Denver Art Museum
Denver · United States · Founded 1893
Quick answer
Denver Art Museum in Denver, United States — founded in 1893, the Denver Art Museum is one of the largest art museums between Chicago and the West Coast. Open Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; closed Mondays. Admission: US$19 standard adult admission; free for Colorado residents on certain dates. Allow 2–3 hours.
Visitor information last reviewed 30 June 2026. Check the official museum site for current details.
Denver Art Museum at a glance: hours, tickets and time needed
| Opening hours | Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Closed | Mondays |
| Admission | US$19 standard adult admission; free for Colorado residents on certain dates |
| Free or reduced entry | Free for Colorado residents on certain dates |
| Booking | Tickets usually available on the day |
| Time needed | 2–3 hours |
| Best time to visit | Weekday mornings at 10:00 AM opening — Hamilton Building galleries are quietest. |
| Getting there | Metro: RTD light rail to Civic Center station — 8-minute walk along 14th Avenue to the museum at 14th and Bannock |
| Address | 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204, USA |
| Official website | denverartmuseum.org |
Checked 2026-06-30 against the official website. Prices and hours change — confirm before you travel.
What is Denver Art Museum known for?
The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is the largest art museum between Chicago and the West Coast, holding more than 70,000 works across nine curatorial departments. Its two landmark buildings — Gio Ponti's castle-like North Building (1971, the only major U.S. building designed by the Italian architect) and Daniel Libeskind's sharply angular Frederic C. Hamilton Building (2006) — make it one of the most architecturally distinctive museums in America.
The museum's defining collection is Native American art: more than 20,000 objects spanning plains, southwest, northwest coast, and Arctic traditions — one of the deepest and most respectfully curated Indigenous art collections in any art museum worldwide. The Indigenous Arts of North America galleries were reinstalled in 2011 with tribal community consultation.
Western American art is the second pillar — paintings and sculpture by Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, and Albert Bierstadt documenting the American frontier. European and American modernism, Latin American art, Asian art, and a strong photography collection round out an encyclopedic holdings profile unusual for a city Denver's size.
The North Building reopened in 2021 after a $150 million renovation by Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti that added a new welcome center, updated galleries, and improved accessibility while preserving Ponti's original design.
Best for: Art Lovers · Families · Architecture
How long do you need at Denver Art Museum?
Allow 2–3 hours. A focused route through 4 must-see highlights at Denver Art Museum without museum fatigue. Follow the stops in order:
- 1
Edge of the Plains
📍 Western American Art, Hamilton Building, Level 2
A dramatic painting of a trapper signaling across the Great Plains — a rare Deas work and a defining image of the American frontier in the museum's western art collection.
- 2
Blanket Stories: Conventional, Reservation, and Chief
📍 Indigenous Arts of North America, Hamilton Building, Level 3
A tower of folded blankets contributed by community members — Seneca artist Marie Watt's meditation on Native identity, warmth, and collective memory.
- 3
Lion Relief
📍 Asian Art, North Building, Level 5
A glazed brick relief of a striding lion from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon — part of a surprisingly deep ancient collection spanning Egyptian, Greek, and Mesopotamian art.
- 4
Every Angle Inside
📍 Frederic C. Hamilton Building architecture
Libeskind's titanium-clad building itself is the museum's most dramatic artwork — sharp angles, unexpected sightlines, and a titanium exterior that reflects Colorado's changing light.
What are the must-see works at Denver Art Museum?
4 highlights that define the collection: Edge of the Plains, Blanket Stories: Conventional, Reservation, and Chief, Lion Relief and more.
Edge of the Plains
Charles Deas · 1847
📍 Western American Art, Hamilton Building, Level 2
A dramatic painting of a trapper signaling across the Great Plains — a rare Deas work and a defining image of the American frontier in the museum's western art collection.
Blanket Stories: Conventional, Reservation, and Chief
Marie Watt · 2014
📍 Indigenous Arts of North America, Hamilton Building, Level 3
A tower of folded blankets contributed by community members — Seneca artist Marie Watt's meditation on Native identity, warmth, and collective memory. Represents the museum's commitment to contemporary Indigenous artists.
Lion Relief
Babylonian · c. 604–562 BCE
📍 Asian Art, North Building, Level 5
A glazed brick relief of a striding lion from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon — part of a surprisingly deep ancient collection spanning Egyptian, Greek, and Mesopotamian art.
Every Angle Inside
Daniel Libeskind · 2006
📍 Frederic C. Hamilton Building architecture
Libeskind's titanium-clad building itself is the museum's most dramatic artwork — sharp angles, unexpected sightlines, and a titanium exterior that reflects Colorado's changing light. The architecture forces a non-linear, discovery-based visit.
