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
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Exploration of Five Points: Museum of Memory

Coming June 2021

View the Exhibition
  • Makerspace Build hero

    Makerspace: Build!

    Designed with both safety and fun in mind, people of all ages can explore history based questions through creative, hands-on opportunities in the History Colorado Center's makerspace. As part of Building Denver, CO Create: Build! invites visitors to develop a better understanding of Denver's built environment through designing and creating their own carboard building that becomes part of an imagined, communal city.
    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)

Inspired by the Building Denver exhibition, this anthology collects twenty leading voices to consider where Denver goes from here. Using the history presented in the exhibition as a springboard, this volume offers diverse perspectives on how we can continue creating the city we want in the future.

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 2