Visit the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery to encounter live wildlife, enjoy a planetarium show and learn about natural history and the material culture of people in the Fort Collins area. The museum also has a music lab, a science center and an immersive cinema. Spend a day exploring the interactive exhibits.
The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery began as the Pioneer Museum in 1941. Although it has expanded, the museum has retained the displays of historic buildings, textiles and agricultural artifacts which show how settlers in the area once lived. It also has displays about the civilisation of Paleo-Indian people who lived here around 13,000 years ago the museum has America's second-largest display of Folsom points, chipped-stone hunting tools unearthed by archaeologists in the Fort Collins region.
A wall of fossils shows the life that thrived in the Fort Collins area in prehistoric times. On the opposing wall you’ll find the live critters. See a working beehive, get a close-up look at lizards, snakes and native fish and learn about arthropods like millipedes and scorpions. Don’t forget to visit the two black-footed ferrets in the Natural Areas Visitor Center, where you can learn about Fort Collins’ nature reserves.
Learn about scientific principles and forces in the Schatz Family Exploration Zone as you experiment with light, air, color and motion. Discover the technology behind your mp3 player at the Sound Lab, or have a jam session with your friends and learn the art of mixing at the Music Garage.
For a great photographic opportunity take the elevator by the ticket office to the museum’s observation deck. From a height of 42 feet (13 meters) you have panoramic views across the Old Town and the Poudre River against a mountainous backdrop.
Located just two blocks from downtown Fort Collins, the Museum of Discovery is also walking distance of The Farm at Lee Martinez Park and the Poudre River Trail, which winds through Riparian habitat teeming with wildlife. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays and has a small entry fee.
