Mural of three men

Events. Exploration. Experiences.

Building Denver Initiative

Decisions That Define a City.

BUILDING DENVER is a sweeping retrospective, present-day examination and a bold look ahead at how our city has been designed and the consequences that have emerged in our physical, social, and emotional spaces.
Is this the city we had in mind?

 

Denver is undergoing rapid urban and social change. 

Denver's population has exploded over the last two decades and is more diverse than ever. It was recently named the second most gentrified city in the country, and a global pandemic and climate change are impacting our urban landscape.

History Colorado is launching an initiative that examines the impact of architecture and design on our lives. Through exhibitions, podcasts, lectures, and more, the initiative creates opportunities for community dialogue, enabling us to collectively confront these intertwined issues in order to envision a healthier, more inclusive, and more equitable Denver.

Exhibitions & Installations

Below are just a few things we have planned for the coming year. Please sign up for our email communications to receive updates on Building Denver exhibits, programs and events.
 
Photo of an old church and a modern building next to each other

Building Denver: Visions of the Capital City

Coming May 2021

View the Exhibit
Brick and Soul

Art Installations

Beginning February 2021

Learn More
Thumbnail

Five Points Plus: Neighborhood Memory Project

Coming June 2021

View the Exhibition
  • Makerspace 1

    Makerspace: Build!

    Designed for safety and fun, guests of all ages can explore Denver’s built environment through a variety of activities in this new main-floor space. Using materials like cardboard, LEGO blocks, and real tools like hammers and drills, visitors create their own buildings to better understand construction and urban development. Guests can leave their creations to be artfully displayed inside cases in the space or take them home as a keepsake.

    The History Colorado Center’s new hands-on makerspace welcomes all museum visitors at no extra charge.

    Member Tickets (Free) →
    Non-member Tickets ($14) →
    Not a member? Join today.

  • Building Denver podcast cover

    Living Denver Podcast

    How have Denverites shaped their city and their neighborhoods?

    Living Denver, a four-part podcast series produced in collaboration with House of Pod, illuminates stories of four different Denver neighborhoods through the lens of the city’s residents. Local poets created odes to their neighborhoods, inviting others to share in the joy and celebration of these special places. Poets include:

    • Kenya “Mahogany” Fashaw, Five Points
    • Josiah Lee Lopez, West Side/Lincoln Park
    • Jonathon Stalls, City Park/North Park Hill
    • Ramon del Castillo, North Denver

Is This the City We Had in Mind? Decisions that Define Denver (Book of Essays)

A book of Building Denver-inspired essays called Is This the City We Imagined?, this anthology collects leading voices to consider where Denver goes from here. Using the history presented in the Building Denver marquee exhibition as a springboard, it offers diverse perspectives on how we can continue creating the city we want in the future. It is scheduled to be available in July 2021 at the shop in the History Colorado Center and in History Colorado’s online bookshop. Contributors include preservationist and Historic Denver Inc. executive director Annie Levinsky, National Trust for Historic Preservation senior policy director James Lindberg, architects David Pfeifer and David Tryba, Habitat for Humanity vice president María Sepúlveda, former Denver City Councilperson Elbra Wedgeworth, historian and professor William Wei, and others.

Available in July 2021. 

Events & Programs

Below are just a few things we have planned for the coming year. Please sign up for our email communications to receive updates on Building Denver exhibits, programs and events.

See all our events →

Made possible through the generous support of our sponsors:

Building Denver sponsors