Museums · Denver · United States
4 best museums in Denver
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Thelastcanadian, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Denver Art Museum, Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Clyfford Still Museum. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 8–10 hours across 2 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 8–10 hours
- Areas
- Golden Triangle and City Park
Museums in Denver
Museum · Golden Triangle
1.Denver Art Museum
The art museum spans the angular titanium-clad Hamilton Building by Daniel Libeskind and the 1971 Martin Building by Gio Ponti.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · City Park
2.Denver Museum of Nature & Science
A large natural-history and science museum in City Park with dinosaur fossils, wildlife dioramas, gems and minerals, an Egyptian mummies gallery, a planetarium and an IMAX theatre.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Views
- History
Gallery · Golden Triangle
3.Clyfford Still Museum
Dedicated to the Abstract Expressionist painter Clyfford Still, whose estate gave nearly his entire body of work to the city.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Golden Triangle
4.History Colorado Center
The state history museum covers Colorado's people from Indigenous nations to mining towns and ski resorts, with interactive exhibits and a simulated ski jump.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Triangle | Denver Art Museum, Clyfford Still Museum and History Colorado Center | 2–3 hours + 1 hour + 2 hours |
| City Park | Denver Museum of Nature & Science | 3–4 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 4 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Denver Museum of Nature & Science; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Golden Triangle): Denver Art Museum → Clyfford Still Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Golden Triangle): History Colorado Center, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 3 (City Park): Denver Museum of Nature & Science, at least 3 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold but often sunny; snow comes in short bursts and usually melts in days.
- November: highs of 11°C (52°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool to cold with occasional snow; ski resorts usually open for the season.
- February: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 6 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold with occasional snowstorms; mountain roads busy with skiers at weekends.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Golden Triangle — Museums, galleries and the civic centre south of downtown
More of Denver
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Denver?
Denver Art Museum. The art museum spans the angular titanium-clad Hamilton Building by Daniel Libeskind and the 1971 Martin Building by Gio Ponti.