Visitors to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science have two months to enjoy one of the City Park institution’s most famous exhibitions before it disappears — at least until next year.
The Hall of Gems & Minerals, which opened in 1982 and is one of the top three most popular exhibits there, will close on Wednesday, April 15, so the museum can begin the process of renovating and expanding it.
“Beginning this year, this transformative project will expand the hall by 50% and reimagine it as the Dea Family Gems & Minerals Hall — an immersive, multi-sensory journey inspired by the big idea that ‘My World is Made of Minerals,'” according to a DMNS statement. “Visitors will explore minerals in their natural forms, venture into underground environments and discover the essential role minerals play in our everyday lives.”
Currently sponsored by Coors, the exhibit is being renamed The Dea Family Gems & Minerals Hall following a “transformative” donation by longtime museum supporters Peter and Cathy Dea, the museum said.
The project will change the existing format but preserve some of the exhibition’s most popular features, having gathered more than 8,800 survey responses, 650 interviews, and 24 hours of workshops with community members, officials said.
“We respect the nostalgia people may have, and are honoring that by repurposing a couple of the most popular elements of the old hall into the new design,” project lead Luke Fernandez told The Denver Post last year. “Those are the Sweet Home Mine, which shows off the red rhodochrosite crystals mined in Colorado, and the Crystal Grotto, which resembles the inside of a natural cave.”
The $30 million renovation is expected to last about 18 months and have the exhibit ready to reopen by 2027. The 50% expansion will be accommodated by newly freed-up space on the City Park institution’s first floor.
The design phase of the project started in 2023 but was accelerated by the Dea’s gift. A fundraising campaign to make up the remaining 22% of its $30 million price tag (or about $6.6 million) is ongoing.
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