Must-See Art & Museum Exhibitions

Discover why the Mile High City is the place to be when it comes to incredible arts and culture. You'll see blockbuster museum exhibitions on a rotating basis at world-class cultural institutions. For people with disabilities and their caregivers, see the accessibility information.

This Month | Film & Planetarium | Long-Running Exhibitions | Coming Soon

Blockbuster Exhibitions

The Tangled Self

WHEN: Now on View
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Created by Colorado artist Sadie Young with collaborators from Spectra Art Space, The Tangled Self attempts to make our inner monsters more approachable, asking us to reflect on the question: Why is it sometimes easier to see the negative parts of the self instead of embracing the positive? Step inside the enormous mouths of towering monsters, dodge playful tube creatures, and discover hidden and unexpected surprises in this colorful yarn and fiber-based installation. The "inner monsters" of the shadow self—feelings like rage, grief, fear, and shame—are tamed as viewers are invited to face and embrace these emotions as part of healing.

Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco

WHEN: Now on View
WHERE: Kirkland Institute of Fine & Decorative Art at the Denver Art Museum
Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco explores the dynamic designs that emerged during the rebellious years of 1920–1933. This exhibition invites visitors into two distinct spaces occupied by a progressive Prohibition-era woman: her boudoir and a speakeasy. Explore the Art Deco objects that filled these rooms and how they reflect a time of freedom and change. American women were enjoying more independence inside and outside the home. Cutting hair into a chic bob, wearing rouge on lips and cheeks, hosting cocktail parties, and publicly consuming alcohol and tobacco all reinforced what it meant to be a modern woman. American designers and manufacturers responded to these societal changes with fashionable perfume atomizers and vanity sets and drinking and smoking accessories in the latest styles.

The Secret World of Elephants

WHEN: Thru Jan. 25, 2026
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
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 the African savanna, get ready to be amazed by elephants’ incredible intelligence and fascinating history—and inspired to help protect their future.

The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro’s Impressionism 

WHEN: Thru Feb. 8, 2026
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro’s Impressionism is the first major U.S. retrospective of Camille Pissarro, known as "the first impressionist," in more than 40 years. A versatile artist, Pissarro embodied the role of insider, contributing to the establishment of Impressionism as a coherent avant-garde phenomenon while maintaining his artistic independence as he eschewed his peers’ choice of upper-class subject matter to depict scenes of the mundane. The Honest Eye reflects this dichotomy, while selections from Pissarro’s letters provide insights into his artistic process and worldview more broadly.

Water, Water on the Wall, You’re the Fairest of Them All

WHEN: Thru Feb. 15, 2026
WHERE: MCA Denver
Presenting works in a range of mediums — including sculpture, photography, drawing, and bookmaking — Roni Horn’s solo exhibition is the first to focus exclusively on the concept of water. Including signature works from her oeuvre, such as You are the Weather, Part 2 (2010 – 11), a series of 100 photographs of a woman submerged in various geothermal pools across Iceland; a series of never-before-exhibited cast glass sculptures, whose reflective surfaces allude to a pool of water; and books from To Place, an ongoing series of encyclopedic publications initiated in 1989, which address the artist’s relationship between identity and place. 

Brick Planet: A Magical Journey Made with LEGO® Bricks

WHEN: Thru May 3, 2026
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Brick Planet: A Magical Journey Made with LEGO® Bricks takes you on an imaginative journey around the world through the lens of artist Sean Kenney’s sculptures built with LEGO® bricks. Explore our planet’s unique ecosystems, brought to life through colorful, playful environments where nature provides the building blocks for creative inspiration and scientific discovery. From towering polar bears and coral reefs to bustling cities and African savannas, you will feel a renewed sense of wonder for the rich balance of life that binds ecosystems and their inhabitants. Enjoy plenty of hands-on opportunities, from building LEGO® brick creations to sketching journals and playing a magnetized game.

'Tell Clyfford I Said ‘Hi’': An Exhibition Curated by Children of the Colville Confederated Tribes

WHEN: Thru May 10, 2026
WHERE: Clyfford Still Museum
The exhibition is co-curated with youth from the Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington State. It highlights the perspectives of Colville children on Clyfford Still’s depictions of their ancestors and their home, as well as his abstract works. Installed in all nine of the museum’s galleries, the exhibition investigates six themes identified by the co-curators: Family & Culture, Connection, Imagination, the Outside, Love, and Paint & Color.

Moments That Made US

WHEN: Thru Oct. 18, 2026
WHERE: History Colorado Center
See more than 40 artifacts that shaped the United States, including ceramics made by Ancestral Puebloan people long before Europeans arrived in North America, tobacco pipes used by the colonists in Jamestown, the spurs George Washington wore at Valley Forge, the inkwell used by Grant and Lee to sign the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House, Jackie Robinson’s bat, moon rocks from Apollo 11 and more.

This Month

Dana Hart-Stone & Sam Scott

WHEN: Thru Jan. 10, 2026
WHERE: William Havu Gallery
In Unfamiliar Outposts, Dana Hart-Stone appropriates vintage vernacular photographs of life in the American West to create intricately patterned works on canvas laced with collective memory and nostalgia. Painter Sam Scott is known internationally for his monumental abstract oil paintings collected in the U.S. and Europe. In Trees Dream of Water, inspired by the same high desert terrain of New Mexico that captivated Georgia O’Keeffe, Scott created the sequence in vibrant hues that reverberate with the passion and energy of O’Keeffe’s landscapes while reflecting his distinct artistic sensibility.

