Took my 6 & 7 year old daughters for their first visit to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for…read morethe Brick Planet exhibit and ended up staying for everything. From Space Odyssey to Prehistoric Journey, Gems & Minerals, Exploring Colorado History, the Mummies exhibit (so fascinating!), and of course the Discovery Zone where they could roam and just be kids -- we truly made an afternoon of it. Every staff member we encountered was so friendly and informative, which made the experience even better.

Great way to spend a few afternoon hours! They also offer some free days and we happened to come on…read morea Saturday where they had free tickets for Bank of America card holders so my husband was able to get a free ticket. I enjoyed a lot of the exhibits - the gems were beautiful (they're closing this soon to remodel, if it's not closed yet), and the dinosaurs (especially ones they found here!) were fascinating. There's a space/Mars exhibit and I loved the temporary Lego exhibit. We were getting tired and our feet were giving up so we didn't make it to the Egyptian exhibit. I'd say the only thing I didn't love was there were a LOT a lot of the animal dioramas. Like, they're neat, but I was surprised they just kept going and going, including a whole section on birds. I'm not sure what I'd like to see instead but maybe something slightly varied or interactive? But overall a very cute museum - definitely good for children. Free parking!

Planned it right and came on "Free Days at the DAM" and it was tots worth it!…read more Like Denver itself, the art was a contrast in flavors, from the masters to the modern, perfectly spaced and place in a museum that seemed to have no end in sight. Excellent from start to finish, and the fact that it was Free.99 (a savings of $27) made it the perfect way to spend a Tuesday afternoon in one of my adopted cities...

This is a review of the museum in Hamilton Building and Martin Building, which are connected by a…read morebridge. I reviewed The Kirkland separately. I suggest grabbing a map or downloading it on your phone. The Hamilton Building has several floors and houses arts of Africa & Oceania, indigenous arts of North America, Western American art, architecture and design galleries, modern and contemporary art. At the ground floor, there's a spacious gift shop. The Martin Building is an 8-story building with lots of glass tiles. It has indigenous arts of North America, Asian art, Latin American art & art of the Ancient Americas, European/American art before 1900, photography, textile art, fashion and major architecture and design collection. Both buildings are good to explore; but if you're pressed for time, I'd recommend going to The Kirkland first (which is my favorite).

Loved it! We spent about an hour there. It is better if you go with someone because some of the…read morephoto ops require two people. There are many employees around to explain what you are looking at, and help you get the best picture. There is a small gift shop also. I thought it was worth it but some friends thought the entry fee was too much.

Our daughter was visiting from out of town and we were looking for an interesting afternoon…read moreactivity. Our daughter is 31 years old so perhaps we were a little above the targeted demographics but we had a nice time. The exhibits were interesting and many photo opportunities that presented interesting illusions. The staff were amazingly friendly and helpful, guiding guests through each activity, helping to explain the setup, and even taking our photos. It was the Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving so the building was somewhat crowded with families but we never had to wait more then a few minutes before accessing one of the exhibits. Highly recommend MOI to families with preteen and younger children. It may even be enjoyable for a young couple on a date night. We were able to finish all of the exhibits in 30 minutes, we thought there may be a second floor but after walking through the space a second time we realized that was it. Fun but the ticket price and cost for parking may be a bit steep for some.

We came here on a recent trip to Denver and had a blast!…read more All of the employees we ran into were very nice and helpful! This place really transports you to a whole different world! There is so much to see and it constantly has you questioning your reality and why in the world anyone would even come up with such a place! It's easy to get turned around! I normally post lots of pictures but honestly, do yourself a favor and don't look up anything! I didn't and it was SO much more fun that way!! There is a bar and area where you can do snacks. The bar area had its own floor and looked really cool! I wish we would have done that! The snacks are down on the first floor! Overall we spent about 3 hours here exploring. If you go fast you could probably do it in about 90 mins but honestly you should go slow and enjoy every weird detail!

Step into an entirely new dimension with enough storylines to keep you busy for an entire day. Meow…read moreWolf created something truly unique here, with each room having art exhibits, interactive elements and moments of "what the heck am I looking at?" This was the first Meow Wolf location I visited, but it inspired me to visit more and I also loved the Las Vegas Omega Mart location. You don't have to be super artsy to enjoy, just go in with the desire to open doors, read signs and explore areas that you probably think you wouldn't be able to access.

