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.
 
  • 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.

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 →

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, speaking at a public event.
Photographer: Mike Johnston

A City Imagined: A Historic Evening with Denver Mayors

Join us on August 19 for a historic evening. Three mayors and thirty years of local history will come together on a single stage at the History Colorado Center. Former mayors Frederico Peña (1983–1991) and Wellington Webb (1991–2003) join Mayor Michael B. Hancock (2011–present) to discuss the development of our capital city over the last forty years. Collectively they have served nine terms as Denver's most influential elected official, and their legacies surround Denvrites through the built environment of the city, which is the central topic of Building Denver. 

Tickets ($5-$25) are available online. Purchase your tickets →

  • image of denver

    Building Denver: Speaker Series

    This fall, History Colorado presents four speakers from a variety of backgrounds to explore everything from brick and mortar to economic theory and architectural savvy. Join us to uncover answers about how a city's made, for whom, and how you can be involved. Technology. Culture. Economy. Politics. Four speakers, four chances to dig deeper than a headline and uncover history being made in our moment.

    These lectures will presented online via Zoom. If you purchased a ticket previously, it is still valid for the online event.
     

    Member Tickets →

    Non-Member Tickets →

  • Astrid Lee

    The Lost Book of Astrid Lee

    SEE (AND HEAR) YOUR CITY WITH NEW EYES (AND EARS)

    A three-week-long city-wide mystery-quest stretching back from 1980s Denver, into the 1920s, stopping in the late 60s, then all the way back again. Co-created with Denver artist, filmmaker, and all-around-swell-guy Andrew Novick. The quest is an opportunity to hear music from local musicians and a chance to see all-original creations from artists. Come see places in Denver that tell us about the city's past (and what might be possible for it in the future).

Publications

  • 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

 

Cover of the book "Is this the City we Imagined?" A collection of essays, edited by Jason Hanson and Steve Grinstead.

Is This the City We Imagined? 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 later in 2021. 

Made possible through the generous support of our sponsors:

Building Denver sponsors