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 (Opens Soon!)

Opens on Oct. 24

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!

Discovering Teen Rex

The "Discovering Teen Rex" exhibition is temporarily closed from Sept. 22 to Oct. 3. 

Get up close with history in the making! Come see an extremely rare adolescent T. rex fossil — one of only a handful ever found worldwide. Also, get you can catch a glimpse of an incredible dinosaur bone that we found in the Museum parking lot!

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 Makes Another Incredible Dinosaur Discovery — This Time Underneath Our Parking Lot!

Upcoming In-Person Events

Daybreak Discoveries: Uncover Madagascar Fossils with Dr. David Krause

Sept. 23 | 8:50 a.m.

This Daybreak Discoveries lecture is led by Dr. David Krause, Ph.D. Dr. Krause, a paleontologist at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, has done field work in Madagascar since 1993. Madagascar, an island nation off of Africa, is rich in some of the world's most spectacular fossils: snaggle-toothed dinosaurs, pug-nosed crocodiles, basketball-sized frogs and mammals with swiss-cheese skulls. Dr. Krause will highlight some of his team's remarkable discoveries from the Late Cretaceous period but also focus on science-adjacent, humanitarian issues related to working with the people of Madagascar, which has included building schools, developing sustainable food sources and providing healthcare to children in his field areas. Get tickets, today!

60 Minutes in Space

Sept. 24 | 7 p.m.

Explore breaking space news with space scientists and hear the latest updates on missions exploring the solar system, rocket launches, cutting edge astronomy, and more. This evening's presentation is by Dr. Graham Lau, Ph.D., Research Scientist for Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. Please use the West Museum Evening Entrance. This is a free event and no reservation is required. Seating is first come, first serve.

Morning Yoga Series

Sept. 27 | 8 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 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! This gentle yoga series welcomes individuals with all abilities and skill levels and offers limited mats on a first come, first served basis. Get tickets, today!

SCFD Educators Night 2025

Sept. 30 | 6 p.m.

Educators, you're invited to enjoy a FREE night out at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science brought to you in part by the SCFD Collaborative. Check out a free Infinity Theater or planetarium show, take a behind the scenes tour, stop by our craft table and learn how SCFD-funded organizations can serve you and your students! Free light appetizers and a cash bar. Plus-ones highly encouraged. 21+ Adults only. Get tickets, today!

THE MARTIANS: An Evening with Award-Winning Author David Baron

Oct. 1 | 7 p.m.

Join us as we explore the newest work of acclaimed author David Baron: "The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America." For as long as we’ve had telescopes, we’ve been obsessed with Mars. This possibility — scientifically founded or not — has catapulted a pop-cultural fixation on what the Martians and their world could look like. The book is an adventurous journey into the “science” that spurned our imagination and its lasting cultural impacts. David will be available after the presentation to inscribe it personally. Get tickets, today!

Science Riot!

Oct. 8 | 7 p.m.

Join us again for a brainy comedy night where local scientists will perform stand-up for the first time ever. Science Riot is the only science outreach program in the country to turn scientists into engaging speakers through immersive training in comedy writing and performance. The resulting showcase is an evening of laughter, learning and libations where our newest cohort of real-life scientists deliver their ten-minute comedy talks directly to real life humans. Get tickets, today!

Fall 2025 Home School Day

Oct. 14 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is hosting Home School Day. Admission is free, and you can purchase add-on experiences for your visit. Paid add-on experiences include the Infinity Theater and Gates Planetarium. In addition, the Experiences & Partnerships team will be hosting free activities for home school families in the Morgridge Family Exploration Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reserve your spot!

Science Lounge: Dead Man's Party – 80s Halloween Bash!

Oct. 16 | 7 p.m.

Break out the spandex and hairspray — we’re throwing it back to the ’80s this Halloween at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Join us for a spooky and stylish night filled with specialty cocktails, science surprises and retro beats. Enjoy a mini-lecture on science fiction vs. science fact, see a live specimen prep and explore rarely seen Wet Collections with our experts. Don’t forget your best 80s costume — it’s going to be totally tubular. Get tickets, today!

Morning Yoga Series

Oct. 18 | 8 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 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! This gentle yoga series welcomes individuals with all abilities and skill levels and offers limited mats on a first come, first served basis. Get tickets, today!

Daybreak Discoveries: The Unseen Paleobotanical War

Oct. 20 | 8:50 a.m.

This Daybreak Discoveries lecture is led by Dr. Gussie Maccracken who is a paleobotany curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. She specializes in paleobotany, the study of fossil plants, and their ecological interactions with insect herbivores. Dr. Maccracken will highlight how our world is shaped by an unseen war that has been waging for hundreds of millions of years. This is the war between plants and their insect adversaries, a war of chemicals. And, for better or worse, some of these chemicals are tightly interwoven into human societies, a part of our shared histories and everyday life. Get tickets, today!

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.

• Sunday, Oct. 12, Out! at the Museum

Nature Play

Your day trip to the Museum will not be complete without a stop at Nature Play, a four-acre interactive play experience where people of all ages can explore, climb and learn about Colorado's incredible wildlife and ecosystems. You'll know you've arrived when you see the iconic, climbable 20-foot-tall ram. 

Read more: The Story Behind Nature Play’s Public Art Installations

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!

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The only problem with visiting the Museum is that once you do it — you’ll probably want to do it again! A Denver Museum of Nature & Science membership gives you unlimited free general admission for an entire year, so you can explore more, discover more and make even more unforgettable memories.

Become a Museum member here!