
  • Sanitizing stations throughout the museum
  • Increased ventilation and fresh air exchanges throughout the building

How to get to the museum:

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is conveniently located at 2001 Colorado Blvd, Denver CO 80205

From the north:

Take I-25 S towards Colorado Springs. Take exit 214A for I-70 E toward Limon for 1 mile and keep left as it will merge onto I-70 E. After 2.1 miles take the 276B exit toward Colorado Blvd. Stay on Colorado Blvd for 2.3 miles and turn right onto Montview Blvd. At the traffic circle take the 1st exit and you’ll see the parking on your left hand side.

 From the south:

Take I-25 N towards Denver. Merge onto CO-2N/S Colorado Blvd and continue straight for 4.4 miles.  Turn left at Montview blvd. At the traffic circle take the 1st exit and the parking garage will be on your left hand side.

 From our office:

From our Denver Retaining Walls Pros office, travel east on Alameda Ave headed towards Colorado Blvd. Make a left on S. University Blvd heading North towards E Cedar Ave. University Blvd will merge into Josephine St in .5 miles. Turn right onto E 6th Ave and in 1 mile make a left turn onto Colorado Blvd. Continue straight for 1.6 miles then turn left onto Montview blvd. At the traffic circle take the first exit and the parking garage will be on your left hand side.