MINDBENDER MANSION
Open through Jan. 6 • dmns.org/mindbender • free with admission
Enter “Mindbender Mansion,” a quirky experience full of puzzles, brainteasers, and interactive challenges that put minds of all ages to the test. Gather hidden clues to reveal secret passwords scattered throughout thematic rooms as you identify patterns, think ahead, use logical reasoning, and look at problems from different perspectives. Grab your family, friends, or school and youth group and enjoy some time putting your heads together in “Mindbender Mansion”!
¡CUBA!
Open through Jan. 20 • dmns.org/cuba • free with admission
Discover the dynamic culture and abundant biodiversity of the Caribbean’s largest island nation in “¡CUBA!.” This lively experience for all ages — presented in English and Spanish — inspires new perspectives and immerses Museum guests in the people, landscapes, unique species, and daily life of this intriguing country. The main feature of the exhibition is a “plaza” evoking city life, lined with displays and activities. There are also beautiful re-creations of the island’s habitats, with lifelike models representing its distinctive wildlife, both modern and extinct. Enhance your experience with a showing of the IMAX film “Cuba 2D” (separate ticket required).
VR ARCADE
Now open • daily, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. • dmns.org/vrarcade • special ticket required, purchase onsite only
Come on in, jump on board, and have some fun in “VR Arcade”! This “pop-up” experience uses virtual reality (VR) technology that lets you explore wherever your curiosity leads. “VR Arcade” features six bays for individual VR opportunities and a four-person Virtual Reality Transporter ride. Some age and height restrictions apply.
JANUARY
SCFD COMMUNITY FREE DAY
Jan. 7 • 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. • FREE
Enjoy your Museum favorites and special family-friendly activities as well as free admission to the temporary exhibition, “¡CUBA!.”
DISSECTION CONNECTIONS • GRADES 2 – 9 WITH ADULT
Jan. 12 • 10 a.m.–2 p.m. • $40 member pair, $50 nonmember pair
The family that dissects together stays together! With a skilled Museum educator as your guide, observe the dissections of a sheep brain, lung and heart, then try your hand with a scalpel as you learn about your amazing body systems.
JOHN FIELDER’S COLORADO: BLACK ON WHITE
Jan. 15 • 7 p.m. • Phipps Theater • $15 member, $18 nonmember • book sale & signing
See Colorado, from the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains, fade from color to black and white with photographer John Fielder. Fielder will highlight his new book “Colorado: Black on White.” Witness the edges, shapes and textures of landscapes and wildlife without the distraction of color as you hear Fielder’s stories of life on the trail set to beautiful music.
BIENNIAL GEORGE MCJUNKIN LECTURE: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SLAVERY
Jan. 16 • 7 p.m. • Phipps Theater • $8 member, $10 nonmember
Dr. Theresa Singleton, professor of anthropology at Syracuse University, will explore what the science of archaeology has revealed about the lives of enslaved peoples, both in the southern United States and the Caribbean. Archaeologists have conducted studies of plantation slavery for more than a half century. Singleton will discuss the findings uncovered from 18th and 19th century slave settlements that provide information on the living conditions and cultural practices of enslaved peoples. Throughout the Americas, enslaved people experienced a similar fate, but regional distinctions are becoming increasingly apparent. The biennial George McJunkin Lecture, is named in honor of the former slave, cowboy, and aspiring archaeologist who helped discover the Folsom Site, one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century.
SCIENCE LOUNGE: FROZEN
Jan. 17 • 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. • $13 member, $15 nonmember
Enjoy a mind-expanding experience with cocktails and entertainment the third Thursday of the month. For ages 21 and up. This month, behold the power of cold with liquid nitrogen demos. Chill out with arctic animals from the Museum’s collections, keep it cool with ice science, build a snowman and ”let it go” with the signature cocktail of the night, the Elsa.
DINNER AND A MOVIE: OCEANS 3D •GRADES K–12 WITH ADULT
Jan. 20 • 6 – 9 p.m. • adult: $20 member, $25 nonmember • junior: $15 member, $20 nonmember
Dive into the science of the ocean! After dinner, make your own deep-sea creature and immerse yourself in an after-hours screening of the IMAX film “Oceans: Our Blue Planet 3D.”
VISUALIZING SPACE: SCIENCE AND THE ARTISTIC PROCESS
Jan. 22 • 7 p.m. • Phipps Theater • $8 Museum or Museo member, $10 nonmember
Images of celestial phenomena from telescopes on the ground and out in space have amazed audiences for decades. They intrigue us with stunning details of distant nebulae and galaxies, revealing objects that are beautiful as well as alien. Yet despite their scientific value, such images rarely represent what these wonders would actually look like if we were transported into the depths of space to see them in person. Join Dr. Ka Chun Yu, curator of space science, to learn how considerable creativity and artistic talent is necessary to represent an astronomical reality that is not only scientifically meaningful, but also feels subjectively right. Presented in partnership with Museo del las Americas.
TEEN NIGHTS • AGES 13–18
Jan. 25 • 7–10 p.m.
This totally free event lets teens rule the Museum after hours. Teen Lounge is an evening designed by teens for teens. Supported by Lincoln Hills Cares.
SCFD COMMUNITY FREE DAY
Jan. 27 • 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. • FREE
Enjoy your Museum favorites and special family-friendly activities.
FEBRUARY
GROUNDHOG DAY! CRITTER CELEBRATION! • GRADES K–8 WITH ADULT
Feb. 2 • 10 a.m.–2 p.m. • adult: $20 member, $25 nonmember • junior: $15 member, $20 nonmember
Dig this! Punxsutawney Phil is on the loose, but what do we really know about these adorable critters and their relatives? Join Museum scientist John Demboski as he debunks the myths and unburrows the mysteries of the groundhog. Afterward, head to the Denver Zoo with us to see even more animals!
