Charles Stemen/Winter Park Resort
Audio By Carbonatix
Happy holidays, Denver! On Christmas Eve, the Art Students League of Denver will be open for a day of arts and crafts. After the next batch of Stranger Things Season Five episodes drop on Christmas, fans might want to head to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for Laser Stranger Things, which will be going on all weekend. Meanwhile, the Winter Park Express is chugging along through Sunday, January 4.
On a budget? Check out our list of free things to do. But for now, stick around for events worth the price of admission in and around Denver:
Things to Do in Denver This Weekend
Celebration Days
Wednesday, December 24, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Art Students League of Denver, 200 Grant Street
Drop in at the ASLD for art-making activities led by eight instructors, including book arts, ceramics, drawing, multimedia, printmaking and watercolor painting. Tickets are $10.
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Laser Stranger Things
Friday, December 26, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Saturday, December 27, 4 p.m.; Sunday, December 28, 3 p.m.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
Excited for the next drop of Stranger Things Season 5? Immerse yourself in iconic ’80s tunes and eerie soundscapes from the show reimagined in vibrant laser light at DMNS’s Gates Planetarium. General museum admission is required to get into the show.
Rainforest Yoga
Saturdays and Sundays, 7:45-8:45 a.m.
Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 West 104th Avenue, Westminster
Get your yoga mat and a towel and head to the Butterfly Pavilion for rejuvenating yoga surrounded by butterflies and exotic plants. Registration, which is $18, is required before the class. Register here.
Plants, Yoga & Beer
Sunday, December 28, 11 a.m.
Bierstadt Lagerhaus, 2875 Blake Street
Immerse yourself in an all-levels vinyasa-style yoga class that comes with a plant and a bevarage. Before the class, you’ll get to do a guided meditation with your new. Tickets are $30.
Plan Ahead
Cosmic Countdown
Wednesday, December 21, varying times
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
Ring in the new year without having to stay up until midnight at this out-of-this-world celebration at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. There will be objects from outer space, mini rockets to blast off and materials to create your own space jewelry, plus other space-themed activities. Get tickets here; this event does not require purchase of a general admission ticket.
itchy-O’s 2025-26 NYE Saturnalia
Wednesday, December 31, 8 p.m.
Federal Theater, 3830 Federal Boulevard
Fresh from Hallowmass 2025, itchy-O brings their fifty-member percussive ensemble, dancers and electronic mystics to awaken the new Federal Theatre in an NYE celebration of noise, chaos and rebirth. Expect ritual drumming, analog incantations, masked mayhem and more. itchy-O will be joined by label-mates Wheelchair Sports Camp and NYC’s The Dream Eaters at the event. Tickets are $55.43.
Ongoing Things to Do in Denver
China and silverware from the Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic. “The Olympic went on until it was decommissioned after World War II, so lots more exists of it because it’s not at the bottom of the ocean,” Malcomb says.
Kristen Fiore
See Justice Done: The Legacy of the Titanic Survivors’ Committee
Through Sunday, December 28
Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 Pennsylvania Street
The Molly Brown House’s new Titanic exhibit offers an intimate look at the aftermath of the Titanic for Margaret Brown and how she became known as the “Heroine of the Titanic.” The exhibit includes several newly acquired artifacts that tell the story of Brown’s role in forming and leading the Titanic Survivors’ Committee and helping those pulled to safety on the Carpathia – particularly the immigrants and Titanic crew members who lost everything with the sinking of the “Unsinkable Ship.” The exhibit is included with general museum admission and there are related event slated for those who want to dive deeper; learn more at mollybrown.org.
Magical Winter Nights
Through Sunday, January 4
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
The DMNS has created an immersive journey of light, sound and surprise in this new holiday tradition, which includes cocoa and cocktails, indoor ice-less skating, indoor northern lights, holiday shopping and more. See dates (including 21+ nights) and buy tickets here.
Winter Park Express Denver Zoo
Through Sunday, January 4, 7 a.m.
Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop Street
The Winter Park Ski Train is back on the railroad as of Friday, December 19, for trips from Denver’s Union Station to Winter Park Resort. One-way fares start at $9, with kids fares (age 2-12) starting at $4.50. Pack your skis or snowboards as a carry-on for no additional charge.
See Holiday Lights DMNS
Through mid-January
Various metro locations
Denver is shining bright this holiday season, with popular displays like Zoo Lights at DZCA, Blossoms of Light at the Denver Botanic Gardens and Hudson Holidays. Click here to see Westword’s guide on the best holiday lights around Denver this year.
The Secret World of Elephants Courtesy of Exhibition Hub/Fever
Through Sunday, January 25, 2026
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
The latest temporary exhibition at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, The Secret World of Elephants, opens this week, giving visitors the science behind the loveable giants. Through hands-on interactions, feel the low-frequency rumbles elephants use to communicate, explore how they reshape their environments and come face-to-face with some of their ancestors, including dwarf elephants. Get tickets and see pricing information here.
Dinos Alive Immersive Experience
Through Sunday, January 25
Exhibition Hub, 3900 Elati Street
Taking up the space previously occupied by Titanic: An Immersive Voyage is Dinos Alive, a prehistoric playground with 35 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs and a VR experience. “With Dinos Alive, from the time you first enter all the way to the time you leave, the space is completely consumed by this feeling of being in a sort of Mesozoic-era Jungle,” says executive producer John Zaller. “We’ve got theatrical lighting throughout that’s creating this scene that’s transitioning from day to night, as though you’re going through the whole day with the dinosaurs.” Tickets are $18.90 to $34.90.
Silverthorne Ice Castles Courtesy of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Through Saturday, February 21
125 Stephens Way, Silverthorne
Reserve your spot to enjoy all things ice in Silverthorne, from ice sculptures and slides to tunnels, caverns and even an ice bar. Peak ticket pricing is $23-$30 while off-peak pricing is $16-$22. See dates here.
Brick Planet
Through Sunday, May 3
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard
Brick Planet: A Magical Journey Made with LEGO Bricks is a massive display of LEGO artistry at the DMNS. The new traveling exhibition by acclaimed LEGO artist Sean Kenney transforms ecosystems from around the globe into vivid, playful environments made from more than 1.5 million colorful bricks. The exhibit is included with general admission to the museum.
Do you know of a great event in Denver? We’ll update this list throughout the week; send information to editorial@westword.com.