Lovely place to spend time in but skip the cafe; the food is dire and the employees can't make…read moreespresso drinks to save their lives. ;D Go there for the plants and nature; for the peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city, to take pictures, to learn about plants, or just to relax in the most fantastic "park" in the city. Highly recommended... except for the cafe. ;)

I enjoy the peacefulness and serenity of walking through Botanical Gardens. We were in town for…read morespring break and I read that the Denver Botanic Gardens was amazing. We decided to check it out. We arrived to Denver Botanic Gardens on a Saturday morning. The gardens are located in a nice lush area in Denver. Free parking is accessible in the parking garage across. There's nothing better than starting your morning with a brisk walk through a natural setting of tranquility. I felt that with the Denver Botanic Gardens as soon as we started our journey. Besides the magnificent vast variety of curated plants and flowers, there was themed gardens, harmonious architecture, indoor conservatories, and cultural ponds. The Japanese gardens were my favorite. A cozy cafe is available for small bites and refreshments as well. The property is extensive and immense but just the right size to explore. There were plenty of benches everywhere to relax and rest. I found that to be a nice touch. Beautiful picture opportunities were boundless. Overall we enjoyed our experience at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The staff were all nice and accommodating. The atmosphere was welcoming and family friendly. Price point was fair. I would love to share the experience with other loved ones when we eventually come back into town.

Free! If you're visiting Denver and you're along 16th Street Mall then you should definitely stop…read moreby The Money Museum. It's free and you get a free bag of shredded money in the amount of $165, which makes a great souvenir. Take note of their hours: only open on weekdays from 9:30am - 4:00pm. This was our last stop in Denver and it didn't take more than 15 minutes. This is a great alternative to the US Mint. We were not able to get the free tickets to the US Mint, since we were in town during Christmas break and by the time we arrived all the tickets were gone :( The Money Museum is simple and quick. There's no souvenir shop here, but like I said, you get a cool free bag of shredded money :) It's only a slight detour away from 16th Street Mall, plus there's a free 16th Street Mall bus shuttle, so it's super convenient and accessible. Have fun!

Free Mini Museum!…read more It's a self-guided tour that takes up less than an hour of your time and comes with a free bag of shredded money! You'll learn how about to spot counterfeit money, observe historical types of currency, and enjoy some fun activities like coloring your own type of money or designing your own digital dollar bill (great for the kids). What's best is that you can easily access this mall via the free 16th Street Mall bus. Enjoy~

Fantastic light show - music choice is incredible !! The staff here is wonderful and so kind.read more

Do you want an afternoon to just chill? Do you NEED an afternoon to just chill? The International…read moreChurch of Cannabis is your place. First, it's not quite what you think - nothing is sold and nothing is used there. I wouldn't say it's exactly family friendly for every family but there were little kids there. We started with the meditation/laser show. The room, once the church sanctuary, is painted in the brightest colors imaginable. It's absolute eye candy. You sit (or lay) on church pews that are full of squishy pillows. The lights dim, the meditation starts and the lasers illuminate various parts of the room. Even with the rock music, it really was mellow and relaxing. I don't know if you're permitted to sit through it more than once but I know that I would have liked too. While the laser show and "brightness" may be the main draw, the arcade was the most fun for us. Everything is included, no quarters needed. I played ski-ball until my arm was tired. While my husband played Galaga, I was drawn to the lite-brite. Simple? Yes but I wasn't allowed to have one when I was little and this was an absolute thrill for me. We then went into another room where we played Mario Cart - the game was projected onto an entire wall. There were board games, more arcade games, crayons and markers...everything needed to unleash your inner child - my husband and I spent the entire afternoon doing just that. We're back home now. I'm looking at the clock thinking about what to make for dinner. You know what? Heck with it - I'm going to go color instead...

What do you do with kids on an extra cold night? Let's go to the aquarium that we have yet to visit…read moredespite living in Denver for ages now. Due to the cold, no lines for tickets. Great indoor activity. Fairly empty inside. Perfect evening. Prices are steep for parking and admission. It's a one and done activity for us. But it was worth the experience! We spent almost two hours there, taking our time to admire and learn. We really enjoyed seeing all the beautiful sea creatures - all varieties of fish large and small, sharks, jellyfish, stingrays (which you can pet at the end), two random tigers (not expecting that at an aquarium), turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs, etc. Only negative from our outing was the guy in the ticket booth. We brought out of town friends with us and it was freezing outside. He could see that we had kids and were all super cold. It would've been kind if he had said we could just go inside and wait for the husbands to come in with the wrist bands. As it turns out we just ran inside anyway to wait for them, but not very good customer service.

