In addition to having some of the best natural scenery in the country, the Mile High City also happens to be home to some incredible museums that everyone — regardless of their age — can enjoy.
We put together this list of the best museums for kids in Denver and some of its surrounding cities to help you pick your next weekend adventure. Whether your kiddo is passionate about trains, rocks, space, or dinosaurs — and everything in between — these experiences will give the family an opportunity to have fun and learn more about the incredible world we live in.
Best Museums for Kids in Denver
Denver Art Museum
100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., Denver, Colorado
- Cost: $22 for adults, $19 for students, and free for kids under 18
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day but Tuesdays, when it’s open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This kid friendly museum in the heart of downtown Denver has a special family guide just for its youngest visitors. In addition to seeing a combination of modern and ancient art (some of the oldest relics are more than 2,000 years old!), visitors can explore everything from a special landscape studio to a creative hub featuring a number of activities aimed at honing the skills of the next generation of brilliant artists. Be sure to stop by Family Central on the second floor of the Martin building, which has a kid friendly space where visitors can act out artwork stories in colorful costumes, build sculptures with wooden blocks, and decorate a miniature museum. We already said it, but it bears saying again: Visiting the art museum is totally free for kids, making it an affordable family friendly activity near Denver.
Children’s Museum of Denver
2121 Children’s Museum Dr., Denver, Colorado
- Cost: $18.75 for visitors 2-59, $16.75 for people over 60
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week
Denver has one of the best children’s museums in the country. Here, kids are encouraged to investigate, imagine, explore, and create in a space that includes everything from a mock fire station to a kid friendly grocery store to a special assembly plant where the entire family can build one-of-a-kind creations. Don’t sleep on the outdoor spaces either: From Joy Park (which has kid-sized versions of Colorado landmarks) and snow days, there’s no shortage of fun to be had at this spot that’s easily one of the best museums for kids in Denver and beyond.
Denver Firefighters Museum
1326 Tremont Pl., Denver, Colorado
- Cost: $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for children 3-12, and free for kids under 3
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
The Denver Firefighters Museum is one of the best children’s museums in the Mile High City, thanks to the variety of interactive exhibits just for their youngest visitors. A bonus? Many of these activities teach important lessons about fire safety. At this museum, kids can practice calling 911, dress up in their own bunking gear, and touch artifacts showcasing how Denver’s firefighters used to keep the city safe. Be sure to stop by Squirt’s Square, an interactive exhibit where you can practice your safe home escape as a family and practice other fire safety behaviors.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, Colorado
- Cost: $25.95 for adults, $20.95 for kids 3-18, and free for children under 3. Check out the website for the dates of free days and nights.
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day
Colorado kids have been visiting this spot for generations, and there’s a reason why this is considered one of the best museums for kids in Denver. Whether you want to check out dinosaur bones and mummies, explore the world through an incredible collection of dioramas, or find the hidden gnomes scattered throughout the displays, there’s something for everyone at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, whether you’re nine or 90 years old. In addition to the old classics, there’s also a constantly changing collection of special exhibits that are sure to bring you back again and again.
History Colorado Center
1200 N. Broadway, Denver, Colorado
- Cost: $15 for adults, free for children
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day
Colorado has a fascinating history, and all of it is on display at this spot that’s considered one of the top Denver museums for kids. The History Colorado Center has 15 exhibits spanning four floors that are interactive and entertaining for all generations. Learn about everything from Colorado in the 1990s to the history of Colfax, and be sure to stop by the Makerspace to explore Denver’s built environment through various hands-on activities.
Museum of Illusions
951 16th Street Mall, Denver, Colorado
- Cost: Starting at $23 per person
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Nothing is as it seems in this zany locale that happens to be one of the best Denver museums for kids. Plan to spend at least an hour exploring this collection of perspective-changing rooms, which feature a variety of interactive optical illusions that play tricks on your mind. This is certainly an experience that your kids will be talking about for the foreseeable future!
Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum
7711 East Academy Blvd. Denver, Colorado
- Cost: $19.95 for adults, $12.95 for children 4-16, free for children under 3
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays
With exhibits highlighting everything that’s awesome about the wonders of flight, it’s easy to understand how the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum is one of the best museums for kids in Denver. This Lowry museum features more than 100,000 square feet of aviation and space history, with kids getting the opportunity to get up close and personal with iconic aircraft, space vehicles, artifacts, military uniforms, and much, much more. Be sure to stop back often for an ever-changing lineup of exhibits — including the current one, which focuses on all things space!
Best Museums for Kids Near Denver
Colorado Railroad Museum
17155 W. 44th Ave., Golden, Colorado
- Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for kids 2-17, $8 for seniors over 60 (check the website for free admission days).
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays
The Colorado Railroad Museum is easily one of the best kid friendly museums near Denver. The reason? Who doesn’t love trains! Your kids can expend lots of energy while exploring the Colorado Railroad Museum’s 150-acre railyard, which is home to more than 100 locomotives, passenger and freight cars, cabooses, and a G-scale garden railway. Some of those are even open for kids to climb aboard and see what life was like on the railroad firsthand. And what’s a visit to a railroad museum without an actual train ride? Kids can catch a ride on a passenger car behind a narrow-gauge diesel locomotive every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dinosaur Ridge
16831 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, Colorado
- Cost: Free to walk. Guided bus tours are free for kids under 2, $14 for children ages 3-11, and $20 for everyone older than 12.
- Hours: The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the summer, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the winter. See a full list of hours and closures here.
Dinosaur Ridge has long been recognized as one of the best museums near Denver for kids. Learn about the giant creatures that once called the Front Range home at this interactive children’s museum not far from Morrison. The main visitor’s center includes numerous fossil replicas and even real bones belonging to giant long-necked dinosaurs. Meanwhile, younger kids can dig for souvenir fossils in the Benton Seaway Box, while their older counterparts can utilize their paleontology skills in the Backyard Bones pit. Be sure to walk the Dinosaur Ridge Trail to see a site with more than 300 dinosaur tracks — a spot that’s been ranked the No. 1 dinosaur track site in America. Pro tip: The walk up to the tracks is steep, and there’s no shade, so to avoid meltdowns with younger kids, the bus tour might be worth the money.
Mines Museum of Earth Science
1310 Maple St., Golden, Colorado
- Cost: Free!
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
The Mines Museum of Earth Science easily ranks as one of the best kid friendly museums in the area — and even better, it’s free! This space has more than 15,000 square feet of awesome rocks and fossils and even an indoor cave with glowing minerals. The kids are bound to be impressed by the Miss Colorado Crown, which has 600 gemstones and 21 diamonds. On your way out, make sure to take a short walk down the Bob Weimer trail and see real-life triceratops tracks. Between rocks and dinosaurs, this museum pretty much has everything kids love! This experience might even inspire your kids to get an engineering degree at the Colorado School of Mines.
WOW! Children’s Museum
110 N. Harrison Ave., Lafayette, Colorado
- Cost: $13 for kids 1-11, $7 for adults, and free for infants
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday
The WOW! Children’s Museum has long been considered one of the best museums near Denver for kids. The reason? No matter when you visit, there is no shortage of fun, interactive activities that everyone will enjoy. Exhibits include a create-space, wind room, bank that teaches practical skills like money handling and counting, clinic, community art garden, forest of light, and so much more. In addition to the daily activities, visitors can also sign up for numerous programs and classes catering to everyone from the littlest learners (including children and toddlers) to kids who prefer a sensory-friendly playtime.
