CATALYST

This month, we have exciting programs and events at the Museum!  Whether you're trying to dig for dinosaurs in the Discovery Zone, take relaxing walk through the Wildlife Halls or move your body to a Bad Bunny Laser Show in the planetarium  — we have something for everyone!

Here are just a few of things you could do to fill your day the Museum this month: 

The Secret World of Elephants

Now open!

Enter “The Secret World of Elephants” to discover the remarkable science behind nature’s most lovable giants. How do elephants “hear” with their feet? What animals are their closest-living relatives? How have elephants and humans coexisted for thousands of years? Through hands-on interactions, you will feel the low-frequency rumbles elephants use to communicate, explore how they reshape their environments and come face-to-face with some of their ancestors, including dwarf elephants. From the ancient Ice Age to today’s African savanna, get ready to be amazed by elephants’ fascinating history and incredible intelligence — and inspired to help protect their future. All exhibition content is bilingual in English and Spanish. Learn more here!

Read more: Understanding Nature’s Most Loveable Giants

Brick Planet: A magical journey made with LEGO® bricks (Opens Soon!)

Opens Nov. 14!

“Brick Planet: A magical journey made with LEGO® bricks” takes you on an imaginative journey around the world through the lens of artist Sean Kenney’s sculptures built with LEGO® bricks. Explore our planet’s unique ecosystems, brought to life through colorful, playful environments where nature provides the building blocks for creative inspiration and scientific discovery. From towering polar bears and coral reefs to bustling cities and African savannas, you will feel a renewed sense of wonder for the rich balance of life that binds ecosystems and their inhabitants. Enjoy plenty of hands-on opportunities, from building LEGO® brick creations to sketching journals and playing a magnetized game. Free with Museum admission, the exhibition’s content is bilingual in English and Spanish. Learn more, here!

Discovering Teen Rex

Get up close with history in the making! Come see an extremely rare, totally complete triceratops fossil get uncovered in real-time. Also, get you can catch a glimpse of an incredible dinosaur bone that we found in the Museum parking lot and the famous Teen Rex fossil!

This exhibition, free with general admission, is best when paired with the documentary "T. Rex 3D," which is now showing on our giant screen Infinity Theater.

Read more: Museum Scientists Discover a Complete Triceratops Skull

Upcoming In-Person Events

The Great Space Escape

Nov. 5 | After hours

Put on your space boots and prepare for a crash course in constellations, cosmic curiosities and galactic guffaws. Museum educators José Zuniga and Mitch Slevc — your witty and well-informed hosts — will guide you through the unexpected history, science and humor of the night sky using our state-of-the-art planetarium screen. This isn’t your average stargazing session. It’s a fast-paced, laugh-filled journey across the universe, packed with cheeky constellations and astronomical surprises. The cash bar opens 30 minutes before showtime, so come early, grab a drink and fuel up for liftoff. Get your tickets!

Daybreak Discoveries: Spiders in Space: Launching Spiders to the International Space Station

Nov. 6 | 8:50 a.m.

Spiders have been sent to space on five different occasions. DMNS Curator of Invertebrate Zoology, Dr. Paula Cushing, has been involved with several of these experiments. Come hear why spiders were sent to space, whether and how these animals adapted to this very strange environment, and whether David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars had anything to do with it. Get your tickets!

Morning Yoga Series

Nov. 15 | 8:50 a.m.

Join us for a rejuvenating Morning Yoga Series at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. As weather allows, we’ll start off on the Sky Terrace for a chance to see the sun rise over City Park. This is a four-part yoga series that moves with the changing of seasons and will conclude with a sunrise session celebrating the Winter Solstice. You’re welcome to join one session or book all four. Get your tickets!

A Deep Dive: Ocean Paradise and Palmyra Atoll

Nov. 18 | 7 p.m.

Join The Nature Conservancy and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for an inspiring evening of film and conversation that brings together science, storytelling, and stewardship. First, the documentary Ocean Paradise will take viewers on a journey to some of the Pacific’s most remote island sanctuaries, including Palmyra Atoll—a refuge for endangered species and a hub for cutting-edge conservation science protected by The Nature Conservancy. Following the screening, you’ll hear from experts at The Nature Conservancy and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science about how global conservation efforts like those at Palmyra connect to local action and stewardship. Get your tickets!

