Free Days at Denver Attractions -- Zoo, Art Museum and More -- in October

Now's the Time to Check Out Denver's Museums

Dave Maddox
What to do in Denver this October? How about something free? Thanks to the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a number of popular Denver attractions have days most months that are free to Colorado residents. In October, there are six days to explore some of the best educational experiences Denver has to offer. If you find that you want to come back to an attraction on a regular basis, many of them offer inexpensive annual memberships which allow unlimited visits.

The Denver Zoo, located near City Park and accessible by several buses including the 32, is free on Tuesday, October 9th, and Saturday, October 20th this month. There is a new baby Zebra there, and lots of other residents to see, a great place for lunch, and a huge gift shop.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is free on Wednesday, October 10th. Though there is additional cost for the special exhibit, it's worth noting that there is a Titanic exhibit currently showing at the DMNS, with authentic artifacts and great displays to help you go back in time to the Titanic's last voyage, understanding the lives of the passengers and crewmembers.

Denver's famous Botanic Gardens, located on York street and accessible by the 24 bus, also in Littleton at Chatfield, is free at the Denver location on Monday, October 22nd, and in Chatfield on Friday, October 5th. The gardens always have something interesting to see, no matter what the season, and in particular the examples of xeriscape gardening are helpful to Denver area residents trying to create gardens that are compatible with the semi-arid climate.

The Denver Art Museum, hosting a separately-ticketed exhibit with treasures from the Louvre museum in Paris, France, is located downtown near the library, city hall, and the state capitol, and accessible by many buses, including the 52 which stops nearby. The new Hamilton building is an attraction in and of itself, designed by Daniel Liebeskind, the first U.S. building by the master planner of the World Trade Center site in New York City. The modern collections are provocative and intriguing, and the historical collections give perspective on native cultures and other aspects of Western U.S. art over the last few centuries. The museum also has a selection of works from the major schools and periods which are excellent for students and those who wish to deepen their understanding of the field of both European and American art, and the art of Asia and the Pacific Rim.

In November and January, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts will also be offering same-day free tickets for selected performances of dramatic works. The Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden also has a free day on November 17. Check out the SCFD website for more information on free days in upcoming months!

http://www.scfd.org/

http://www.dmns.org/

http://www.denverzoo.org/

http://www.botanicgardens.org/

http://www.denvercenter.org/

http://www.denverartmuseum.org/

http://www.crrm.org/

Published by Dave Maddox

Dave is a man with his eyes open, always exploring and sharing. With undergraduate work in literature and classics at Harvard University, he has worked in the computer field to enable his travel and other ha...  View profile

  • Denver's Zoo has a new baby Zebra
  • The Denver Art Museum's new Hamilton building is a work of art in itself
  • The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District free days are open to all Colorado residents

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  • Carrie4/8/2010

    Hello science and nature lovers!
    My name is Carrie and I am an intern at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. We have another SCFD Free Day coming up at the Museum! Here are the details:
    BODY WORLDS and the April 18 SCFD Free Day
    The Denver Museum of Nature & Science will provide Colorado residents with free access to all permanent exhibitions, plus special free Earth Day programming on Sunday, April 18, 2010. Access to IMAX films, planetarium shows, and BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart is NOT included in the SCFD Free Day.
    On April 18 the Museum is offering general visitors the following special discount prices for BODY WORLDS: $14.50 for adults, $10 for children/students (age 3-18 or with a student ID) and $13 for seniors (age 65+). Advance reservations are NOT available, so timed-entry tickets will be available for purchase onsite beginning at 9 a.m. April 18 and will be offered on a space available basis.
    SCFD Free Days are typically well-attended, so please carpool,

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