Museum Fun Near Southshore!

January 3, 2019

If you are running out of things to do for the holiday break, take advantage of the multitude of offerings at Denver area museums and libraries! Activities for kids and families range from brain teasers at the Museum of Nature & Science to family-friendly art performances at Denver Art Museum to a silent film festival and craft projects in Aurora’s libraries. Or fit in those holiday activities you meant to do but never got around to—including Zoo Lights and Mary Poppins on stage, both in their final weekend!

Thursday-Sunday, January 3-6

TEST YOUR MIND AT MINDBENDER MANSION
Did you know a person who creates or solves crossword puzzles is known as a cruciverbalist? If you want to put your own mind to the test, dare to enter Mindbender Mansion, the interactive hands-on exhibit at the Museum of Nature & Science! This special exhibit is here for only a short time, so don’t miss your chance to enter the quirky world of puzzles, brainteasers, and interactive challenges that put minds of all ages to the test.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: $11.95 – $16.95
Phone: 303-370-6000

TIPS FOR A FUN WINTER BREAK AT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
The Children’s Museum has special programming for the winter break holiday! Plan on a busy day at the museum, and keep these tips in mind for a wonderful visit. Adults are not permitted in the museum unless they are accompanying children. Kids and their grown-ups must remain together at all times inside. Please leave strollers in your car. Be ready for a fun and educational day at the only museum in Denver especially for kids!

Children’s Museum, 2121 Children’s Museum Dr., Denver
Thurs./Fri., 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Sat./Sun., 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: $12-$14
Phone: 303-433-7444

MAKE ART AT THE MUSEUM
It’s fun for the whole family at the Denver Art Museum! Children 18 and younger receive free admission over winter break. The Print Studio, Create-n-Takes, Gallery Games, A Walk in the Woods, and more are open every day. Or you can catch a special performance of the family-friendly play, Art Emergency, at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday and Friday.

Some of the exhibitions on display that you won’t want to miss include Rembrandt: Painter as Printmaker, Stampede: Animals in Art, and The Incubation Effect. All winter break activities are included in the general admission.

Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave., Denver
Thurs., 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Fri., 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Sat./Sun., 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: $8-$10; Kids 18 and under: FREE
Phone: 720-913-0130

DON’T MISS THE ULTIMATE INTERACTIVE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE!
From flying cars and supersonic planes, space elevators and mega-rockets, the special Above and Beyond interactive exhibit celebrates the power of innovation to make dreams take flight. You won’t want to miss this traveling aerospace exhibition while it’s in Denver for a short time only. 

Immersive simulations allow you to pilot a drone into the eye of a hurricane, and interactive design challenges let you design—and test-fly—your own supersonic jet. You can experience flight as a bird or a futurist wing-flapping aircraft. This exciting large-scale exhibit is packed with visionary concepts of the future, including advanced air and spacecraft that will change our lives and transform our world! 

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver
Thurs./Fri./Sat., 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Sun., 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: $1.00 – $15 
Phone: 303-360-5360

TAKE A SPIN ON THE ICE AT SOUTHLANDS 
Glide into the new year with a resolution to get more exercise and have more fun—it’s all possible on The Pond, Southlands’ own community ice rink! Make it a family event and you’ll also reap the benefits of spending some quality time with the kids away from screens. If you are new to the sport, there are rentals and lessons available.

The Pond Ice Rink at Southlands, 6155 S. Main St., Aurora
Thurs., 4:00-9:00 p.m.; Fri., 4:00-10:00 p.m.; Sat., 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; Sun., 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $3.50 – $8.50
Phone: 303-627-5000

LAST CHANCE TO SEE ZOO LIGHTS!
You still have a chance to see Denver’s favorite holiday display! Denver Zoo Lights and all the accompanying festivities are up through the end of this weekend! In addition to the magical Zoo Lights interactive display, there’s also the new 4D theatre to check out, with screenings of Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas. Kids will love riding on the zoo train or the carousel. Come out to see the lights—and stay to see the animals!

Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St., Denver
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $9-$20
Phone: 720-337-1400

CATCH XANADU – LIVE ON STAGE
If you loved the 1980s movie with Olivia Newton John, you won’t want to miss the stage version! Xanadu is the magical journey of a Greek muse, Kira, who becomes human in Venice Beach, California, in 1980 to inspire a struggling artist to invent roller-disco. Of course, they fall in love! 

