This Colorado Children’s Museum Is A Secret Wonderland With 4 Floors Of Hands-On Play

A lookout perched more than 55 feet in the air crowns a kids’ adventure course, and the exit is a pair of dueling 70-foot slides. Somehow, that’s just one corner of a Colorado museum built for children eight and under.

The campus stretches across 9 acres and packs in more than 20 exhibits, including an entire room devoted to bubbles. Kids can also grab real clamps, saws, and hammers in a workshop that would make any toolbox jealous.

I like how this place treats play as serious business without feeling stiff or stuffy. Babies get a garden-inspired room of their own, while bigger kids scale a mountain-shaped climber with views of the Rockies.

I can’t imagine a better way to burn off a toddler’s energy before naptime. So where should a family even start?

It All Started With A Bus Full Of Big Ideas

Back in 1973, the Children’s Museum of Denver began as a portable museum, bringing traveling exhibitions to libraries, schools, and community centers.

By 1975, it had settled into its first permanent home, a renovated building on Bannock Street. Then in 1984, the museum moved to its current spot along the South Platte River in Denver.

The biggest glow-up arrived in late 2015. A major expansion doubled the public space, added seven new exhibits, and improved amenities across the board.

The grand reopening under the Marsico Campus name happened on November 20, 2015. In May 2023, the museum celebrated its 50th anniversary, which is pretty impressive for something that began on wheels.

Today, everything here is built for kids from newborn through eight years old and the grown-ups tagging along. The museum calls its approach kid-powered learning, and that phrase fits nicely.

Exhibits fall into four themes: Explore, Imagine, Investigate, and Create. Behind the fun, kids are quietly picking up early skills in STEM, literacy, health, and the arts.

Your Bravest Kid Will Want To Conquer Adventure Forest First

Five hundred feet of climbing, swinging, and squealing waits outside. Adventure Forest opened in 2019, and it doubles as an immersive art installation.

The course throws out one challenge after another. Kids tackle rope swings, rope net climbs, a glass bridge, and a slinky climb that sounds as wobbly as it is fun.

Then comes the lookout, sitting more than 55 feet in the air. From there, kids can enjoy a 70-foot slide or travel between parts of the course using a chute slide.

Sharp-eyed explorers should also hunt for the secret code messages hidden along the way. It turns a climbing course into a little mystery, and that keeps curious minds busy between thrills.

Adventure Forest is designed for ages 5 and up, or kids at least 44 inches tall. Measure your little one before the trip so nobody gets surprised at the entrance.

One more planning tip matters here. The course closes seasonally, so check whether it’s open before promising your climber a big day in the trees.

Climb A Mountain Without Ever Leaving Denver

Colorado kids grow up hearing about fourteeners. Altitude gives them their own peak to bag, minus the hiking boots and early alarm.

The climber rises about three and a half stories and is shaped to resemble a mountain. Reaching the top pays off with 360-degree views of Denver and the Rocky Mountains.

Getting there is half the fun. Along the way, climbers cross a swaying monkey bridge that adds just enough wiggle to feel daring.

There’s also a gondola ride feature, a playful nod to the ski towns scattered across the state. Even kids who’ve never seen a ski lift will figure out the idea quickly.

Altitude is recommended for ages 4 and older. Younger siblings may need a different activity while bigger kids reach the summit.

Parents of nervous climbers can relax a bit, too. The structure lets kids move at their own pace, so a cautious first attempt can turn into confident laps by the end of the visit.

Bring a camera for those summit views. Few museum climbers come with a mountain backdrop this good.

Joy Park Packs Colorado Landscapes Into One Giant Backyard

Canyons, rivers, and sand dunes usually require a road trip across Colorado. At Joy Park, they’re packed into 30,000 square feet of outdoor play.

Added in 2015, this space takes inspiration from the state’s wild landscapes. Kids can splash, dig, and scramble through areas that echo the real thing.

The water features run seasonally, so warm months bring the most splashing. Pack a towel and spare clothes, because dry kids at the end of the day are rare.

Inside the museum, younger children can explore Box Canyon, an exhibit designed for ages 1 to 4, featuring a mini-boulder scramble and an indoor waterfall that won’t get them wet.

Here’s a bonus worth marking on the calendar. On one Friday each month from May through September, Joy Park offers free admission from 4:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. or sunset.

During those evenings, the indoor museum stays closed except for restrooms. Still, a free summer evening of outdoor play sounds like a pretty sweet deal for any family.

Science Gets Splashy, Bouncy, And Very Bubbly Indoors

Standing inside a giant bubble might be the most magical way to learn science. The Bubbles exhibit lets kids get wrapped up in one, and they can even play with vapor-filled bubbles.

