Exhibitions

The Discovery Zone—made possible by Kaiser Permanente—is bursting with activities that help build a strong foundation of science skills in young children as they look, ask, discover, make, and share.

Exhibits, activities, and programs focus on science process skills, such as observing, quantifying, inquiring, analyzing, creating, and communicating. Children can "excavate" fossils, manipulate and observe water in action, experiment with building methods and materials, and conduct investigations and create art projects. 

A team of Egyptologists and other specialists from around the country collaborated with Michele Koons, curator of archaeology, to find out how today’s leading technologies could shed more light on the lives and deaths of two female mummies on display in the Egyptian Mummies gallery.

The results are in! Findings from CT scans, radiocarbon dating, isotope analysis, and other tests show that the mummies’ distinctions are less likely based on their economic status, as previously thought, and more on when they lived during the history of Egyptian mummification. 

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science features the new display, El Alebrije: Una historia en común, brought to Denver in collaboration with the Museo de Arte Popular and the Mexican Cultural Center of Denver with support from the Consulate General of Mexico. The alebrijes are beautiful, brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures depicting wild and mythical creatures, handcrafted by artisans in Mexico.

Expedition Health is about YOUR human body and how it is constantly changing and adapting in ways you can see, measure, and optimize through the choices you make.

In the exhibition gallery, you will experience highly personalized activities, become immersed in a theater experience that engages all of your senses, look at microscopic cells from your own body in a laboratory, participate in live demonstrations and programs, and meet "buddies" who will help you learn about your health.

Grab your hard hat! In Coors Gems and Minerals Hall, follow the mine shaft into a Mexican silver mine, where a cavern glistens with milky white gypsum crystals and stalactites. Then enter Colorado's own Sweet Home Mine to discover a six-foot wall of beautiful red rhodochrosite crystals.

Colorado was founded on mining, so you'll see more local finds, like Tom's Baby, an eight-pound nugget of crystallized gold unearthed in Breckenridge in 1887.

You'll also be dazzled by the largest known pocket of aquamarine ever discovered, from Colorado's own Mount Antero, and a giant Brazilian topaz once owned by artist Salvador Dali. The hall is packed with hundreds of specimens from around the world. Hands-on activities and videos help young explorers learn about mineral characteristics and how minerals form.

See the only collection of the remarkable Vasily Konovalenko gem sculptures on public display outside of Moscow.

Vasily Konovalenko (koh-noh-vuh-len-koh) was born in 1929 in Petrivka, Ukraine (just north of the Black Sea). After earning a degree in art and architecture, he became a stage designer for the Donetsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. He worked on productions of Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and other classic operas and ballets.  In 1957, while working at the Mariinka Theatre in St. Petersburg, Konovalenko produced sets for the ballet Stone Flower, in which the protagonist is a stonecutter. Konovalenko's gem carvings for the ballet earned rave reviews, and he became smitten with the art form.

OUR NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN HALL WILL BE CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS UNTIL NOVEMBER 15

Shelter. Food. Clothing. Tools. Experience the incredible diversity among Native American groups and the practicality and artistry of their everyday objects.

We are all different, we are all the same is the thread running through this exhibition hall. Shelter, food, clothing, transportation, tools-all are basic human needs satisfied in different ways by different cultures. Among North America's native peoples, the rich diversity in traditional and modern lifeways reflects the distinctive regional influences of environment and materials.

As you travel through the various regions you can explore authentic reconstructed dwellings, including an Inuit snow house, a Northwest Coast clan house, a Navajo hogan, and a Cheyenne tipi. Along the way, examine beautifully crafted weavings, basketry, beadwork, and pottery. Stop to listen to stories and watch videos on the major cultural groups.

A journey through the eons allows you to trace the evolution of life on Earth, from single-celled organisms to lumbering dinosaurs to the inhabitants of today's world.

Travel through time-starting 3.5 billion years ago. Your journey begins beneath ancient seas. Life diversifies as you move through the millennia, surrounded by fearsome fish and waving sea lilies. Soon you're out of the water and the air is filled with huge dragonflies. Foot-long centipedes crawl around you. Then the dinosaurs appear!

Explore the cosmos. Visit Mars. Make your own discoveries!

As you emerge from an entry corridor with views of space, a dramatic Martian canyon lies to your right. To your left, dust and gas swirl in giant nebulae. This is Space Odyssey, where the universe is yours to explore-and where space news headlines are brought to life.

Let knowledgeable Museum Galaxy Guides lead the way as you investigate using hands-on exhibits, live performances, and demonstrations.

Come on in, jump on board, and have some fun in VR Arcade. The pop-up experience uses virtual reality 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.

Animals big and small come to life in exquisitely detailed dioramas that transport you around the world.

From Alaska to Argentina, Africa to Australia, more than 90 wildlife and habitat scenes illustrate our planet's amazing diversity. Like three-dimensional "postcards" from places near and far, they capture moments in time, showcasing the world's wondrous animals and the delicate ecosystems in which they live.

Opens September 13

Take an action-packed ride through the world of extreme sports! You and your friends and family will be put to the test as you jump, fly, dive, climb, and explore some of the riskiest activities in the world. Physical, multimedia, and creative challenges place you inside the minds and bodies of extreme athletes and their passions, such as wingsuit flying, ice and rock climbing, parkour, and free diving. Amid exhilarating speeds, breathtaking heights, and profound depths, the stories of these passionate athletes will leave you inspired to push yourself to your own personal limit.

Extreme Sports: Beyond Human Limits was developed and produced by Science North, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre.

Opens October 11 • Member tickets on sale now. All other tickets on sale September 16.

Enjoy a unique look into the Pixar process, and explore the science and technology behind some of the most beloved animated films and their characters with The Science Behind Pixar. This interactive exhibition showcases the science, technology, engineering, art, and math concepts used by the artists and computer scientists who help bring Pixar’s award-winning films to the big screen.

With more than 50 interactive elements, the exhibition’s eight sections each focus on a step in the filmmaking process to give you an unparalleled view of the production pipeline and concepts used at Pixar every day. Participate in fun, engaging hands-on activities, listen to firsthand accounts from members of the studio's production teams, and even come face-to-face with re-creations of your favorite Pixar film characters, including Buzz Lightyear, Dory, Mike and Sulley, Edna Mode, and WALL•E!

The Science Behind Pixar was developed by the Museum of Science, Boston, in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios. © Disney/Pixar. All rights reserved. Used under authorization.

Opens June 19, 2020

The global sensation “The Art of the Brick” is coming to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science next summer. Renowned contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya has taken LEGO® bricks from beloved toys to artistic marvels. Sawaya’s original artworks and his reimagined versions of famous masterpieces from art and culture, such as Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and the Venus de Milo will wow guests. The experience also showcases a collection of LEGO-infused hyper-realistic photography from Sawaya’s innovative collaboration with award-winning photographer Dean West. From fan favorite Yellow, a life-size sculpture of a man with thousands of yellow LEGO bricks cascading from his chest, to a T. rex skeleton made out of 80,000 LEGO bricks, guests will be inspired by how the power of imagination and creativity can build endless possibilities.

Guests of all ages will put their own ingenuity to work in an area filled with LEGO bricks and many opportunities for building challenges and interactive play.