Five Concurrent Solo Exhibitions in Abstraction

WHEN: Thru Jan. 10, 2026
WHERE: Robischon Gallery
Unified through a strong architectural sense, Robischon Gallery is pleased to present five concurrent solo exhibitions in abstraction, featuring sculpture by Ted Larsen (NM) and Pard Morrison (CO) and paintings by Marcelyn McNeil (TX), Jason Karolak (NY) and Lloyd Martin (RI). The accomplished artists on view offer a kind of shared approach toward their medium where sculpture meets a sophisticated painterly eye and painted compositions reveal a kinship with geometric form. Presenting highly dimensional, potent wall sculpture and impactful free-standing sculpture alongside captivating paintings of varied scale and tenor, the five solo exhibitions invite invigorating engagement and thoughtful contemplation.

Rosas y Revelaciones

WHEN: Thru Jan. 11, 2026
WHERE: Museo de las Americas
Since 1531, the Virgin of Guadalupe has shaped Mexico’s culture and art. Textile artist Linda Hanna commissioned artisans to create garments inspired by their faith. This exhibition highlights Mexico’s rich textile traditions and the Virgin’s enduring influence.

All In!

WHEN: Thru Jan. 11, 2026
WHERE: SYNC Gallery
Sync Gallery's members show, All In! reflects our collective commitment to art. Each member artist's work is a broad personal expression of ideas, emotions, perceptions, and our collective place in the community. The work also reflects each artist's way of processing the events of this past year.

All Mixed Up

WHEN: Thru Jan. 11, 2026
WHERE: Niza Knoll Gallery
Niza Knoll Gallery presents the second of two shows from The Mix, a co-op of artists usually located in the back of the gallery at 915 Santa Fe Drive, but who, once a year, share their work throughout the entire gallery. The exhibition, entitled All Mixed Up, features Mark Friday, Aliki McCain, Kristy Melodia and Paula Romero Schmitt.

Harmonious Dissonance

WHEN: Thru Jan. 11, 2026
WHERE: RedLine Contemporary Art Center
Harmonious Dissonance celebrates the five-decade career of American artist and one of RedLine’s first Resource Artists, Bruce Price.
Known primarily as a painter, this exhibition—Price’s largest and most comprehensive—will consider not only significant painting series made since the 1980s, but also his lesser-known activities in sculpture, drawing, collage and installation.

Open For Discussion: Stories from a Woman’s Perspective

WHEN: Thru Jan. 11, 2026
WHERE: D'art Gallery LLC
This series of black-and-white images was produced on a standard office photocopier, which is, after all, just a giant camera. Artist Carrie MaKenna placed her face, hands, and props on the copier glass to create an array of imaginary characters in various scenes, telling stories about women’s experiences in America today. They've been edited only for size and color saturation, then printed in full color on archival paper using a laser printer.

She Makes an Impression: Colorado Women Take a Look at Themselves

WHEN: Thru Jan. 11, 2026
WHERE: D'art Gallery LLC
The Colorado Women’s Art Museum (CWAM) is mounting a first-ever invitational exhibition of self-portraits created exclusively by Colorado woman-identifying artists. She Makes an Impression: Colorado Women Take a Look at Themselves explores original artwork and fine craft from over 60 Colorado women artists. Artists were invited to submit a self-portrait from any time in their lives that represents them or something about themselves. Rather than all straightforward, obvious representations of heads and shoulders, you’ll find representational, realistic, abstract and completely non-representational styles of artwork in a wide variety of physical media, including painting, printmaking, ceramics, fiber, mosaic, photography and more.

Artists on Santa Fe’s 38th Annual Holiday Exhibition

WHEN: Thru Jan. 12, 2026
WHERE: Artists On Santa Fe
Discover an inspired collection of original artworks around every corner: vibrant contemporary paintings, eye-catching jewelry, delightful sculptures, original prints and fiber art. You’ll also find a range of ceramics that blend beauty and function. Each item is thoughtfully made and many works are sized perfectly for gifting—and available at prices that make giving and collecting easy and enjoyable.

Saints and Santos: Picturing the Holy

WHEN: Thru Jan. 16, 2026
WHERE: CHAC Gallery
Step into one of the oldest living folk-art traditions in the United States—an expressive world where devotional art brings divine icons, Catholic patron saints and sacred symbols to life. Immerse yourself in the beauty of Santos, Retablos, and the deep-rooted traditions of Southwest Religious Art, all created by passionate local artists who keep these centuries-old practices alive and glowing.

Perfectly Lost

WHEN: Thru Jan. 17, 2026
WHERE: Walker Fine Art
This group exhibition beckons us back to our innate curiosity—a call to explore freely and rediscover wonder in the everyday. Through installations, paintings and mixed media, six artists reflect on how our environment can gently shape us, offering a space for healing, inspiration and transformation. Rooted in the richness of the natural world and guided by a deep sensitivity to color and material, their work evokes moments suspended beyond time and place, inviting us to slow down and simply be.

Tiny Art, Big Ideas: 350+ Artists For A Good Cause!

WHEN: Thru Jan. 26, 2026
WHERE: Spectra Art Space
More than 350 artists, one mission! Embark on an enchanting journey with Spectra Art Space as they present the ninth installment of Tiny Art, Big Ideas. This unique showcase draws inspiration from life's small yet profound moments, underscoring the beauty found in every breath. With the intention for patrons and artists alike to remember the little things in life are worth living for! Prepare to be captivated by the minuscule wonders, as all featured artworks will be no larger than 6x6x6. From intricate paintings and sculptures to delicate jewelry, stickers, ornaments, pins, and more - this exhibit promises a diverse array of mini masterpieces!

