Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus — Attraction in Denver

Trick or Treat Street Review: I am making this review in regards to the Halloween festivities, because I could not find very many reviews for this or info unless I had to read somebody's blog. You will get neon bracelets for each member of your family upon entering after you pay. Do not loose these. This allows all day access! (If you must leave for lunch, but I advise Bri lunch and leave in car and have lunch at park then you can still get back in!) Please know that they do ask that you DO NOT bring strollers to this event. (However, next to the vet area on 2nd floor they do offer safe stroller parking in a private room with a staff member to watch door while you roam the museum) so they really try to let parents know to NOT bring strollers throughout the museum because of the crowd. And i agree, its difficult getting around people and there large strollers! Children cannot wear masks or capes with their costumes, or accessories. They DO provide trick or treat bags for your children. The trolly is $2 per person regardless of age , and CASH ONLY. Trolly goes till 5pm, and they do have a spot for a wheelchair and a ramp to get on which is good for our family. There are games for TODDLERS outside as well as about 4-5 trick-or-treat stands "outside" and about 5 or 6 on the "inside" throughout the museum. some actually hand out candy others are handing out juice box or healthy granola bars. it is not as busy as one would think especially because children are wanting to move from space to space and be outside to play the games. (About 5 toddler friendly games this year, all free) Admission is a little pricey, but if you have the SNAP benefits it will only cost you $1 per adult & child. Parking is $5 per car. Members parking is free. and parking is busy but because people are continuing to leave, spots open up pretty quick. I would say the age group for this specific event so your kids will enjoy it would range from infant to 7-8 years old, any older they will be bored. Over all a great place to take children from infant -5 years old for sure! The plus is that it's safe they still have fun and they don't have to walk long distances to get candy and still playing and having a good time! My advice- wear cozy shoes, don't wear big bulky or hot costumes. Bring a back pack to carry stuff, bring extra clothes for your kids when they are tired of wearing the costume or get soaked in the water part inside or out. Check the weather before hand. Watch your kiddos please! And as a parent be sure you're ready to carry all your kids stuff costume, candy bag, water bottle ect! (Bring a backpack people! Not a stroller!) also made a little advice from a wife of a husband who is in a wheelchair please look out for people around you before taking steps are allowing your children to run in front of people!! It helps allot for elderly ir disabled! Have a blast and dress light, it gets hot inside quickly with so...

Even with a 1 year free membership promo we got, we will not bring our kids back here after this first visit. "Free" is not worth the chaos and the stress of this place. The only value in going here is -- you'll feel way better about your own parenting skills when you see how other people basically abandon their kids to abuse and be abused by a bunch of other kids.

[TL;DR - this place is like an inverted zoo with no cages for the animals. Uncontrolled kids rampaging around, lots of safety hazards for kids less than school age.]

Our kids (3yo and 7yo) found three or four exhibits they really enjoyed and kept going back to, but only one of them (kinetics) was something we couldn't have just done at home on our own. Besides that, there are a number of serious problems with this place:

• Absolutely out-of-control kids in an elbow-to-elbow (or elbow-to-your-toddler's-head) environment. Most parents are nowhere to be found or way off to the side, just letting their kids destroy whatever they want while they watch TikTok videos on their phones.

• Virtually non-existent staff, who otherwise might be present to remind parents to watch their kids. I even overheard one of the managers complaining that her own staff weren't listening to her on the radio when she was trying to find them. Most of the staff we did encounter had sour attitudes, like they hate their job. Friendly interaction with the cashier at the cafe was pretty much spurned, and I got dirty looks from the cleaning crew who saw me a few minutes before closing time. Our one and only good interaction was the gal at the front desk.

• There is no reasonably safe place to let little kids (say, under 5yo) play without you hovering within arm's reach at all times. Every exhibit is a mixed environment where the little kids are expected to mingle with the big kids. Well, add in the above problem (out-of-control kids and MIA parents), and this means you're going to be glued to your little one's side to try to keep him/her from getting knocked down, shoved, or otherwise injured by older bratty kids. (I had to yell at someone else's school-age kid for shoving my 3yo up against a metal object because he didn't want to go around her. No parent in sight.)

• Long, easily accessible staircases with no landings to prevent serious injury from a fall. I'm pretty amazed that commercial stair codes in Denver allow for a children's environment to have continuous staircases where you could just tumble down an entire flight of stairs with nothing to slow you down or stop you.

Don't waste $130 on a membership here. Spend the $130 to buy giant bubble wands, kinetic sand, sports equipment, and maybe some toy rocket launchers for your back yard. You'll get the same experience with about 90% lower risk of your child getting their face smashed into a blunt object by somebody...

We do love going here. There are always so many fun creative things for kids of all ages. It does get very crowded often and is overstimulating and very loud at times.

When you walk in there is a sign that says “kindness required upon entry.” I would say most of the time the staff embodies this, however there is a grumpy old man who works at the front desk checking people in and he almost never seems to be in a good mood. Strange given you work at a children’s museum where joy should be contagious. Today when I checked in with my toddler, he seemed annoyed with me not having my membership ticket pulled up on my phone and as I was pulling it up he asked if I had a membership, to which I replied that yes,I was working on pulling it up. I held it out for him to scan and he couldn’t get the placement just right to scan it, so instead of asking to see my phone or adjusting the scanner away from me on his end, he grabbed my wrist and forcefully pushed it away from his scanner. I have never been assaulted by a man, but I could imagine if you fall into that category that his aggressive and unwanted handling would be incredibly triggering. Even my partner noticed and was disturbed by it. I hope this issue is addressed since the majority of parents who come in with their kids are women, and how I was treated and touched without consent was really inappropriate and uncalled for.

Another thing I think should be addressed is having attendants at some of the potentially more accident prone activities, such as the sledding hill today. A school full of kids were on the sled hill running across the hill and in front of people going down with their young toddlers. I almost took out a school aged kid who ran without looking right across the hill. She would have fallen on my child if I had hit her. No chaperones in sight which is why museum staff should be there addressing these...