Best Museums & Educational Spots for Kids
Explore the best best museums & educational spots for kids options for kids and families in Thornton
Butterfly Pavilion
Zoo with thousands of invertebrates. This conservatory known for its 1500+ butterflies is home to invertebrates from both land & sea.
Broomfield Depot Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
Rotating exhibitions of modern artwork. Changing exhibits of modern painting, sculpture & more in an eco-friendly space with a rooftop cafe.
Museum of Illusions - Denver
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
Hands-on learning exhibits for kids. An old fire truck, bubble-blowing lab & other interactive exhibits help kids learn by participating.
Joy Park at Children's Museum Marsico Campus
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Schlessman Family Foundation Tropical Discovery
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Denver Selfie Museum
Interactive setting for taking selfies. Colorful, interactive museum with an array of quirky sets designed as selfie backdrops.
Space Odyssey
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Cinema chain specializing in 3D films. Movie theater chain known for presenting 3D films on a giant screen, including blockbusters.
Big Blue Bear
40-foot tall artwork by Lawrence Argent. Iconic artwork featuring a 40-foot bear standing peering into the Denver Convention Center.
Denver Firefighters Museum
Historic fire station with exhibits. A 1909 fire station houses galleries & exhibits on the history of the Denver fire department.
Meow Wolf Denver's Convergence Station
Offbeat immersive art installation. Surreal, walk-through art experience with many interactive rooms, bizarre sculptures & a story arc.
Molly Brown House Museum
Titanic heroine's Victorian mansion. Titanic survivor "unsinkable" Molly Brown's 1889 mansion houses Victorian-era furnishings & art.
Denver Art Museum
Western & regional works over 7 stories. 2 buildings (the second designed by architect Daniel Libeskind) highlighting Western & regional art.
Clyfford Still Museum
Collected works of a modern-art maverick. Minimalist showcase for the large-scale paintings & archives of the namesake Abstract Expressionist.
History Colorado Center
Hands-on museum of the state's history. Interactive museum showcasing state-history exhibits, lectures & more in an eco-friendly building.
Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Western landscapes & assorted crafts. 3,500+ art nouveau, art deco, Pop Art & postmodern works & Western landscapes by Vance Kirkland.
WOW! Children's Museum
Educational play space for younger kids. Interactive gallery focused on arts & crafts, science, dance & language lessons for kids 11 & under.
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
Planes, spacecraft & aviation art. Wartime aircraft, WWII uniform collection & aviation art on the former site of Lowry Air Force Base.
Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls & Toys
Colonial cottage displaying vintage toys. 19th-century property housing antique & collectible dolls, dollhouses, old toys & changing exhibits.
Colorado Railroad Museum
History museum with over 100 old trains. Large indoor-outdoor history museum with 100-plus vintage trains, a miniature railroad & exhibits.
Mines Museum of Earth Science
Earth-science & mining-history exhibits. Thousands of geological & paleontological specimens on display indoors & out, plus a gift shop.
NSF NCAR Mesa Laboratory
I.M. Pei-designed weather station/museum. Architect I.M. Pei's pink-sandstone weather center & museum houses high-tech earth-science exhibits.
The Martin G. Lockley Discovery Center at Dino Ridge
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Fiske Planetarium
University venue for astronomy shows. Planetarium at University of Colorado Boulder with shows several times a week & free lobby exhibits.
Shelby American Collection
Museum showcasing vintage racing cars. Roomy venue exhibiting famous midcentury racecars, plus photos, artwork & memorabilia.
University of Colorado Art Museum
Unique exhibitions & programming. Small on-campus art museum with thought-provoking exhibitions, gallery talks, lectures & workshops.
University of Colorado Museum of Natural History
Dinosaurs, interactive exhibits & more. Campus museum focusing on Rocky Mountains & Southwest with everything from dinos to kids' zone.
Littleton Museum
19th-century living-history farms. Living-history farms representing the 1860s & 1890s, plus a museum showcasing local artifacts.
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
Rotating works of multimedia modern art. Galleries hosting changing regional & international artists of all stripes plus performances & more.
Morrison Natural History Museum
Local paleontology & fossil collections. Family-oriented paleontology, geology & fossil collections, including finds from Dinosaur Ridge.
The Museum of Boulder
Victorian manor exhibiting local relics. Mansion showcasing local history with extensive archives, displays from furniture to toys & events.
Longmont Museum
History & art with a regional focus. Diverse exhibits with a regional focus, including history & art, plus all-ages interactive programs.
Loveland Museum
Historic & eclectic art in a cozy space. Small museum showing rotating displays of diverse art, plus a permanent local-history exhibit.
Chapungu Sculpture Park at Centerra
Walking paths, benches & African art. Walking paths next to a shopping center featuring Zimbabwean stone sculptures, benches & a stream.
Benson Sculpture Garden
Charming 10-acre sculpture garden. Quaint city park showcasing 154 eclectic, charming sculptures over 10 verdant acres.
Colorado Model Railroad Museum
Train artifacts & a restored caboose. History museum focused on railroads with artifact displays & a massive 3D model railroad exhibit.
Greeley History Museum
Local-history museum in a 1929 building. Museum featuring exhibits on Weld County history & a gift shop in the 1929 Greeley Tribune building.
Centennial Village Museum
Hands-on programs exploring pioneer life. 8-acre site with tours & demonstrations on pioneer life, costumed interpreters & historic buildings.
Island Grove Regional Park
Park & fairgrounds facility with events. This 155-acre historic park & fairgrounds facility with exhibition space holds many regional events.
Lee Maxwell Washing Machine Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Gregory Allicar Museum of Art
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures
Museum of international folk arts. Museum with galleries displaying folk arts from around the world in order to promote understanding.
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