Botanical Illustration Showcase

WHEN: Thru Feb. 8, 2026
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens
Discover intricate botanical illustrations by graduates of the School of Botanical Art & Illustration in this pop-up exhibition showcased on the Ming Bridge of the Freyer – Newman Center.

The Bombing of United 629

WHEN: Thru Feb. 8, 2026
WHERE: History Colorado Center
Created in collaboration with the Denver Police Museum, The Bombing of United 629 explores the enduring legacy of this tragic event while serving as a tribute to all who were lost. Having occurred 70 years ago, the bombing of United 629 was the first confirmed case of sabotage against a commercial airliner in the U.S. The subsequent investigation set new standards for forensic science in crash investigations, revealing that John Gilbert Graham planted dynamite in his mother’s suitcase. This tragedy not only led to a landmark ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court, which allowed the trial to be televised and paved the way for greater media access to courtrooms nationally, but also prompted stricter passenger safety policies for air travel.

Metaphorming TIME: A Selection of Artworks by Todd Siler

WHEN: Thru Feb. 13, 2026
WHERE: Museum of Outdoor Arts
This exhibition showcases a selection of Todd Siler’s paintings, sculptures, drawings, monotypes and artist’s books—works he calls “Metaphorms.” Rooted in the creative processes of the human brain, Siler’s art fuses symbolic language, metaphor and invention to explore time as the universal connector linking all aspects of life. Through neural-inspired textures and thought-provoking imagery, Siler examines humanity’s past, present and future: how we confront urgent global challenges, how civilizations rise and fall and how creativity can shape a more sustainable future.

A Constant Sky

WHEN: Thru Feb. 16, 2026
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
A Constant Sky is the first museum survey of mixed-media visual artist Andrea Carlson. Carlson creates works that challenge the colonial narratives presented by modern artists, museum collections and cannibal genre horror films. Utilizing a combination of text and complex visual references to animals, art objects and cultural belongings, Carlson creates prismatic landscapes that foil American landscape genre painting.

The Disappearance of Thomas Riha

WHEN: Thru March 15, 2026
WHERE: History Colorado Center
CU Boulder Russian history professor Thomas Riha vanished on March 15, 1969. He’s never been found. Was it the FBI? The CIA? Russian intelligence? Or a mysterious woman who left a trail of lies in her wake? The Disappearance of Thomas Riha invites you to investigate this unique Colorado cold case. Riha vanished during the Cold War, raising questions about possible links to international espionage. For the first time, see original documents, photos, and artifacts from key suspects and intelligence agencies relating to Riha’s disappearance. From Boulder and Washington, DC, to Moscow and Prague, History Colorado Center asks you to dig into the files and examine the evidence. What do you think happened to Thomas Riha?

Agave: Symbol and Spirit

WHEN: Thru March 22, 2026
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens
Agave: Symbol and Spirit tells the story of the plant’s many practical and spiritual uses, past and present, revealing its deep roots in Mexican culture. From fiber for clothing, building materials and paper, to fermented drinks for ritual (and recreational) purposes, the many uses of agave span millennia—immerse yourself in the surprising influences of this versatile plant. Artworks in the exhibit are on loan from the Museo de las Americas, Denver.

Xochimilco: Works by Eduardo Robledo Romero

WHEN: Thru March 22, 2026
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens
Eduardo Robledo Romero’s artworks highlight the complex ties that bind Mexican culture to the natural world through both Indigenous and European beliefs. Robledo’s artworks draw on cultural traditions from his hometown of Xochimilco, Mexico, as well as his own personal experiences to explore the spiritual power of plants, animals and the endless natural cycles of birth and death. 

Nourished: Works by Jazz Holmes

WHEN: Thru March 22, 2026
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens
Southern-born, Colorado-based artist Jazz Holmes creates large-scale paintings that depict ingredients and recipes beloved throughout the American South. Revealing hidden stories about cultivation and its influence on culinary traditions, Holmes’s work highlights plants and the people who have been growing and cooking them for centuries. Embark on a journey through a joyful story about agriculture, personal history and cultural connections and discover how the food that sustains us is rooted in labor and love.

Ms. Destiny

WHEN: Thru March 29, 2026
WHERE: Center for Colorado Women's History
Throughout history, Colorado women have forged opportunity out of scarcity as they created lives they desired. Ms. Destiny highlights the stories of seven unique and resilient Colorado women who took fate into their hands, overcame barriers and defined their realities. Through the lenses of relationship, financial access and occupation, and presentation, Ms. Destiny explores the self-determination and tenacity of women in the Centennial State.

Expedition 1776

WHEN: Thru April 12, 2026
WHERE: History Colorado Center
In 1776, two Franciscan priests named Domínguez and Escalante set out from Santa Fe into territory unknown, lands claimed by Spain but controlled by the Tribes who called it home. With Indigenous guides and the help of Native tribes, the Padres and their party of 12 navigated harsh terrain, mapped vital trade routes, and documented Native cultures that had thrived in the region for centuries before Europeans arrived. Carefully selected artifacts, accounts from Escalante’s journal, and stunning landscape photographs will invite visitors to retrace the journey. 

Brick Planet: A Magical Journey Made With Lego Bricks

WHEN: Thru May 3, 2026
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Embark on a global journey alongside artist Sean Kenney, discovering how the beauty of our planet inspires art. Along the way, learn amazing scientific facts and explore one-of-a-kind sculptures. Take a voyage at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science into the natural world through the lens of science and art and see what inspires you! 

