Arvada Center for the Arts050

The Arvada Center offers award-winning, professional regional theater (both plays and musicals); Denver's best children's theater; a wide variety of concerts; classical and contemporary dance performances; nationally recognized gallery exhibitions; a history museum; and over 600 arts and humanities classes each year for students of all ages.

First, of course, you have to get the kids to leave the fabulous playground! Designed by local artist Bill Gian (known for his metal sculptures in downtown Denver as well as his candle-holders at the Wynkoop Brewery), the 343-foot-long Squiggles is the focal point; the multi-colored, multi-textured concrete sculpture, its head raised, its body moving in and out of the earth is a magnet for climbers of all ages, and parents are especially grateful for the padded surface underneath!

Seven other sculptures keep Squiggles company when kids go home; three are concrete creatures' heads, which were completed during the construction of the playground.

The best surprise for newbies, though, are the talking trash cans, including a voice that says "Hey baby, it's hot down here" and a variety of animal sounds including pigs and horses.

When you finally get inside, check out the children's theater season, which features at least three productions each year, one of which is usually an original script commissioned by the Center.

Kids' classes include ArtStart, performing arts, music (instruments and theory), visual arts, ceramics, ballet, and more. Call 720.898.7200 for further information or to request a class catalog.

Kids can also get very creative here during the summer when the Center hosts day camps in ceramics, dance, theater arts, and more. Schedules are typically published in mid-February.

The Arvada Center also houses two gallery spaces - one upstairs and one downstairs across from the box office - that feature 12 to 15 exhibitions annually. The shows tend to focus primarily on contemporary art from local, national and international artists.

The Historical Museum may be visited by appointment. If you have a group, museum tours and accompanying participatory plays can be booked by calling 720.898.7255.

Watch for Family Arts Days, a great, affordable way to treat your family to an afternoon of arts experiences. Each Family Arts Day includes tickets to a family performance along with a backstage tour, gallery or museum tour, and/or a special, hands-on workshop. Kids must be five years or older and accompanied by an adult.