Tours
For a deeper look into our exhibitions, schedule a group tour. Here’s all you need to know for scheduling a tour.
Please note: Advanced notice is REQUIRED for ALL groups over 10 people.
Drop-In Tours
- Join us on Friday from 1 – 2PM and Saturday from 1 – 2PM for a guided tour of our current exhibitions.
- To participate, book an admission ticket during those windows and join us in the front atrium after you’ve arrived.
- Drop-in tours are limited to 20 participants and are first-come, first-served.
Group Tours
- Advanced notice is REQUIRED for ALL groups over 10 people.
- Guided tours require a minimum of two weeks advance notice and are subject to cancellation for groups arriving more than 15 minutes late.
- Guided tour hours NOON – 5PM Tuesday-Friday
- Reservations are not required for self-guided groups of fewer than 10 guests
- Self-guided groups of 10 or more require a reservation with at least 48 hours’ notice (This is to ensure the galleries are properly staffed if we have a high volume of self-guided tour participants in the galleries.)
- Self-guided tour hours: NOON – 5PM Tuesday – Friday, 10AM – 3PM Saturday – Sunday
GUIDED TOUR RATES
MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL
- $5/person
- FREE for chaperones & educators
COLLEGE STUDENT (W/ ID), SENIOR 65+, MILITARY
- $14/person
- FREE educators
ADULT
- $85 flat rate for groups up to 5
- $17/person thereafter
Guided Tour Options
Architecture Tour
The Architecture Tour explores the museum’s masterful use of light, materiality, and contrast – where industrial meets refined and the city outside seeps into the building. We’ll have a look at the subtle details that make the space feel both expansive and intimate: from the careful placement of windows framing the urban landscape to the clean lines and unexpected materials that shape your journey through the building. Along the way, we’ll dive into the history of the museum and how its mission shaped the physical space and examine the evolution of the surrounding area – once an abandoned viaduct turned reclamation project.
Want a closer look? Upon request, we can present a scale model of the building to bring design concepts to life!
School Tour
Designed with educators and students in mind, our school tours program centers around a specific theme, highlighting artworks that thoughtfully align with and respond to that theme. This approach encourages in-depth exploration and student-led dialogue around both the artwork and the artist, fostering meaningful engagement. Tours are guided by Visual Thinking Strategies and aligned with Colorado State Standards to support curriculum connections and critical thinking.
If there are certain themes you are exploring in the classroom that we can support through a tour, let us know. We are excited to have your students at the museum!
Deep Dive Tour
Become totally immersed in the exhibition on display as we discuss nearly every artwork on view in one hour. We will hone in on each individual artwork: decoding hidden details and unraveling artist intentions. Expect unexpected connections, fun facts, and the kind of deep-cut insights that make you see contemporary art in a whole new light.
Additional Information
If you are an elementary educator interested in visiting MCA Denver, please contact tours@mcadenver.org to request more information about the exhibitions on view. Due to size constraints and themes contained within exhibitions, which can include nudity, violence, and strong language, MCA Denver may not be suitable for all students.
If you are not sure if an exhibition is appropriate for your students, and you would like to learn more, we encourage you to schedule a free educators preview of the museum and/or obtain parental permission from your school prior to your visit.
Middle and High School groups require 1 adult chaperone per 10 students. We ask that chaperones remain with students at all times while in the museum and assist staff with students.
CANCELLATIONS
Tour cancellation must be made 24 hours in advance of scheduled visits by calling the front desk at 303−298−7554. Groups arriving more than 15 minutes late to their scheduled tours are subject to cancellation.
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
Tours are adaptable to meet a range of group needs. If you have any special requests or feel your group does not meet one or more of the requirements please note in the ‘special accommodations’ on the tour request form. Tour request forms are a starting place, not a confirmed reservation.
FACILITY INFORMATION
Our facilities include public and single stall restrooms as well as storage bins for backpacks and personal belongings. We do not have a facility to accommodate group lunches, however, in good weather, groups can picnic outside in nearby parks. MCA Denver is wheelchair accessible.