Museums On Colorado's Front Range That Kids Will Love
(credit: WOW! Children's Museum)
Museums don't always have to be a stuffy experience that kids don't enjoy. In fact, there are lots of great museums all over the Denver area that cater just to kids, and others that have plenty of hands-on fun perfect for children of all ages. Instead of spending another weekend inside playing video games, grab the whole family and check out one of these great museums in the area. Your kids will have a blast playing with all of the hands-on exhibits and they won't even realize just how much they are learning while they do it.
2121 Children's Museum Drive
Denver, CO 80211
(303) 433-7444
www.mychildsmuseum.org
There are a lot of reasons to visit the Children's Museum of Denver. You can enjoy watching your kids discover a lot of different exhibits as they learn and have tons of fun while doing it. With exhibits like "3,2,1 ... Blast Off" which has your kids building, launching and testing their own rockets to "The Art Studio" so your kids can get super messy while painting and learning about art, there is something for every child. There is even a huge backyard where your little explorers can crawl through an ant hill, up into a bird's nest or have fun in a treehouse. In fact, there is so much to do here that you may need more than one visit to see everything.
Related: Top Smaller-Scale Museums In Denver
110 N. Harrison Ave
Lafayette, CO 80026
(303) 604-2424
www.wowchildrensmuseum.org
The World of Wonder Children's Museum (or the WOW! Museum), is another great spot for your kids to learn and explore while having a ton of fun. It is a museum designed specifically for ages 15 months to 11 years with a variety of science, art and cultural exhibits to explore. Your kids will love the shows at the puppet theater and they'll have lots of fun checking out the Pirate Ship and Lighthouse. You can also take them to learn about bubbles or pulley chairs, or even light and shadow, banking or gardening. There is so much to do here. You'll have a blast watching your kids explore it all.
408 Mason Court
Fort Collins, CO 80524
(970) 221-6738
www.fcmod.org
If you have already spent lots of time checking out the children's museums in Denver, hop in the car and head up to Fort Collins to the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. This 16,000-square-foot gallery has several hands-on exhibits in an open floor plan that is perfect for your kids to dive in and learn. Check out the Music and Sound Lab where your kids can learn all about the physics of sound, the technology behind it and they'll even get to play with several different instruments including a theremin. Or head over to the Schatz Family Exploration Zone where you can dive hands first into scientific exhibits teaching all about color, light, air and motion in a totally new way. Your whole family is sure to love a visit to this fantastic museum.
10035 Peoria St.
Parker, CO 80134
(720) 488-3300
www.thewildlifeexperience.org
The Wildlife Experience takes all the fun of a museum but turns the focus onto animals, nature and the environment. There are lots of wonderful exhibits to check out that your kids are sure to love. Globeology is a huge 33,000-square-foot exhibit featuring the eight biomes of the earth. Your kids will get to see a 17-foot waterfall, learn about the Aurora Borealis, check out caves and reefs and so much more. There is also the Discovery Den, specifically for ages six to 12. It has lots of hands-on exhibits to explain things like erosion and the water cycle. There is even a series of videos that take your kids on an adventure through different animal habitats all over the world.
2001 Colorado Blvd.
Denver, CO 80205
(303) 370-6000
www.dmns.org
Many people are familiar with the amazing facility that is the Denver Museum of Nature and Science but you may not realize just how much there is for kids to enjoy at this huge Denver facility. Expedition Health is always a popular exhibit with kids, as it takes them through several different exhibits that show how their body works including looking at microscopic cells from their own bodies, getting to participate in a live demonstration and learning about all of their senses. Of course, lots of kids will want to check out just one thing: the dinosaurs. The Prehistoric Journey exhibit includes an 80-foot-long Diplodocus, an Allosaurus and a Stegosaurus, plus plenty of fossils available from touch carts that they can hold and examine themselves. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is a great way to spend a day together as a family in a museum that everyone is sure to enjoy.
Deborah Flomberg is a theater professional, freelance writer and Denver native. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