Fuse Box: Sarah Sze

WHEN: Thru July 31, 2026
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Fuse Box: Sarah Sze presents a recently acquired new media art installation by internationally recognized artist and 2003 MacArthur Fellow Sarah Sze. In Sleepers, a six-channel video installation, moving images are projected onto over 300 hand-torn paper screens suspended from parallel lines of string. Sze’s visuals of landscapes, still-lifeism and portraits celebrate the mundane and the extraordinary, the personal and the universal, the eternal and the ephemeral, exploring our relationship with an ever-changing digital world.

Traqueros: Mexican Trackworkers and the American Railroad

WHEN: Thru Aug. 1, 2026
WHERE: Colorado Railroad Museum
Traqueros: Mexican Trackworkers and the American Railroad is a new exhibit that examines the little-known story of traqueros, Mexican and Mexican American railroad workers who were recruited to build and expand the U.S. railroad network from the mid-19th to the early 20th century.

38th Star: Colorado Becomes the Centennial State

WHEN: Thru Sept. 6, 2026
WHERE: History Colorado Center
On August 1, 1876, Colorado became the Centennial State—but we almost didn’t. It took five tries and more than 15 years for Colorado to become a state. This exhibition explores Colorado’s long road to statehood. Our first four attempts at statehood throughout the 1860s were derailed by questions like who should be allowed to vote and what policies the government should adopt. Southern Coloradans found themselves in a new territory they had never asked to be in, and Native people living across Colorado were displaced from their homelands. Each attempt at statehood faced challenges of politics and power as factions sought to build consensus for a new state.

Big Dreams in Denver’s Little Saigon

WHEN: Thru Oct. 5, 2026
WHERE: History Colorado Center
Beginning in the 1980s, Southeast and East Asian refugees and immigrants transformed a pocket of Denver into a vibrant hub of culture, commerce and belonging. Bustling markets offered a taste of home with familiar ingredients and goods. Restaurants introduced phở, the popular Vietnamese noodle soup, and other beloved dishes to Colorado. This exhibition, created in partnership with Colorado Asian Pacific United, showcases the experiences and memories that make the Little Saigon Business District unique. Visitors can appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells that define Little Saigon and see how this dynamic community continues to inspire, delight and bring people together.

Guest of Honor: Rembrandt

WHEN: Thru Feb. 6, 2027
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
A masterpiece by Rembrandt van Rijn titled A Woman Holding a Pink and an additional portrait of Rembrandt, likely painted by his studio, are on view in the European Art Before 1800 galleries (on the 6th level of the museum’s Martin Building) as part of the National Gallery’s “Across the Nation” program. The collaboration, which brings some of the most important and beloved works of art to communities across the country, is part of the NGA’s program commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States of America in 2026. 

Catalysts

WHEN: Thru March 1, 2027
WHERE: Buell Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts Complex
The Denver Theatre District (DTD) presents Catalysts, a community artwork by renowned British-American artist Jann Haworth. Catalysts features a collage of 34 stenciled portraits of behind-the-scenes individuals who are integral to the success and vibrancy of Denver arts and culture, as selected by participating arts organizations. Each participating arts organization selected an honoree to be recognized and submitted an essay highlighting their remarkable contributions. See it on the side of the Buell Theatre on Champa Street between 13th Street and 14th Street.

A Century of Art in Latin America

WHEN: Thru June 15, 2027
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
From soaring mountains and scorching deserts to sprawling forests and splendid beaches, Latin America is a vast place. As a concept, it tries to contain cultures and landscapes with millennia of differing histories under one name. Works that artists from Latin America created during the 20th and current 21st century showcase a range of practices as complex as the places they call home. While previous exhibitions have centered around a single art movement, such as Surrealism or Abstraction, A Century of Art in Latin America offers a broader and more inclusive exploration of the rich and varied artistic trends across the region, encompassing an array of styles, time periods, nationalities and mediums, and presenting a comprehensive survey of Latin American art throughout the past 100 years.

Film & Planetarium

'Encounters in the Milky Way'

WHEN: Thru Jan. 9, 2026 
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Discover the chance encounters that have shaped our place in the universe. Narrated by Pedro Pascal, “Encounters in the Milky Way” presents spectacular moments from the past and future of our solar system—including the orbits of stars, comets, interstellar debris and dazzling clouds of gas and dust. For the first time ever, discover the dramatic, ongoing merger between our galaxy and a smaller satellite galaxy, visualized in stunning detail. Created by a team of space scientists, artists and visualization experts, “Encounters in the Milky Way” is based on real data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission—one of the coolest space projects ever! 

'Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity'

WHEN: Thru Jan. 9, 2026 
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
In this Museum-produced show, zip through other-worldly wormholes, experience the creation of the Milky Way Galaxy and witness the violent death of a star and the subsequent birth of a black hole. Mathematical equations, cutting-edge science and Einstein's theories fill in holes along the way, providing the most complete picture yet on this mysterious phenomenon. Can you feel the pull?

'Destination Solar System'

WHEN: Thru Jan. 9, 2026 
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Explore space like never before in the live show "Destination Solar System"! This out-of-this-world tour, departing from Gates Planetarium, takes place on board the Space Express. Travel hundreds of millions of miles in just seconds with Jesse, an enthusiastic, knowledgeable—but inexperienced—tour guide, and Max, a highly advanced, fully integrated onboard computer. Tours of the hottest hot spots and the coldest, stormiest and most spectacular sights in the solar system await curious space explorers of all ages.