MEET MERIWETHER LEWIS
Feb. 5 • 6 or 8 p.m. • Ricketson Auditorium. • adult: $15 member, $18 adult nonmember • junior: $10 member, $13 nonmember
Enactor Brian “Fox” Ellis brings Meriwether Lewis to life with stories drawn from the journals of Lewis and Clark. Hear Lewis’s tales from the historic 1804 expedition, encountering grizzly bears, meeting American Indians and cataloging animals and plants that were new to scientists of the time. Before and after the program, a telescope from the Museum collections that belonged to William Clark will be displayed. Don’t miss this unique opportunity!
SCFD COMMUNITY FREE DAY
Feb. 11 • 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. • FREE
Enjoy your Museum favorites and special family-friendly activities.
SAVE THE LAST DANCE: A STORY OF NORTH AMERICAN GRASSLAND GROUSE
Feb. 12 • 7 p.m. • Phipps Theater • $12 Museum, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, or Audubon member, $15 nonmember • Book sale & signing
Award-winning photographer Noppadol Paothong is striving to rescue grassland grouse from the brink of extinction by showing the world what it stands to lose if these species are allowed to disappear forever. His book, “Save the Last Dance: A Story of North American Grassland Grouse,” captures the dazzling beauty of seven grouse species whose populations are diminishing across the prairies and plains of America — and one species that has already lost its battle for survival. The book also shares the conservation efforts underway to save these species. Presented in partnership with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies with promotional support from Audubon Society of Greater Denver and Audubon Rockies.
SEX IN THE SEA
Feb. 14 • 6:30 p.m. • $20 member, $25 nonmember • Cash bar • Book sale & signing • Ages 21+
Take a dip into the deep end and explore the love lives of aquatic animals for Valentine’s Day! Enjoy ocean-themed appetizers, and see coral, shells and marine animals from the zoology collections. Dr. Marah Hardt will uniquely connect the sustainability of the oceans with the inventive sex acts of marine life, as she shares stories of elaborate mating rituals of armored lobsters, giant right whales engaging in lively threesomes, and full moon sex parties of groupers. Hardt is the author of the book “Sex in the Sea.”
CHILDREN’S WORKSHOPS: JUNIOR SURGEONS • GRADES 2 & 3 /CUTTING EDGE • GRADES 4–6
Feb. 17 • 9 a.m.–3 p.m. • $60 junior member, $70 child/junior nonmember
Observe and perform dissections to find out how the human body functions. Dissect sheep hearts and lungs, eyes, brains and frogs. Examine real bones, listen to your own heartbeat and more!
STAY UP WITH THE STARS • ALL AGES
Feb. 17 • 6–8 p.m. • adult: $20 member, $25 nonmember • junior: $15 member, $20 nonmember
Stay up late with us as all the stargazers in the family explore the incredible Colorado night sky. After dinner at the Museum, watch planetarium shows, see your favorite constellations through high-power telescopes (weather permitting), warm up with a hot chocolate bar and make your own star-studded crafts. This program is perfect for aspiring young astronomers and their family members alike!
SCIENCE LOUNGE: SUGAR, SUGAR
Feb. 21 • 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. • $13 member, $15 nonmember
Enjoy a mind-expanding experience with cocktails and entertainment the third Thursday of the month. For ages 21 and up. This month, bring your sweetie and prepare your taste buds for some sweet, sweet science! Experiment with some of your favorite candy and learn how sugars affect the human body. From sucrose to glucose, this is one sweet night worth bouncing off the walls for.
PHIPPS IMAX 3D THEATER
For tickets and schedules, visit dmns.org/imax.
CUBA 2D
Closes Jan. 23
Experience a land of spectacular beauty that’s home to people renowned for their passion in the film “Cuba 2D.”
PANDAS 3D
Closes Jan. 23
Meet a very curious panda cub named Qian Qian, who was born at Chengdu Panda Base in China, as she prepares for an exciting new adventure living in the mountains of Sichuan.
OCEANS: OUR BLUE PLANET 3D
Now showing
Take a global odyssey to explore the largest, most mysterious habitat on Earth in “Oceans: Our Blue Planet 3D.” Meet leaping dolphins, sea otters, an ingenious tusk fish, and a cunning octopus. These extraordinary encounters will connect you to our water worlds as never before.
VOLCANOES 3D: THE FIRES OF CREATION
Opens Jan. 24
Marvel at one of nature’s most breathtaking shows as you explore molten worlds and exploding craters across the globe. For billions of years, volcanoes have helped create the world we know. The continents, the air we breathe, even life itself all have their origins in fire. With more than 500 active volcanoes, the Earth is bursting at the seams with these forces of “mass construction.” Travel alongside intrepid explorer Carsten Peter as you dodge boulders at the edge of an active volcano in Indonesia, descend to a lava lake in Vanuatu, visit incredible mineral deposit fields in Ethiopia, and explore the archaeological ghost town of Pompeii.
HOLLYWOOD FILMS IN IMAX
Some of your Hollywood favorites are coming to Phipps IMAX Theater! The Museum is adding previously released cinematic features to our IMAX lineup. Check dmns.org/imax for tickets and the full schedule.
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About the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain Region’s leading resource for informal science education. Our mission is to be a catalyst and ignite the community’s passion for nature and science. The Museum offers a wide variety of engaging exhibitions, programs, activities, and scientific research to inspire public appreciation and understanding of the wonders of Colorado, Earth, and the universe. The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO, 80205. Information: dmns.org or 303.370.6000. Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District. The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Connect with the Museum on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.