The Denver Museum of Nature & Science will be free all summer for students.
The museum is distributing Summer Adventure Passes, good for admission June 1 to Aug. 31, to all public school students as part of a program sponsored by US Bank. Private and home-school students can request a pass at the museum.
Museum president and chief executive George Sparks said the program was launched to try to draw a more diverse mix of patrons.
On weekdays, Sparks said, museum visitors match Denver’s diversity. But on weekends, patrons are more Caucasian and middle-class.
“As the (city’s) demographics are changing, we want this to be everybody’s museum,” Sparks said.
The passes are for the museum’s regular exhibitions and the visiting exhibition, “Lewis & Clark: The National Bicentennial Exhibition.” They will not apply to IMAX theater shows. They’re available due to a $25,000 grant from US Bank.
“Don’t waste it; get over there and use it,” Mayor John Hickenlooper told Hallett Elementary School students on Tuesday while announcing the program. “I don’t know of another major city in the U.S. where kids are basically given a free pass to the museum for the summer.”
– Kris Hudson