'Great Solar System Adventure'

WHEN: Thru Jan. 9, 2026 
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Join showman extraordinaire "The Great Schiaparelli" as he takes the audience on a death-defying space-time adventure within his wondrous Observatorium. From the sun-scorched surface of Mercury to the icy expanses of Pluto and beyond, prepare to be subjected to the myriad dangers and wonders of our solar system on a breathtaking tour that reveals just how precious our home planet really is.

Long-Running & Permanent Exhibitions

The Sand Creek Massacre: The Betrayal that Changed Cheyenne and Arapaho People Forever

WHERE: History Colorado Center
The Sand Creek Massacre was the deadliest day in Colorado’s history, and it changed the Cheyenne and Arapaho people forever. At sunrise on November 29, 1864, the U.S. Army attacked a camp of mostly women, children and elders on Big Sandy Creek in southeastern Colorado. The soldiers murdered more than 230 peaceful people. This exhibition tells the history of that betrayal from the perspectives of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal representatives, drawn from oral histories passed down for generations. Cheyenne and Arapaho people continue living with the unresolved trauma the massacre left behind. For many Cheyenne and Arapaho people, the Sand Creek Massacre isn’t just history; it’s family history.

Colorado Stories

WHERE: History Colorado Center
From the mountains to the plains to the plateaus, Colorado’s people are as diverse as the places they call home. Colorado Stories is a community-based suite of exhibits with media- and artifact-rich galleries exploring the many ways Coloradans have created community. 

Denver A to Z

WHERE: History Colorado Center
Denverites know that the Mile High City is like no other on Earth. But what really makes Denver Denver? Denver A to Z taps into the essence of Denver letter by letter—“A” for adrenaline, “Z” for zombies, and everything in between. Discover the heart, the art, the whimsy, and the energy of Denver’s people, places, and moments in this lighthearted and immersive exhibit.

Destination Colorado

WHERE: History Colorado Center
Welcome to Keota, Colorado: the Arcadia of the Plains. It’s 1918 and the American Dream awaits. This High Plains community’s residents greet you at the depot on life-sized media screens and show you their town, sharing triumphs and challenges. Meet the people who homesteaded and settled this watering stop along the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy rail line—the “Prairie Dog Express.” Residents farmed, built a school, and cheered their sports teams with passion, but prairie life was never easy. Enroll in Keota’s high school. Shop from a Montgomery Ward catalog and buy goods from a general store. Take a virtual joy ride down a bumpy country road in a Model T and get cultured on outhouse culture! Milk a model cow, collect eggs in the barn, and climb into the hayloft and slide back down again.

Borderlands of Southern Colorado

WHERE: History Colorado Center
Presented in English and Spanish, Borderlands explores the shifting geopolitical history of southern Colorado. This area framed by mountains and rivers is naturally conducive to unique and resilient forms of cultural connection. An international border crossed over the people in this region, changing their lives forever, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo moved a portion of the US–Mexico border from the Arkansas River—which flows through the middle of Colorado—down to the Rio Grande in 1848.

Living West

WHERE: History Colorado Center
Colorado’s environment has shaped human history. At the same time, people’s choices have shaped the land. Journey into the deep relationships between Colorado's people and its land through three stories: life at Mesa Verde 800 years ago, the 1930s Dust Bowl on the southeastern plains, and today’s Rocky Mountains.

Forty Years on the ’Fax

WHERE: History Colorado Center
Take a nostalgic ride down Colfax, with stops at the quirky and memorable places that gave the street its worldwide reputation. From its birth as US Highway 40 in 1926 until I-70 diverted traffic away from it in the ’60s, “America’s Main Street” boomed with tourist attractions. See relics from the glory days of “America’s longest, wickedest street,” like neon signs from Across the Street Cafe and Sid King’s Crazy Horse Bar, matchbooks from hundreds of famous businesses, and menus, glasses, and dishware from restaurants Denverites dined in for decades. Guest curated by Jonny “the Velvet Elvis” Barber, Forty Years on the ’Fax features objects from the Colfax Museum collection. 

What's Your Story?

WHERE: History Colorado Center
Each of us is on a journey toward making a difference. Come explore your superpower and those of Coloradans past, present, and future. Find out how they made an impact on our state, whether by fighting school segregation or being a world-class athlete. See how your experience compares to the challenges and opportunities faced by generations of Coloradans before you. Through one-of-a-kind multimedia experiences, you and your friends can tell the world what’s important to you, and share it on the big screen for all to see. 

Written on the Land

WHERE: History Colorado Center
Hear the story of Colorado’s longest continuous residents, told in their own voices. Take a journey to iconic Colorado places the Ute people call home. You’ll see traditional arts, gorgeous photography, and contemporary video showing how Ute people have adapted and persevered through the centuries. Witness the tragic loss of Ute homelands and see efforts to keep Ute culture and language alive today.

Zoom In

WHERE: History Colorado Center
Zoom in on 100 powerful artifacts to see how Colorado became Colorado. Culled from the vast collections of History Colorado, every object on view had a role in shaping our state—from the age of the Paleoindians to Jack Swigert’s Apollo 13 flight suit and beyond.

The Civil War Monument "On Guard"

WHERE: History Colorado Center
Lonnie Bunch, the first African American and first historian to serve as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, said, “what you really want to do is use the statues as teachable moments. Some of these need to go. But others need to be taken into a park, into a museum, into a warehouse, and interpreted for people, because they’re part of our history."

Makerspace

WHERE: History Colorado Center
History Colorado's hands-on Makerspace welcomes all museum visitors at no extra charge. Designed for safety and fun, guests of all ages can explore Denver’s built environment through a variety of hands-on activities.

