My kids loved the Night at the Museum movies when they were young. They were favorites of my husband's and mine, too! In fact, we still quote the famous "firepower' line in our family to this day.
So, when we had the opportunity, years ago, to visit our favorite museums at night, for free, we jumped at the chance. We visited tried and trues and museums that we had never been to before. There was a free shuttle to bring us to each location, so we didn't have to worry about directions or parking. We had a blast. It is one of our favorite family memories.
I can't guarantee that the exhibits will come to life at night, but it is definitely a must-do, no matter what age you are! And you're in luck, because Free Night at the Museums is happening on November 7.
Free Night at the Museums is an opportunity for some of Denver's best museums to stay open late and offer free admission. This year, visit your favorites on Saturday, November 7 from 5pm to 10pm. To make it even easier to explore, FREE shuttles will be available, stopping at or near different museums in downtown Denver.
Listed below are the participating museums. Be sure to check each museum's website before you head out for any updates or changes to the Night at the Museum schedule.
Participating Museums
Learn about the role that African Americans played in the settlement and growth of the western United States through its collections, programs and exhibits. While famous for telling the story of the Black cowboys, the museum tells the stories of those early African Americans who came west and performed as miners, soldiers, homesteaders, ranchers, blacksmiths. schoolteachers, lawmen and every other profession needed to build up and develop the West.
Center for Colorado Women's History
The Center for Colorado Women’s History is located within a spacious historic home built in 1883. The home’s original character has been preserved and restored. Visitors will find themselves surrounded by the furniture, art and domestic objects of a bygone era. Currently on exhibit throughout the museum is Votes and Dreams, which highlights the struggles and triumphs of Colorado’s women activists and leaders who organized at the ballot box and beyond to implement their vision for a better future.
Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
Release your inner child at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus during Night at the Museums, when adults are allowed in the Museum without children. Come launch rockets in Energy, see who can make the biggest bubble, create a masterpiece in The Art Studio and so much more. Presenting Denver will be onsite for a special performance featuring local artists!
Please note - Joy Park and Adventure Forest will not be open during Night at the Museums.
The Clyfford Still Museum pairs Night at the Museums with an SCFD Free Day, so we are open and free from 10am to 10pm on November 7. Families, join the museum for the free hands-on Maker Mornings workshop: Movement and Sound from 10:30am to 12:30pm. Enjoy free mini-tours of the Still at 11am and 2pm. Explore what paintings might sound like in the exhibition, Still in Sound. Discover how acoustic instruments can turn audio into projected colors and patterns in an interactive experience. Enjoy Celebrating 15 Years: 15 New Paintings in 15 Months, a feature exhibition that unveils one never-before-seen Clyfford Still painting each month, in honor of the museum's 15th anniversary. Spark creativity in The Making Space, the Museum's hands-on art studio for all ages.
Colorado History Museum (formerly History Colorado Center)
Artifacts, stories and art intermingle to tell the tale of Colorado and the American West. The museum is designed for multi-generational audiences and consists of more than 15 exhibits spanning four floors.
Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL)
Explore the CELL’s immersive experience investigating the root causes of violent extremism and learn how to help prevent future threats. Through interactive displays and multimedia presentations, you'll see how world leaders use language as a weapon and how state-sponsored terrorism affects both domestic and global security. Join us on November 2 for an evening of learning and empowerment. Be vigilant through everyday scenario simulations and become a champion of change for a safer, more inclusive community. This evening is part of our Free Days at the CELL, from 10am to 10pm.
To celebrate Night at the Museums, the DAM will stay open later and general admission will be free. The Denver Art Museum is a world-class encyclopedic art museum that has something for everyone. During Night at the Museums, general admission is free, but an additional ticket will be required to visit DIVA, an exciting exhibition that celebrates the power and creativity of nearly 100 iconic performers. The DAM is the only U.S. venue for this international exhibition. (Advance ticket purchase for DIVA is recommended.)
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Explore art, music, nature and science at the museum as it joins many of Denver’s cultural institutions in a free evening celebrating Denver Arts Week! Take a closer look at the art throughout museum exhibitions, visit their temporary exhibition, Changing Landscapes and add on a paid ticket to catch a laser light concert in the Gates Planetarium, or a giant-screen documentary in the Sturm Infinity Theater. They can’t wait to see you there!
In honor of Colorado's sesquicentennial, Dinosaur Ridge will likely decorate with an 1876 theme. The main dinosaur tracksite will be lit up with colored solar lights, and they'll offer short guided shuttle tours to the tracksite with flashlights. There will also be some activities for kids.
Forney Museum of Transportation
The Forney Museum of Transportation is a one-of-a-kind collection of more than 800 artifacts, including trains, planes, motorcycles and classic cars! There will be open trains you can walk through just for this event! There will be a kids' craft station and lots of things to learn about. See Big Boy No. 4005, one of the world's largest steam locomotives. Go on a family-friendly self-guided tour of the museum and participate in a scavenger hunt. Kids can create their own transportation-themed license plates while supplies last. Enjoy the photo booth and make a memory that will last! Enjoy free admission for one evening only. Can't wait to see you!
Freyer - Newman Center at Denver Botanic Gardens
Activities include art exhibitions, science chats, hands-on art activities, tours of the herbarium, access to the library and more.
