Attention Denver moms and dads, there's a brand-new adventure in town for your kiddos to enjoy!

The exhibit that has been over a year in the making is bringing a whole new sense of adventure to the kids' scene in Denver. Back in November 2018, we told you about the new $2.3M Adventure Forest installation coming to the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus. And now, we've learned that it's finally ready to open! 

On Monday, June 3, Adventure Forest opens to the public and you can be sure it’s going to be the hottest kid ticket in town. Members-only (R.S.V.P. required) sneak peeks of the new interactive Children’s Museum adventure run May 18-28, and hurry because they're selling out quickly!

Ready to grab your kids and go? We've got a few things to know before you head over to the Museum:

• Admission to the Adventure Forest experience is included with Museum entrance; free for members
• Parental consent is needed to enter and climb the Adventure Forest. There will be a safety orientation prior to entering the climb zone.  
• Children must be five or older, or 44” tall to climb the forest.
• Closed-toe shoes are required.
• Helmets must be worn at all times!
• Comfortable clothing and sunscreen highly recommended. 
• Leave backpacks, bags, and loose items out of the climbing zone! Cubbies and lockers are available near the entrance.

The Museum has asked that attendees review the Adventure Forest rules and F.A.Q.’s laid out in detail on their website. Please be advised that “participation involves strenuous physical activity, including climbing, crawling, and tight spaces. If you have an existing medical condition that would be affected, please do not climb.”

Check out this video from the Museum announcing the opening:

Even adults feel that spark of excitement and interest, present company included. This 500-foot-long aerial adventure course includes 70-foot rainbow glass slides, rope swings, spiders’ webs, log and glass bridges, a crow’s nest, and a sky-high (90 feet above the ground!) 360 degree-lookout right over the banks of the South Platte River.

The course is also an immersive and exploratory art exhibit that includes a hidden journey. “A world within a world” has been constructed in an engaging and vibrant visual experience, created in collaboration with artist Wes Sam-Bruce and the Museum’s in-house exhibits team. Physical and mental challenges throughout the installation inspire and cultivate an environment rich in curiosity, discovery, and wonder at the world.

“My work is a tribute to the natural world, specific to Colorado. I hope it acts as a seed for children to be more inquisitive, open, to listen, and inspire them to treat Earth like a friend,” artist Wes Sam-Bruce said of the installation. Not his first exploratory installation, the artist’s work is part fact, part fiction; Sam-Bruce self describes himself as a “magic maker” and a “professional kid,” blending the natural world with imagination and mystery.

Courtesy of the Children's Museum (Facebook)

This innovative aerial course is no regular playground or fast-food playland, it is a meticulously designed project a team of engineers and artists worked to highlight the benefits of outdoor play. A major focus was the intent to give kids a thrilling, exciting, outdoor experience in which they test their own bravery and inner strength. If you have driven by the area near the South Platte River and I-25 anytime in the last year, it's highly likely you have seen this enormous project as it got underway. With its base structure looking like something out of an alien invasion or science fiction movie, it’s nice to see the finished product.

Courtesy of the Children's Museum (Facebook)

The Museum has always had a mission to create experiences for children that celebrate the joy and wonder of childhood. They have worked hard over the years to give the children of Denver a place where they can stretch those young minds and explore curiosity and creativity. And the new Adventure Forest installation is intended to do just that.

The Museum president and CEO Mike Yankovich had this to say about the new addition:

“We wanted to create something unlike anything in the city with Adventure Forest. We know it has taken longer than expected, but we promise, it will be well worth the wait. This breathtaking experience will inspire kids to be brave and believe in themselves, get their hearts pumping and remind them that outdoor play is way more fun than looking at a screen.”

The Children’s Museum has served the families and kids of Denver since 1973, and continues to pursue and promote kid-powered learning. This new addition is sure to be a big hit – I know I’ll be there!  

What about you, do you think your kids are going to want to be first in line for this new outdoor adventure? I know my kiddos will head right to that 70-ft. slide! Are you lucky enough to snag a sneak peek ticket? Let us know what you think in the comments below!