Lincoln Hills: Mountain Sanctuary

WHERE: History Colorado Center
The History Colorado Center is proud to announce updates to the Lincoln Hills section of the Colorado Stories gallery. This opportunity to highlight recreation and joy for the African American community in Colorado enriches our storytelling of the Black West. Additions to the exhibition include early 20th-century recreational gear, photographs and newly collected oral histories. The exhibition also features Wink's Lodge, the central social hub of Lincoln Hills, and celebrates its designation as a National Historic Landmark in 2023. 

Sustained! The Persistent Genius of Indigenous Art

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Sustained! The Persistent Genius of Indigenous Art explores how Indigenous peoples’ resilience, diversity and creativity have sustained them throughout time. The exhibition centers Indigenous voices, perspectives and artistic expressions past and present, and is a celebration of Indigenous contributions to the arts and the museum over the past 100 years. The exhibition was developed in conjunction with a panel of seven Indigenous community members who, through a series of meetings, shared with the museum’s Native Arts curatorial team what type of exhibition would be meaningful to themselves and their communities. 

The 19th Century in European and American Art

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
This exhibition features mostly French paintings and, in particular, landscapes. This is not accidental, as Paris became the art center of Europe during the 1800s, and landscape, once considered among the least prestigious genres in painting for its lack of moral content, flourished as one of the most expressive and collected subjects.

Ink & Thread 

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Ancient painter-scribes in Mesoamerica recorded histories, genealogies and prophecies in the pages of painted manuscripts known as codices. Ink & Thread: Codices and the Art of Storytelling explores the visual language of both ancient American codices and contemporary examples by Mexican artist Enrique Chagoya. Like the ancient examples, Chagoya’s codices feature superheroes, offer histories of conquest and survival through a wry, tongue-in-cheek lens. Chagoya’s codices, along with graphic interventions by Eric Garcia, reclaim and amplify this ancient tradition for contemporary audiences. The gallery additionally features the Tillett Tapestry of the Conquest of Mexico by British-American textile designer Leslie Tillett, a monumental work that replicates scenes from surviving Central Mexican and Maya codices and recounts the Conquest of Mexico. A recent gift of Tillett’s preparatory studies provides rare insight into his extensive research process.

Arts of Africa Gallery

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
The Arts of Africa gallery showcases highlights from the museum’s collection, which encompasses about 800 objects, largely from the 19th and 20th centuries, across media—including painting, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and jewelry, as well as recent acquisitions of contemporary art. The updated presentation, spanning 2,300 square feet on level 4 of the Hamilton Building, centers a collection that illustrates the diversity, relevance, and dynamism of creativity and culture across Africa. The gallery presents an expansive and inclusive view of the arts from the African continent with works from the sub-Sahara, Egypt and North Africa organized around three anchoring themes: the self, power and transformation, and manifestation.

Arts of Asia Galleries

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
The Asian art collection encompasses rare and important artworks from East Asia (China, Korea and Japan), South and Southeast Asia, and Central and West Asia. Its holdings of some 7,000 objects span nearly six millennia, from prehistoric to contemporary art. The collection boasts strengths in Chinese textiles from the Qing dynasty, South and Southeast Asian sculpture, ceramics from across the region, East Asian bamboo art, Japanese Edo period painting and twentieth-century prints. The reimagined galleries showcase a breathtaking display of over 800 artworks collectively tracing visible and invisible links across time and space in the arts of Asia.

Arts of the Ancient Americas Galleries

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
The breadth of these collections, among the most comprehensive in the United States, encompass more than 1,000 rare works that present the expansive history of artistic creation in Latin America over 3,500 years of art and culture, revealing trends, relationships and discontinuities between art created in the region. This reinstallation focuses on three major geographic zones: Mesoamerica, Central America and the Andes. While the collection primarily focuses on objects produced prior to the arrival of Europeans, the gallery incorporates several contemporary works that engage with ancient practices and materials, highlighting connections between past and present.

European Art before 1800 Galleries

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
The Davis W. Moore Galleries dedicate nearly 7,000 square feet to European Art before 1800, featuring approximately 65 works drawn from the museum’s collection of European art to present a chronological history through major themes. The installation traces the development of stylistic themes as they evolved over time, from the golden surfaces of Christian altarpieces of the 1300s and 1400s, to the grand and dramatic portraits of the 1600s, and the ideal landscapes of the late 1700s. The new gallery presentation is enhanced by the inclusion of select works from the Berger Collection, a group of notable British artworks gifted to the museum in 2018 by the Berger Collection Educational Trust.

Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Encompassing 16,000 square feet across two floors, the newly installed Modern and Contemporary Art galleries feature selections from the museum’s collection of approximately 7,000 artworks made between 1900 and today, as well as from collecting areas in African arts, Indigenous arts of North America, Latin American art, photography and textile art and fashion. Showcasing artists from around the globe, the reinstall looks anew at the work of historically recognized figures, established contemporary artists and important emerging voices. Organized by theme rather than chronology, the reinstallation acknowledges and transcends art historical movements, showcasing visual connections and common interests.

Northwest Coast and Alaska Native Art Galleries

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
The Northwest Coast and Alaska Native arts collection is on view in a reimagined, immersive gallery space that showcases works by Indigenous artists from the western coastal region of North America, stretching from Puget Sound to southeastern Alaska. Featuring more than 80 objects, the gallery presents a range of artists and creative histories from the region, emphasizing individual artists as creators while also tracing the ongoing continuum and dynamic innovation of Indigenous artists into the present day. Expanding upon this approach, visitors have the opportunity to explore several spaces that highlight the communities and places that ground artists and their practices.

Indigenous Arts of North America Galleries

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum dedicates more than 20,000 square feet of gallery space to its unparalleled Indigenous Arts of North America collection. Featuring more than 18,000 objects ranging from ancient Puebloan and Mississippian ceramics to 19th-century beaded garments and carved masks to cutting-edge contemporary paintings, sculpture, photography and variable media art, the DAM holds one of the most comprehensive collections from this region in existence—with particular strengths in art from the Plains and the Southwest, as well as works from the Great Lakes, Northeast and Subarctic regions.

Latin American Art Galleries

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
The Latin American Art gallery offers insights into more than five centuries of the shared stories of conquered and conquerors, and the arts that originated from a colonial situation of great complexity, featuring more than 3,000 works from Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Southwestern United States. Meanwhile, the John and Sandy Fox Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art gallery is dedicated to the museum’s acquisitions of modern and contemporary Latin American art, bridging the cultural narratives of the present and future and portraying a region in constant evolution.

Western American Art Galleries

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
The Western American Art galleries are a culmination of the Petrie Institute of Western American Art’s ambitious program and strategy. The Petrie Institute’s collection of Western American art has particular strengths in the Taos Society of Artists, Early Modernism, and 19th-century bronze sculpture. Today, it stands as one of the finest collections of its kind and, because of its unique location in the Rocky Mountain West, allows the Denver Art Museum to tell the story of American art from a Western perspective

Perfectly Imperfect: Korean Buncheong Ceramics

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Sophisticated, playful and engaging, buncheong ceramics became a uniquely Korean art form in the late 14th to 16th centuries. Elements of the buncheong style have remained relevant in modern and contemporary Korean art and have influenced other artistic expressions. Its refined and rustic aesthetic has been admired by generations of potters and artists in Korea and across the world. Co-organized with the National Museum of Korea (NMK), this exhibition features more than 70 exquisite works of Korean Buncheong ceramics from the 15th century to today, renowned for their white slip and adorned with diverse surface decorative techniques. It also includes four 20th- and 21st-century paintings as well as 16 drawings by five painters.

Gio Ponti: Designer of a Thousand Talents

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Gio Ponti was one of the most inventive Italian architects and designers of his time. For more than 60 years, Ponti’s exuberant approach found expression in public and private commissions from buildings, interiors, and furniture to glass, ceramics and flatware. In 1928, Ponti founded the magazine Domus, and through its pages, he influenced international design for over 50 years. These diverse and prolific achievements led to Ponti’s hiring in 1965, at the age of 74, to collaborate with Denver-based James Sudler Associates on the design of a new building for the Denver Art Museum. Gio Ponti: Designer of a Thousand Talents showcases objects from the museum's Architecture and Design collection. This collection encompasses one of the most preeminent modern and contemporary design collections of any comprehensive museum in the U.S., featuring a broad range of design practices, including architecture, furniture and industrial and graphic design.

Ink & Thread: Codices and the Art of Storytelling

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Ancient painter-scribes in Mesoamerica recorded histories, genealogies and prophecies in the pages of painted manuscripts known as codices. Ink & Thread explores the visual language of both ancient American codices and contemporary examples by Mexican artist Enrique Chagoya. Like the ancient examples, Chagoya’s codices feature superheroes, offer histories of conquest and survival through a wry, tongue-in-cheek lens.

Painting in the Andes

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
During the colonial period in the Andes, five main centers of artistic production flourished: Bogotá, Quito, Lima, Cuzco and Potosí. Featuring works from historic DAM collections as well as loans from the extensive collection of the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation, Painting in the Andes explores these regional schools as they reached their apex of creativity and innovation from the late 1600s to the late 1700s. Influenced by a blend of European and Indigenous artistic traditions, these schools produced vibrant and distinctive styles of painting that continue to captivate audiences today.

Rupprecht Matthies: ¿Being Home?

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Rupprecht Matthies is interested in the power of language and shared creative processes to engage and inspire communities. Drawn from the museum’s permanent collection and reconceived by the artist for installation in the Hirschfeld Atrium, ¿Being Home? is a community-generated artwork that comprises words transformed into colorful mobiles and wall pieces.

Southwest Impressions

WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Southwest Impressions: Prints from the Barbara J. Thompson Collection, on view in the Western American Art galleries, highlights works on paper by artists who lived or traveled in the American Southwest during the late 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, drawing inspiration from the region's unique landscapes, people, architecture and animals. The exhibition celebrates Barbara J. Thompson’s collection of more than 100 prints gifted to the Petrie Institute of Western American Art (PIWAA) in 2024 in honor of her grandfather, the printmaker C. A. Seward.

Wildlife Halls

WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)
From Alaska to Argentina, Africa to Australia, more than 90 wildlife and habitat scenes illustrate our planet's amazing diversity as animals big and small come to life in exquisitely detailed dioramas that transport you around the world. 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.

Egyptian Mummies

WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)
Explore the lives and deaths of two female mummies on display in the Egyptian Mummies gallery. An interactive touch table digitally unwraps the mummies and allows you to focus on key features. You will also see an exhibit about animal mummies, including a baby crocodile mummy once presumed to be empty. Tomb artifacts, a model of an Egyptian temple, and a facial reconstruction of one of the women’s skulls round out the exhibition.

Expedition Health

WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)
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.

Gems and Minerals

WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)
Follow a 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.

Prehistoric Journey

WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)
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!

