MUSEUM HISTORY
Founded in 1900, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science is located in Denver’s City Park with spectacular views of Denver and the Rocky Mountains. The Museum has had three different names since it first opened: The Colorado Museum of Natural History, The Denver Museum of Natural History, and now the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
The Museum traces its origins back to the efforts of one man, a pioneer naturalist named Edwin Carter who devoted his life to his true love: the scientific study of Colorado birds, mammals and fauna. Since 1900, the Museum collection has grown from Carter’s collection, housed in a log cabin, to the largest natural history museum in the western United States, housing more than a million objects in its collections. Its facilities and the broad range of research conducted by Museum scientists continue to make this institution a vibrant work in progress.
Today at the Museum visitors are invited to participate in science learning and become more engaged with what they see, feel and hear. They also learn about current science topics in the news, such as the latest discovery in space or significant fossil finds.
The Museum is famous for its children’s discovery areas, the Space Odyssey exhibition, Gates Planetarium, the award-winning Prehistoric Journey exhibition, awe-inspiring IMAX films, Egyptian mummies, wildlife exhibits, colorful gems and minerals, the Hall of Life health center, dynamic temporary exhibitions, and visionary education programs. Visitors can also experience the “best view in Denver” from the Anschutz Family Sky Terrace and Leprino Family Atrium on the west side of the building. Here, visitors enjoy breathtaking views of the Front Range—from Longs Peak in the north to Pikes Peak in the south.
Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible by funds from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), created by area voters in 1988. The SCFD is a 0.1 percent sales tax that helps fund institutions like the Museum. Denver metro area voters pioneered this method of supporting their cultural and educational organizations. It is now a funding source that is admired nationwide.
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DMNS-07-012