This Tony Award-nominated, hilarious, roller-skating, musical adventure about following your dreams despite the limitations others set for you, rolls along to the original hit score. Whether you are a fan of roller-skating, falling in love, or being inspired, this feel-good show has something for everyone!

Garner Galleria Theatre/DCPA, 1101 13th St., Denver
Thurs./Fri./Sat./Sun., 7:30 p.m.; Sat./Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $46-$49
Phone: 303-571-4401

CHICAGO COMEDIAN PAT MCGANN
From a city known for its stand-up comedy, Pat McGann stands out above the crowds of Chicago comedians. He is the creator and host of the Emmy-nominated television show The Chicago Stand Up Project and was invited to The Great American Comedy Festival, Laugh Fest, and The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.

You might remember him from his appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman or AXS-TV’s Gotham Comedy Live. His debut comedy album, Sounds Good, can be heard on Sirius/XM radio. 

Comedy Works-Downtown, 1226 15th St., Denver
Thurs., 8:00 p.m., Fri./Sat., 7:30 and 9:45 p.m.; Sun., 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $16-$24
Phone: 303-595-3637

Friday, January 4

SEE A FREE SILENT FILM FESTIVAL 
It’s not every day that copyright laws are changed—in fact, January 1, 2019 is the first Public Domain Day in 20 years! To celebrate and take a look at the new old movies that are free to watch now, the MLK Library in Aurora is throwing a Silent Film Festival, complete with popcorn! This event is appropriate for all ages.

MLK Library, 9898 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
2:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 303-739-1940

COWBOY PHILOSOPHER CHAD PRATHER
This “modern day Will Rogers” is known for his way with words. Chad Prather is part comedian, part armchair philosopher, part musician. His Southern drawl is a fast-talking variation of performers like Lewis Grizzard and Jeff Foxworthy. As a horseman who now calls Texas his home, he’s never without his cowboy hat.

You might recognize him from his fast talking, rapid fire rants from the front seat of his truck on one of his social media viral videos. CNN has labeled him the “Pick-up Pundit” and Fox News’ Tucker Carlson has called him “supernaturally articulate.” See him live on stage in his one-man show.

Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Pl., Denver
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Tickets: $74
Phone: 802-255-1826

Friday-Sunday, January 4-6

MOVIE AT THE SYMPHONY – HARRY POTTER IN CONCERT
If you are a fan of both Harry Potter and the Colorado Symphony, you will love this performance! As part of the Harry Potter™ Film Concert Series, this event will screen Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ together with a live performance of the film’s score. The Colorado Symphony Orchestra will play the unforgettable score from the movie as the film is projected simultaneously on the big screen. The concert performance includes a FULL screening of the feature film! 

Boettcher Concert Hall/DCPA, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St., Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $30-$104
Phone: 303-623-7876

FINAL WEEKEND FOR MARY POPPINS!
You will be singing Chim-Chim Cher-ee, Feed the Birds, Spoonful of Sugar, Let’s Go Fly A Kite, and of course, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious right into the new year when you catch this live stage production of the beloved Disney musical! Based on the classic children’s book by P.L. Travers, Mary Poppins will delight kids and parents alike. Don’t miss your chance to see this family-friendly performance—the show closes on Sunday!

Vintage Theatre Productions, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sat./Sun., 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $38
Phone: 303-856-7830

Saturday, January 5

A CRAFTASTIC DAY AT THE LIBRARY! 
Little ones will love getting messy with art supplies and crafts as they design their own creations! Drop in at the Tallyn’s Reach Library in Aurora to let your child’s creative side run wild. You can help your child decide on which craft to undertake from a range of possible projects.

This event is open to children ages 2-5.

Tallyn’s Reach Library, 23911 E. Arapahoe Rd., Aurora
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Registration: FREE
Phone: 303-627-3050

The New Year in Southshore

It’s the start of 2019 in the amazing master-planned community of Southshore. Start the New Year with a weekend-tour through the amazing models from Toll Brothers, Richmond American Homes or Century Communities in ranch and two-story designs. You’ll find the perfect fit for you and your family and priced between the upper $300s and the $700s.