Daybreak Discoveries: Fresh Ink: How Tattooing and Community Relationships Solved a Decades-Old Collections Problem

Nov. 20 | 8:50 a.m.

Have you ever been faced with what seems to be an impossible task, and then found a solution? For years, no adequate way had been discovered to label the silicon rubber molds made for replicating Museum fossils. Until DMNS staff member Sierra Swenson realized the solution may be hidden right up her sleeve. Join Sierra to learn more about how DMNS staff, with help from professional tattoo artists, pioneered a brand-new method of labeling molds using tattoo equipment. In addition to teaching you about this innovative methodology, this talk will also highlight the benefits of diversity and collaboration in academic institutions. Get your tickets!

Curious Kids: Busy Little Birds (24 - 36 months)

Nov. 20 | 7 p.m.

Join us for Busy Little Birds. This 45 minute session is designed for kids 24 -36 months to get curious about our feathered friends and the amazing things they do. Capacity is limited. Caregivers are required to stay and engage alongside their little learners. Get your tickets!

High-Octane Lecture: Elephants! With Maura Davis, Curator of Large Mammals, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance

Nov. 20 | 7 p.m.

Ever been part of a lecture where you help shape the story? Join us for a one-of-a-kind evening at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science with Maura Davis - the Curator of Large Mammals from the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance! This isn’t your typical talk - it's a choose-your-own-adventure experience where the audience decides the second half of the lecture. You’ll get an insider’s look at how the Denver Zoo manages its small herd of Asian elephants, including groundbreaking work with the bachelor herd—think stress-reducing training, social bonding, and innovative care strategies. Then, the spotlight turns to you: vote on what comes next and dive deeper into the world of large mammal conservation and the advancement of animal welfare and species conservation. This event celebrates the Museum’s stunning temporary exhibit, "The Secret World of Elephants," which you can wander through after the lecture. Get your tickets!

There's a Dino at your Table! T. Rex to Turkey

Nov. 22 | 9 a.m.

Did you know that every time you enjoy a meal of chicken, duck or turkey, you are actually enjoying some delicious dinosaur? That’s right: every bird alive today, from ostrich to oriole, pigeon to penguin, are descendants of theropod dinosaurs like T.Rex and Velociraptor. But how did this change occur? Join one of our wonderful Museum educators for a short session highlighting how you know if there's a dinosaur at your table. This program will have a 20 minute family lecture and a screening of T. Rex film in the Infinity Theater. Get your tickets!

Giant Screen Infinity Theater Movies

The giant screen Infinity Theater has reopened! Don't go home from the Museum without catching a captivating nature and science documentary on the giant screen.

Check here for showtimes and schedule updates

Planetarium Space and Laser Shows

They’re back and more dazzling than ever! Laser shows, presented by Laser Fantasy, have returned to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and are a perfect match for your summer vibe! Catch your favorite artists in an immersive, mind-blowing light show combined into a full cosmic concert for all your senses.

Check here for showtimes and schedule updates. 

Other planetarium shows now available:

• Great Solar System Adventure
• Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity
• Black Holes (En Español)
• One World One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure 
• Destination Solar System 

Satisfy your science curiosity during our SCFD Free Days and Free Nights. See enormous fossils of dinosaurs that roamed the Earth millions of years ago or learn about the human body’s capabilities in “Expedition Health.” The entire Museum is open for free, except for the temporary exhibitions, planetarium and Infinity Theater which require an additional charge. Learn more about our free days, here.

• Saturday evening, Nov. 8, 5 - 10 p.m. (Night at the Museums for Denver Arts Week)

Mark Your Calendar

Begins on Nov. 20

Step into a whimsical winter wonderland where a dazzling holiday adventure comes alive. This is the Museum like you’ve never seen it before as a piece of the familiar turns into the fantastical through an immersive journey of light, sound and surprise. Learn more here!