Collections and highlights
- • Indigenous Arts of North America — 20,000+ objects
- • Western American art — Remington, Russell, Bierstadt
- • Gio Ponti North Building — 1971 architecture
- • Daniel Libeskind Hamilton Building — 2006
- • Latin American art and Spanish Colonial
- • European and American modernism
- • Asian art — Japanese, Chinese, Indian
- • Photography and textile arts
Tips for visiting Denver Art Museum
- 1.
Best time to visit
Weekday mornings at 10:00 AM opening — Hamilton Building galleries are quietest. First Saturday of the month for free general admission.
- 2.
Crowds & busy periods
Weekends and school field trip season bring groups to the Indigenous and Western galleries. The Libeskind building distributes crowds better than traditional layouts.
- 3.
Tickets & booking
General admission $19 at denverartmuseum.org; free for Colorado residents on select dates and first Saturday monthly. Special exhibitions ticketed separately.
- 4.
Food & cafés nearby
Ponti Hall café in the North Building; City Hall Grill and Guard and Grace steakhouse within walking distance on Broadway.
- 5.
Accessibility
North Building fully renovated for accessibility in 2021. Hamilton Building elevators serve all levels. Wheelchairs and strollers at both entrances.
How do you get to Denver Art Museum?
- metro RTD light rail to Civic Center station — 8-minute walk along 14th Avenue to the museum at 14th and Bannock
- bus RTD Free MallRide and routes 1, 15, and 16 on Broadway and Lincoln Street — stops within 2 blocks of the museum
- car Underground parking garage beneath the Hamilton Building on 12th Avenue ($8–$12); enter from West 12th Avenue between Broadway and Bannock
Address: 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204, USA
Denver Art Museum: frequently asked questions
Is parking available?
There is a pay parking garage directly beneath the Hamilton Building. Public transit via the 16th Street Mall and light rail is also convenient.
What makes the Native Art collection special?
The collection of over 20,000 objects from across North America is one of the deepest in any art museum, with particular strength in plains, southwest, and northwest coast traditions.
How long should I spend at Denver Art Museum?
Plan 2–3 hours for the highlights of Denver Art Museum. Our 4-stop route — Edge of the Plains, Blanket Stories: Conventional, Reservation, and Chief, Lion Relief and more — is designed to fit that time. Add extra time for temporary exhibitions, the shop and the café.
What is Denver Art Museum best known for?
Founded in 1893, the Denver Art Museum is one of the largest art museums between Chicago and the West Coast. Its collection of more than 70,000 works spans American art, Native American and Indigenous art, western American art, European art, architecture and design, and Asian art. Key highlights include Indigenous Arts of North America — 20,000+ objects, Western American art — Remington, Russell, Bierstadt, Gio Ponti North Building — 1971 architecture.
How do I get tickets for Denver Art Museum?
Admission: US$19 standard adult admission; free for Colorado residents on certain dates. Tickets are usually available on the day, but booking online saves queue time in peak season. Official site: https://www.denverartmuseum.org/
What is special about the Denver Art Museum's Native American collection?
With over 20,000 objects, DAM holds one of the largest Native American art collections in any art museum (as opposed to anthropology museum). The 2011 reinstallation consulted tribal elders and artists from 50+ nations. Unlike many older collections, DAM emphasizes living traditions alongside historic objects — displaying contemporary Native artists like Marie Watt and Jeffrey Gibson alongside 19th-century beadwork and totem poles.
Why does the Denver Art Museum have two such different buildings?
The North Building (1971) by Gio Ponti is a castle-like tower clad in glass tiles — Ponti's only completed U.S. building. By 2000, the museum had outgrown it. Daniel Libeskind's Hamilton Building (2006) added 146,000 square feet of angular titanium-clad galleries connected to Ponti's tower by a bridge. The 2021 North Building renovation by Fentress Architects unified both buildings with a new welcome center.
Is the Denver Art Museum on the same campus as the Clyfford Still Museum?
Yes — the Clyfford Still Museum (single-artist museum for the Abstract Expressionist painter) is directly south of the DAM on Bannock Street, a 2-minute walk. Still's will stipulated that his estate go to an American city willing to build a museum exclusively for his work — Denver won. Combined DAM + Clyfford Still visits take 3–4 hours and cover both encyclopedic and single-artist experiences.
Is Denver Art Museum open on Mondays?
No — Denver Art Museum is closed every Monday. It is open Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Plan a different museum for that day, and check the official website for holiday changes.
What are Denver Art Museum's opening hours?
Denver Art Museum is open Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, and closed Mondays. Hours can change for holidays and events, so check the official website before you go.
Is Denver Art Museum free to visit?
Not for everyone. Standard admission: US$19 standard adult admission; free for Colorado residents on certain dates. Free or reduced entry: Free for Colorado residents on certain dates.