Joss and I spent most of Spring Break in Denver. This included a trip to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, which I’d never been to before. It was huge! We spent several hours there and only saw maybe a third of everything there was to see. But here’s some information about it, if you need help planning a visit.
Permanent Exhibitions
According to their website, there are eight permanent exhibitions at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Joss got to choose which three to visit, as we had limited time. He chose Prehistoric Journey (dinosaurs!); Expedition Health; and Space Odyssey. We also had time to see a portion of their Wildlife Halls – in particular, sea mammals and bears.
The permanent exhibitions we did not see were the Egyptian Mummies; Gems & Minerals (next time!); Konovalenko: Gem Carvings of Russian Folklife; and the Discovery Zone. This last exhibit, Discovery Zone, is especially for ages 8 and under. It’s full of hands-on, interactive elements. And, even better, there are special areas in certain of the permanent exhibitions also designed and reserved for the youngest visitors.
Expedition Health
Of the exhibitions we saw, Joss’s favorite was Expedition Health, which is all about how bodies work. Think hydration, skeletal structures, heart health, etc. He thought it was the most interactive. And he also liked that, when you sign in, you get a credit card-looking “Peak Pass.” You sign in and receive your own personal Peak Pass, which you can insert at certain stations throughout the exhibit. When you’re done, you put your card in the checkout computer, and it’s supposed to print out information about you, based on your interaction with the exhibit. This part wasn’t really working when we were there – possibly because it was SO busy for spring break – but it did provide some general health tips.
Prehistoric Journey
The dinosaur exhibit was really interesting, too – and there was a fantastic museum staff member who gave us some extra insight into the dinos. He explained how Diplodocus could hold up its gigantic tail, pointed out that carnivorous dinosaurs had a “wish bone,” but leaf eaters didn’t, etc. One of my favorite parts was seeing the lab where real paleontologists were working on uncovering bones and fossils!
One of these skeletons (I think the allosaurus?) was discovered by a young girl! And one was discovered by a science teacher.
Space Odyssey
The space section included a model of the International Space Station, a large Martian landscape, and – the kids’ favorite – a circle you could stand in while watching video footage of rocket launches. As the rockets took off, the floor began to shake! There were plenty of other fun activities and things to learn about here as well.
Wildlife Halls
We only saw a portion of these – apparently there are 90 wildlife dioramas altogether! So it’s a wonderful way to see wildlife from around the globe. I had no idea how large some of the seals we saw could get! The picture below doesn’t nearly do it justice, but that seal on the right was HUGE! I couldn’t see him at first because of the angle I was approaching the display from, but once I moved in front of it, I was in awe! I think it was a 3,000-pound specimen.
Apparently there are some other cool interactive elements if you go through all of the wildlife displays. Including an AR experience that lets you see the world as a lion would.
For a current list of temporary exhibitions, which may require an extra ticket, go to dmns.org/exhibitions/temporary-exhibitions
Films & Shows
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has a Planetarium as well as a large “Infinity Theater,” which holds screenings related to temporary and permanent exhibits. There are even some sensory friendly options. We didn’t do this on our visit, but you can view upcoming showings at dmns.org/films-and-shows
Dining
There are multiple onsite options for dining, including the T. Rex Cafe, Coffee Lab and a Grab & Go Deli (dmns.org/visit/eat-shop). It looks like the T. Rex Cafe, which is open around lunchtime, currently has a section on its menu called “Flavors of Angkor,” inspired by a current temporary exhibition. So the menu may change to reflect changes at the museum, which is pretty neat!
We opted to pack sandwiches.Because it was so busy due to Spring Break, we had trouble finding a table, even though there is a lot of seating around the cafe area. Thankfully, there was a special family area with a great view, along with some tables and chairs. This made the perfect picnic spot and was less crowded.
Tickets, Etc.
As of March 2025, museum admission is $25.95 for adults, $20.95 for ages 3-18, and $22.95 for ages 65+. Discounts are available if you’re with a group of ten or more, and there are some other discounts available as well. Because we have family in Denver, they opted to get the Family Plus membership, which comes with free museum admission once you have it. There are also a handful of free admission days throughout the year. Learn more about tickets and free days at dmns.org/visit/pricing-and-discounts
We were lucky to find a spot to park in the parking garage, which is a couple levels underground. You can also park aboveground in the lot, if there’s space, or along the road if both the parking lot and parking garage are full. (We thought we might have to do this because the garage was very nearly full when we visited.)
The grounds around the museum looked fun to explore as well. You can walk down toward the lake, take a photo with a mammoth statue, etc.
Have you been to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science? What are your favorite parts?
