• Black American West Museum & Heritage Center
The Black American West Museum and Heritage Center interprets and exhibits historic artifacts, documents and other memorabilia telling the history of black men and women who helped settle and develop the American West--a story that has often been omitted form history books. There is an extensive collection of information on the African-American cowboy and rodeo legend Bill Pickett. The Museum is located in the former home of Dr. Justina Ford, the first Black woman doctor in Denver.
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• The Children's Museum of Denver
The Children's Museum of Denver is the only community environment focused on how young children develop intellectually, physically and emotionally. It's a world of laughter, adventure and experimentation in science, art and nature. It's fun for adults too! And as your children learn more about their world - you can learn more about your children.
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• Colorado History Museum
The Colorado Historical Society’s collections are central to its educational mission of preserving and interpreting the history of Colorado and the West. The collections are broadly defined as including three-dimensional artifacts, primary documents and creative works, secondary historical sources, photographs and visual media, and historic structures and sites.
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• Downtown Aquarium
Four great rivers-the Arkansas, Colorado, Platte and Rio Grande-are born from the snows of the Rocky Mountains and like strong, silver cords, inextricably link Colorado and the world’s oceans. Adventure awaits all who travel along the majestic Colorado River during its journey to the ocean.
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• Denver Art Museum
Founded in 1893, the Denver Art Museum is the largest art museum between Kansas City and the West Coast, with over 40,000 works of art from around the world in its collection. Explore two recently renovated floors dedicated to European, American and Western painting, sculpture, design, and textiles. View the museum's internationally renowned American Indian art collection, the outstanding architecture, graphics and design department, and visit stunning Asian, pre-Columbian, and Spanish Colonial galleries.
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• Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Botanic Gardens is one of the top botanic gardens in the country and ranked as one of the top five cultural places to visit in Denver, Colorado. 23 acres containing more than 30 gardens delight visitors year-round. Denver Botanic Gardens is home to 15,000 plant species, 20,680 fungi specimens and many gardens featuring plants from all over the world that grow well in Colorado’s unique climate.
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• Denver Center for the Performing Arts
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is an exhilarating mix of Broadway shows, professional theatre, amateur- and graduate-level acting instruction, and dazzling venues. They annually serve more than 750,000 patrons from the Western region and beyond.
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• Denver Firefighters Museum
Historic Fire Station No. 1 was constructed in 1909 for Engine Company No. 1, formerly located at Colfax and Broadway, and serving all of downtown Denver. At the time of construction, the building was one of the largest firehouses ever built in the Rocky Mountain region, covering approximately 11,000 square feet on two floors. The Denver Firefighters Museum is dedicated to the preservation of Station No. 1, and the collection and display of firefighting equipment and memorabilia. It is also a depository for historic information of the Denver Fire Department.
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• Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is one of the largest museums of its kind in the country with 95 world-renowned dioramas, gems and minerals and the award-winning Prehistoric Journey exhibition. The Phipps IMAX® Theater is also located at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
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• Denver Public Library Western History Collection
Denver Public Library's website features a section devoted to photographs documenting the development of the American West.
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• The Denver Zoo
It all began with a special gift to the mayor of Denver, a black bear named Billy Bryan. Today, the Denver Zoo is home to nearly 4,000 animals representing over 700 species and is one of the most popular zoos in the United States. With an exciting 10-year master plan in place, the 21st century will see the Denver Zoo transformed into an exciting conservation center that will continue to further the evolution of superb zoo exhibitory.
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• Molly Brown House Museum
The rags-to-riches life of the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown is on display at the Molly Brown House Museum. Her Victorian home is owned by Historic Denver, Inc. and has been completely restored. Brown was a survivor of the Titanic disaster and a prominent philanthropist, political activist, suffragist, society matron and all around colorful character.
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• Museo de las Américas
The Museo de las Américas is the first museum in the region that is dedicated to educating the public about the artisitc and cultural achievements of Latinos in the Americas on a continuing basis. The purpose and mission of the Museo de las Américas is to foster understanding of and appreciation for the achievements of the Latino people of the Americas by collecting, preserving and interpreting the diverse art, history and cultures of this region from ancient times to the present.
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• Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver has been a long awaited part of Denver's cultural future. The Museum was begun in December 1996 by a group of community leaders, artists and art supporters. At the time Denver had many major cultural institutions, but it was one of the few cities of its size to not yet have a museum of contemporary art. The Museum's first exhibition, "A Collector¹s Vision" was presented in1999 featuring works on loan from four prominent Denver art collectors.
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Source: Denver Office of Cultural Affairs