Space Odyssey

WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)
Future astronauts and inquisitive humans will have a place to discover answers to out-of-this-world questions like, “How do we know how many stars are in our galaxy when we can’t see them all?” “How do you put the brakes on in space?” And, “How do we know what the far side of the Moon looks like if it never faces Earth?”   

Konovalenko: Gem Carvings of Russian Folklife

WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)
See the only Vasily Konovalenko gem sculptures on public display outside of Moscow, Russia. Konovalenko 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. In 1957, while working at the Mariinsky 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. He continued to make gem sculptures throughout the 1960s and 1970s. 

Discovery Zone

WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)
The Discovery Zone is bursting with activities that help build a strong foundation of science skills in young children as they look, ask, discover, make and share.

'Immersive Voyager' VR Experience

WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)
Dive with sharks, swim alongside humpback whales and come face-to-face with a T. rex in "Immersive Voyager"—a next-level VR experience that puts you in the middle of the action. With motion-based seats and stunning visuals, you won’t just watch it—you’ll live it.

Abstract Expressions: Terrace Installation

WHERE: Clyfford Still Museum
Abstract Expressions is a sound and garden installation envisioned by composer and artist Nathan Hall in collaboration with Kevin Philip Williams, assistant curator and horticulturist at Denver Botanic Gardens. This multi-year collaboration between CSM and its communities seeks to honor the prairies of Still’s life and provide a fundamental connection with Denver by creating an interdisciplinary sense of place. When visitors step out onto the terraces, their presence will cue Hall’s original sound compositions. The works’ ephemeral and immersive nature inspires visitor meditation and encourages a deeper connection to the artworks found within the galleries.

Vance Kirkland Paintings

WHERE: Kirkland Institute of Fine & Decorative Art at the Denver Art Museum
A retrospective of Colorado’s distinguished painter, Vance Kirkland (1904–1981), featuring examples of his five painting periods and more than 30 series spanning from realism to surrealism to abstraction.

Colorado & Regional Art

WHERE: Kirkland Institute of Fine & Decorative Art at the Denver Art Museum
Colorado and the surrounding states’ art history with fine and decorative art from about 1845 to the present.

International Decorative Art

WHERE: Kirkland Institute of Fine & Decorative Art at the Denver Art Museum
The Kirkland Museum boasts one of the most extensive public displays of international decorative art in North America, with examples of every major design period from about 1870 to the present, including Arts & Crafts, Aesthetic, Art Nouveau, Glasgow Style, Wiener Werkstätte, De Stijl, Bauhaus, Art Deco, Modern, Pop Art and Postmodern

One Fell Swoop by Patrick Dougherty

WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms
This site-specific sculpture was created over the course of three weeks with the help of staff and volunteers. Willow saplings and branches used in the installation were harvested from Colorado locations, including Chatfield Farms. Visitors may view and move through the work in a grassy clearing near the Earl J. Sinnamon Center and the Deer Creek Stables.

James Joseph Brown & the Peoples’ Quest for Gold

WHERE: Molly Brown House Museum
Learn more about the man of the house, James Joseph Brown. Explore the mining endeavors that made the Browns millionaires and changed the course of history in Leadville. Discover how the quest for mineral wealth impacted the people of Colorado and transformed Denver into a growing cultural metropolis as a gateway to the gold fields.

La Misión

WHERE: Museo de las Americas
This semi-permanent exhibit explores the artwork produced as a result of the Spanish monarchy sending priests (Padres) to convert the indigenous Puebloan residents of the Rio Grande River Valley. Housed in the Tragen Folk Art Gallery, it features roughly 20 unique pieces of art that date from the 17th Century to the present and explores the narrative of the peoples living in the Rio Grande River Valley. Featuring artwork from Museo’s private collection, the exhibit examines the visual language unique to the colonial artwork of New Mexico. The gallery has been made reminiscent of a mission church interior, to provide an appropriate space and context for the many Santos, retablos and other artworks in the exhibit.

Buffalo Soldiers: reVision

WHERE: Fort Garland Museum, Ft. Garland
This unique exhibit at the intersection of history, place and art examines the complex legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers in the American West, tracing their history from slavery to service and highlighting the relations between ethnic, gender and racial identities in the landscape of the southern Colorado borderlands. The exhibit features the work of eight artists from across the United States, including Chip Thomas (lead artist), Esther Belin, Mahogany L. Browne, Rosie Carter, Gaia, André Leon Gray, Theodore Harris and Tom Judd.

Interactive oneLINE Mural Walking Tour

WHERE: Future Drawn oneLINE Gallery
Artist Jonathan Applegate's oneLINE style is special, because from start to finish the line will never touch, cross or intersect. The joy the artist feels as he reveals the image is directly felt by the viewer. Over the past seven years, Future Drawn oneLINE Gallery has established a special collection of interactive murals that span the heart of Tennyson Street from 46th to 39th avenues. Begin your tour at the gallery to get a map, then head either north or south from there. At each stop, oneLINE has placed plaques with QR codes to their website, where the viewer can see videos, learn about the location and history, and explore local landmarks. 

Coming Soon

World's Largest Dinosaurs

WHEN: March 20–Sept. 7, 2026
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Size affects just about everything an animal does: eating, breathing, moving and reproducing. This traveling exhibition goes beyond bones and into the bodies of sauropods, the biggest land animals ever, to take a look at how these titans pulled it off. Find out how scientists study fossils and living animals to understand sauropod biology; how heart rate, respiration, metabolism and reproduction are linked to size; and what we can learn from these extinct animals about what it means to be big.