I have to give the aquarium just 2 stars because, even though my kid had a blast & everyone and…read moreeverything else was amazing and patient (especially the dude at this jellyfish touch tank), there was a staff member that was so rude to my FOUR year old that it ruined the experience at least for me. 1230 pm today at the No Bone Zone, little touch tank, and there was a lady who clearly did not want to be there. They were having so much fun, so excited to see everything as we are visiting from out of state and my 4 and 2 year old love all things animals. My son's grandma took him to the no bone zone and didn't realize it was a line, just saw an open spot and let him hop up. He immediately starts trying to touch, and the staff member was extremely rude to him. Instead of showing/teaching him how to do it she chose to say "k take a break you're not doing it right". She never said "hey there's a line, and I can tell him the directions with the next group"--that's all it could've took. Then of course my 4 year old son is excited, so he finally starts touching the sea animals correctly and is asking the lady the names of them. She rudely responded to him with the answers, talking under her breath and rolling her eyes. AT A FOUR YEAR OLD. He would say "excuse me" then ask another question, she repeated "I have to talk to other kids, not just you". I stayed out of it because maybe she was just having a bad day, and my son was unfazed, probably because he's four. She complains that everyone else needs a turn even though he was not even up there for more than maybe 2 minutes. What was really crazy was the next round of kids come and she is so nice to them. Answering everything, smiling. Next group, she's rude again. Only difference between mine & the 3rd group with the second group is that the second group of kids were white and the other group and my kids are minorities. Very unfortunate that my 4 year old experienced his first taste of bigotry. Luckily he doesn't even notice, but unfortunately I will remember forever.

Wow, my yesterday's visit to this historic park was so mesmerizing. It's because of their annual…read more(?) "Bright Nights" (originally a lantern festival.) It is said that they unveil a brand new theme each year and this year's theme appears to be focused on some Eastern cultures such as cherry blossom and bamboo forest with pandas. Not that I have been to many lights shows and yet I must say that I have never seen anything quite like this as far as my recollection is accurate. In its 12-acre land, the installations of lantern lights are everywhere. After 8:30pm or so when it's dark, the illuminations from the lanterns are glowing brighter than Las Vegas' illuminations (LOL - why am I comparing this to Las Vegas!!) According to the park's website, some of the sculptures are 23-foot tall (such as the cherry blossom gate.) It's currently open from Wednesday through Sunday until October 5th. And last night's was one of the adult-only nights where you must be 21+ to enter (I believe the next and last such night is Sept 17th. And this writing is as of late August of 2025.) I am already curious as to what the next year's theme is going to be. There is a centralized bar, some food vendors, a stage where a performer performs, and a DJ booth. Great for family time, girls' night or date night. Helpful staff were working tirelessly to assist all visitors. Although about 1,300 tickets were sold last night, it was never super jammed packed. There is still time to visit this enchanting light show. Not only for the locals but definitely one of the must-visit attractions for out-of-staters as well.

Recently went to the Bright Lights event at this park and had a wonderful experience walking around…read morethe luminous colorful tall lanterns. Every inch of the 12 acres had lights and even in the trees and bushes. So many details that it seemed realistic. Many of the lanterns were interactive such as stationary bikes or cranks to power the lights to glow even brighter. The staff were friendly and happy to help. This event is for young and old and I highly recommend going!

This seems like it would be a nifty place for a gathering of friends in the speakeasy. It is…read morelocated in the mall across from the movie theater. Plenty of parking available. I came for candlelit yoga. Yoga itself was enjoyable. There was a gentleman playing live music and we were all encouraged to work at our own levels wherever that may be. The instructor was pleasant and encouraging. I found her voice to be calming when I could hear it. However, there was a speed-dating event scheduled at the same time so there was a constant din of conversation noise that was loud. I have hearing issues and that level of ambient noise made it difficult for me to hear the yoga instructor even with her having a microphone. The interior of the venue is filled with installations from local artists. I would like to come back for just a social gathering. I think it would be great for that.

Prismajic was super cool - highly interactive but in the most laid back of ways. Such an immersive…read moreevent experience. We had 5 pm reservations but went in closer to 6 pm, after having visited their onsite bar, the Night Owl. Their craft cocktails were great and on par with craft cocktail pricing. The staff were all really accommodating and friendly. They didn't bat an eye when we asked about timing: can we grab a drink before we go in? Sure! And the experience itself? Super creative, attention to detail all over the place. And, there are differing levels of a scavenger hunt just to make things even more interesting. The exhibits change every so often so if you haven't been to this one, def go before a new installation is added.