Please note - There will be no access to the gardens during Night at the Museums.
Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art at the Denver Art Museum
Celebrate Night at the Museums with free general admission to The Kirkland! Discover a world of international decorative arts, explore Colorado’s rich artistic heritage and experience the visionary work of artist Vance Kirkland. Be sure to visit its temporary exhibitions, Space Is the Place: Art & Design in the Atomic Age and Round the Clock: 24 Hours of Colorado in Prints. Come and explore the museum campus, including the DAM, at night!
Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
Explore Colorado Currents, a museum-wide exhibition featuring more than 100 works by 28 artists with ties to Colorado. Spanning the entire museum, the exhibition brings together a wide range of perspectives on the places, histories, communities, landscapes and ideas that shape Colorado today. From changing cities and neighborhoods to the natural environment, local histories, pop culture and visions for the future, Colorado Currents offers a lively and expansive look at Colorado through the eyes of contemporary artists.
The Molly Brown House Museum, built in 1889 by well-known architect William Lang, stands as an enduring symbol of the turn of the 20th century in Denver. As more and more historic properties were demolished in the 1960s, a group of preservation-minded Denver citizens joined efforts in 1970 to rescue the home of Titanic survivor Margaret Tobin Brown. A woman immortalized on stage and screen in “Unsinkable Molly Brown.” The group incorporated as Historic Denver, Inc., and began major restoration efforts to return the home’s interior and exterior to its early 20th century grandeur. Guided tours of the museum reach an average of 50,000 visitors a year, sharing the story of Margaret ‘Molly’ Brown and Denver history.
Morrison Natural History Museum
Guests will have the opportunity to check out special stations set up throughout the museum, which will delve into the world of local dinosaurs and paleontology. There will also be special activity stations, which will include a chance to "Dig at Night," and join them at a special station outside, where they will show you how to use tools to uncover fossils. Guests will also have the opportunity to go behind the scenes on a special tour of their research lab to witness fossil preparation projects.
Museo de las Americas is the premier Latin American art museum in the Rocky Mountain Region. Embark on an exciting scavenger hunt through their captivating exhibitions. Put your observation skills to the test as you explore our diverse collection of art and artifacts from across the Americas. They'll provide a handy one-sheet guide to enhance your adventure!
Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience Museo de las Americas after hours, challenge yourself with the scavenger hunt and become a part of our vibrant community at a discounted rate. Discover the rich cultural heritage of the Americas and create lasting memories during this special Night at the Museums event.
The Museum for Black Girls is an immersive, interactive cultural experience celebrating the history, creativity, beauty, joy and influence of Black women and girls. Through vibrant installations, storytelling, photography and participatory exhibits, guests explore the places, traditions and cultural moments that have shaped generations — from home and family to beauty, music, fashion, art and community. For Night at the Museums, guests will experience a special evening of interactive exhibits, live cultural moments, storytelling, music, photo opportunities and participatory activities throughout the museum. Visitors will be invited to contribute to a community “Love Letter” installation, engage with select exhibits in new ways, and experience the museum as a lively celebration of culture, creativity and connection for all ages and backgrounds.
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
Enjoy an after-hours experience at the museum as you explore the wonders of aviation and space exploration up close. Check out the newest aircraft in their collection, the F-16 Viper! Discover how this aircraft became the icon of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team. Choose your own aviation adventure in one of their MaxFlight simulators and check out the Harrison Ford Theater, where a Behind the Wings special feature is playing.
Please note - Please pre-register!
Catch a free shuttle during Night at the Museums for even easier adventures!
Please note that Dinosaur Ridge and Morrison Natural History Museum are not included on official shuttle routes.
A Route
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science
- Black American West Museum
- Forney Museum of Transportation
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science
B Route
- Denver Art Museum (also servicing: the CELL, Clyfford Still Museum, The Kirkland at the DAM and Center for Colorado Women's History)
- Museum for Black Girls
- Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
- Denver Art Museum (also servicing: the CELL, Clyfford Still Museum, The Kirkland at the DAM and Center for Colorado Women's History)
C Route
- Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
- Denver Art Museum (also servicing: the CELL, Clyfford Still Museum, The Kirkland at the DAM, and Center for Colorado Women's History)
- Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
D Route
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science
- Denver Art Museum (also servicing: the CELL, Clyfford Still Museum, The Kirkland at the DAM, and Center for Colorado Women's History)
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science
E Route
- Denver Art Museum (also servicing: the CELL, Clyfford Still Museum, The Kirkland at the DAM, and Center for Colorado Women's History)
- Museo de las Americas
- Colorado History Museum (formerly History Colorado Center)
- Denver Art Museum (also servicing: the CELL, Clyfford Still Museum, The Kirkland at the DAM, and Center for Colorado Women's History)
F Route
- Colorado History Museum (formerly History Colorado Center)
- Molly Brown House Museum
- Freyer - Newman Center at Botanic Gardens
- Colorado History Museum (formerly History Colorado Center)
G Route
- Wings Over the Rockies
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science
- Freyer - Newman Center at Denver Botanic Gardens
- Wings Over the Rockies
For EVEN MORE Denver Arts Week fun, visit Denver Arts Week.