Right nearby, Kinetics turns physics into a playground. Kids experiment with motion, forces, and gravity using rubber balls, ramps, and tracks.

Watching a ball zip down a ramp seems simple. Yet kids are actually testing cause and effect every single time they adjust a track.

The Water exhibit is all about splashing and experimenting with H2O. Expect some damp sleeves, which is basically proof that learning happened.

Energy takes things up a level with rockets, hot air balloons, and racing zeppelins. Kids get to explore how energy moves things, and the racing part brings out plenty of friendly competition.

Together, these exhibits show off the museum’s love of STEM in kid-sized form. Nobody needs a textbook here, just a willingness to poke, push, and launch things.

Parents might find themselves sneaking a turn too. Nobody will judge.

Babies Finally Get A Room Made Just For Them

Little ones under three often get stuck watching big kids have all the fun. Bloom changes that with a garden-inspired space made just for them.

Opened in 2023, Bloom is designed for children from newborn to 36 months and their caregivers. That means everything is sized and planned for the tiniest visitors.

A dedicated baby zone feels like a gift for parents juggling a crawler and an older sibling. It gives babies room to explore without dodging speedy five-year-olds.

The garden theme adds a soft, nature-inspired feel. It suits a museum that already loves bringing Colorado’s outdoors into its exhibits.

Caregivers will appreciate the family facilities around the building as well. There are changing stations, bottle warmers, sinks, and private nursing areas.

A private nursing station with a comfortable chair and electrical outlet sits on the second floor near the Energy exhibit. Breastfeeding is also welcome anywhere in the museum, which takes pressure off busy parents.

Plan Bloom time around naps if you can. A rested baby makes the garden even more delightful.

Real Saws, Real Recipes, And Real Paint Are Waiting

Handing a young kid a real saw sounds bold. At Assembly Plant, kids build creations using real tools like clamps, saws, and hammers, plus recycled materials.

It’s the kind of place where cardboard becomes a rocket and bottle caps become wheels. Kids leave feeling like actual inventors, because they kind of are.

Over in The Teaching Kitchen, a staff chef leads programs on nutrition, cooking techniques, gardening, and international foods. The number and timing of Teaching Kitchen sessions vary by day, so checking the daily schedule before your visit is smart.

Young cooks get to try new skills in a fun setting. Picky eaters might even taste something new when they’ve made it themselves.

The Art Studio rounds out the creative trio with space for making and self-expression. Budding artists can explore their ideas without parents worrying about paint on the kitchen table at home.

All three spaces include ADA-compliant workstations. That thoughtful touch helps more kids join in the building, cooking, and creating.

Ask about the day’s kitchen schedule when you arrive. Those sessions are worth planning around.

Pretend Play Here Comes With Stethoscopes And Shopping Baskets

Every kid has a career phase, and this museum is ready for all of them. Ready Vet Go lets children step into the role of a veterinarian through STEM-rich imaginary play.

Checking on a pretend pet builds empathy and curiosity at the same time. It also might spark a future animal doctor, so consider yourself warned.

My Market brings grocery shopping down to kid level. Children pick out, weigh, and prepare pretend fruits and vegetables like seasoned shoppers.

It’s sneaky math practice disguised as fun. Weighing a stack of fake carrots counts as learning, even if nobody says so out loud.

Then there’s Hello!, an exhibit focused on old-school communication technology. Kids who’ve only known touchscreens get a peek at how people connected before smartphones.

The museum also features a fire truck, a longtime favorite for little firefighters in training. Climbing aboard feels like a big deal when you’re four.

Pretend play like this fits right into the Imagine theme. Let your kid lead, and you’ll see their creativity take over fast.

A Little Planning Makes This Wonderland Even Easier

Finding the place is easy enough. The Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus sits at 2121 Children’s Museum Drive, Denver, CO 80211, close to downtown.

The museum is generally open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended hours for certain special events. The museum closes on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Free parking is a welcome perk for families hauling strollers and snack bags. Most areas are fully accessible for wheelchairs and strollers, and the museum also offers low-sensory evenings.

Hungry crews can grab sandwiches, salads, snacks, and drinks at the on-site Café. Outside food is allowed too, so packing a picnic for Joy Park or neighboring Gates Crescent Park works nicely.

Just keep the snacks out of the exhibit areas. Food stays in eating spots so the play spaces stay clean.

Winter brings a seasonal treat called Snow Days, typically running from November 18 to January 31. Visitors can ice skate, sled on real snow, and warm up by a fire.

Before heading home, the gift shop offers toys and gifts for all ages. Good luck leaving empty-handed.