Free Night at the Museums for Denver Arts Week 2022

Do you know what’s better than our beloved Denver museums coming alive at twilight? 

Getting to visit them for free!

That’s right! In honor of Denver Arts Week Nov. 4-12, your favorite museums will be open late on Saturday, November 5 with FREE admission between 5 and 10 p.m. See our list of the best family-friendly events happening for Denver Arts Week. 

Not sure where to start? Don’t miss our guide to Denver’s best museums for kids (and how to visit them for free) by the author of Essential Denver: Discovery and Exploration Guide.

Denver Museums Participating in Free Night at the Museums

The following museums are scheduled to participate and some may require advance registration or have capacity limitations. Be sure to check with each individual museum prior to attending. 

And if you want to hit more than one museum! FREE shuttle buses will stop at (or nearby) the museums listed below, beginning at 5 p.m. Exceptions: Dinosaur Ridge and American Mountaineering Museum.

American Mountaineering Museum. Nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado, the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum opened its doors in February 2008 as America’s first and only museum dedicated to the heroism, technology, culture and spirit of mountaineering.

Denver Art Museum. Engage with art, explore onsite activities, and experience exhibitions on view all while enjoying free general admission. The Denver Art Museum will be open for free starting at 10:00 a.m. on November 5. An additional fee is required to see the ticketed exhibitions.

Denver Botanic Gardens. See botanical art demonstrations and learn about plants and mushrooms. Visit the galleries to see three art exhibitions.

Denver Police Museum and Denver Firefighters Museum. The Denver Police Museum will host a special bus tour which will depart the Denver Firefighters Museum promptly at 4:00 pm visiting the locations where four brave Officers lost their lives. Space for the bus tour is limited; please rsvp to 720-913-6779. Tour will conclude approximately at 6:30 pm. The Denver Firefighters Museum will be open for tours from 4 pm to 10 pm to tour the firehouse to see historic fire engines and historic Denver Police Car.

Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Experience the Museum for free after hours from 4:30-10 p.m. on Saturday, November 5, during the annual Night at the Museums; a Denver Arts Week featured program. Enjoy art demonstrations, drop-in workshops, night-sky telescope viewing, and exhibitions. General admission is free with no ticket needed. Tickets will be available to purchase for additional experiences: Apollo: When We Went to the Moon and Laser Fantasy.

Dinosaur Ridge. Family-friendly activities will follow in the spirit of Halloween with spooky bones, skeletons, and creepy crawlies that just may teach you a thing or two about creatures no longer living. Costumes welcome! Take a flashlight tour of the dinosaur tracksite on Dino Ridge for $6. 

Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus. Experience hands-on, interactive and totally one-of-a-kind exhibits that champion the wonder and joy of childhood. 

Forney Museum of Transportation. The Forney Museum of Transportation is a one-of-a-kind collection of more than 600 artifacts relating to historical transportation. 

Clyfford Still Museum. Explore You Select: A Community-Curated Exhibition, a show featuring Still’s artworks chosen by the public. Discover never-before-seen paintings and vote for your favorite artwork on an interactive kiosk at the end of the exhibition. November 5 is also an SCFD Free Day.

Four Mile Historic Park. Experience the park after dark. Grab a lantern and tour the Four Mile House, or stop by the fire pit for a hearty helping of s’mores! Visit with our critters to read them some bedtime stories, or enjoy fun shadow games and crafts that are highlighted by the late night.

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 over 15 exhibits spanning four floors.

Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art. Time travel through about 150 years of art. The evolving collections contain more than 30,000 works by some 1,500 artists and designers, with about 4,400 works on view. Space is limited at Kirkland Museum, so make sure to pre-register for your free admission.

Molly Brown House Museum. Self-explore the home of Titanic heroine Margaret “Molly” Brown while listening to Museum Docents share their favorite stories about Denver’s unsinkable Brown family!

Museo de las Americas. Experience the premier Latin American Art Museum in the Rocky Mountain region. Enjoy the exhibit “Luis Barragán: a Legacy. New Works Undressing the Mexican Soul” and complete an interactive activity about the exhibit. Visitors who complete the activity and return it to the front desk, will receive 25% off memberships. 

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