The Denver Museum of Nature & Science will debut an all-new version of its popular on schedule next month, the museum announced Tuesday.
The June 7 opening of the Discovery Zone is the latest feature to roll out of the museum’s , which includes five stories and 126,000-square-foot of exhibit space, classrooms, labs and artifact storage.
A longtime family attraction in the existing wing of the museum, the Discovery Zone will double in size in its new incarnation. The hands-on exhibit is aimed at encouraging kids, from infancy to age five, to do what scientists do: look, ask, discover, make and share.
Discovery Zone is divided into six areas, inspired by the Rocky Mountain Region:
Dinosaur Gulch: A life-sized climbable dinosaur welcomes children at the entrance of the exhibit. The Gulch also includes a “paleontology dig experience” in which children can excavate fossils amid rock outcroppings based on the Kaiparowits dig site in Utah.
Water Way: The interactive outdoor fountains just west of the museum in City Park provide the inspiration for “leaping laminar fountains” in this water play area.
Construction Corner: Kids can experiment with building methods and materials in the context of iconic Denver-area structures such as Denver International Airport.
Science Kitchen: Bake up some art and investigate the power of chemical reactions in this multipurpose science and creative lab.
Big Backyard: What kid doesn’t love to dig? This area, designed specifically for kids under the age of 3, is based on a scene from the window of a Park Hill home.
Explorer’s Playhouse: An outdoor clubhouse-themed performance area, this playhouse will host science, culture and dramatic play programs and performances.
The Discovery Zone, a permanent exhibit of the museum, will open daily at 9 a.m. Entrance is free with regular museum admission.
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642, jwenzel@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnwenzel
