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SCFD Free Days for 2022

Find Your Family Fun for Free!

By Jessica Compton, Editorial Manager of Evergreen.Macaronikid.com and Arvada.Macaronikid.com January 20, 2021

Colorado residents can enjoy FREE DAYS at some of our area's most popular destinations, thanks to SCFD funding as well as state and corporate sponsorship. Free Days are for general admission; special events and exhibitions may still require the purchase of a ticket.

Due to COVID restrictions, most of the Free Days require tickets or sign ups that must be secured prior to your visit. Please click on the venue name to check the ticket/sign up requirements.

Dates are subject to change without notice; contact the venue prior to your visit to confirm.


SCFD Free Days FREE Printable

Print out this sheet and use it to remember when all of the free days are this year! 

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Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
2121 Children's Museum Dr., Denver | (303) 433-7444
4:00–8:00 PM only
A special note: Families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can visit the Museum any time throughout the year and pay just $1 per person (up to 10 family members) when they show their EBT card. Admission can not be paid with the EBT card; it is simply proof of program participation.

  • Free days are temporarily suspended due to COVID-19.

*Clyfford Still Art Museum
1250 Bannock St., Denver | (720) 354-4880

  • Thursday, January 20
  • Tuesday, February 15
  • Saturday, March 19
  • Sunday, April 24 (Dia del Nino)
  • Wednesday, May 18
  • Friday, June 10
  • Sunday, July 24 (in honor of the ADA Anniversary on July 26)
  • Friday, August 5
  • Saturday, September 10
  • Tuesday, October 18
  • Saturday, November 5
  • Wednesday, December 7

Colorado Railroad Museum
17155 W. 44th Ave., Golden | (303) 279-4591

A special note: Boulder County residents can enjoy additional free days throughout the year. Visit the venue's website for details.

  • TBD

*Denver Art Museum
100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., Denver | (720) 913-0130
A special note: Children 18 years and younger are free EVERY day of the year!

  • Tuesday, January 11
  • Saturday, January 22
  • Tuesday, February 8
  • Tuesday, March 8
  • Tuesday, April 12
  • Sunday, April 24

*Denver Botanic Gardens
1007 York St., Denver | (720) 865-3500

*Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield
8500 Deer Creek Canyon Rd., Littleton | (720) 865-4346

A special note: Families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can visit the Gardens any time throughout the year and pay just $1 per person (up to 10 family members) when they show their EBT card. Admission can not be paid with the EBT card; it is simply proof of program participation.

  • Monday, January 17
  • Thursday, February 17
  • Wednesday, March 16
  • Thursday, April 21 (Earth Day)
  • Tuesday, June 7
  • Wednesday, July 6
  • Tuesday, August 16
  • Friday, November 25

Denver Firefighters Museum
1326 Tremont Pl., Denver | (303) 892-1436

NOTE: Dates marked with (*) are only free to residents in the seven SCFD counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson.

  • Free days are temporarily suspended due to COVID-19.

*Denver Museum of Nature & Science
2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver | (303) 370-6000

A special note: Families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can visit the museum any time throughout the year and pay just $1 per person (up to 10 family members) when they show their EBT card. Admission can not be paid with the EBT card; it is simply proof of program participation.

  • Monday, January 3
  • Sunday, January 23 - Guitar Day
  • Saturday, January 29 - Free Night
  • Monday, February 7
  • Sunday, February 27 - Black Science Day
  • Sunday, May 1 - Dia Del Nino
  • Monday, May 23
  • Wednesday, June 29 - Free Night
  • Wednesday, August 17 - Free Night
  • Wednesday, September 7 - Free Night
  • Monday, September 19
  • Sunday, October 9 - Out at the Museum: LGBTQ Community Day
  • Monday, December 5

*Denver Zoo
2300 Steele St., Denver | (720) 337-1400

*Free Day tickets are only available through the free day lottery system, so they no longer accept  walk-ins on Free Days. See how to win free tickets here.
A special note: Families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can visit the Zoo during the off-season (typically August through April) and pay just $1 per person (up to 10 family members) when they show their EBT card. Admission can not be paid with the EBT card; it is simply proof of program participation.

  • Saturday, January 22 - lottery is January 10-14
  • Sunday, February 6 - lottery is January 25-29
  • Sunday, April 10 - lottery is March 29-April 2
  • Saturday, October 8 - lottery is September 26-30
  • Tuesday, November 1 - lottery is October 20-24
  • Sunday, November 13 - lottery is November 1-5

Dinosaur Ridge
16831 W. Alameda Pkwy., Morrison | (303) 697-3466
A special note: Admission to the exhibit hall Trek Through Time is free; guided bus tours are available at a reduced rate of $8 for adults and $6 for children.

  • Coming soon!

*Four Mile Historic Park
715 S. Forest St., Denver | (720) 865-0800

  • January 14
  • February 11
  • March 11
  • April 8
  • May 13
  • June 10
  • July 8
  • August 12
  • September 9
  • October 14
  • November 11
  • December 9

History Colorado Center
1200 Broadway, Denver | (303) 447-8679

A special note: Families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can visit the Museum any time throughout the year and pay just $1 per person (up to 10 family members) when they show their EBT card. Admission can not be paid with the EBT card; it is simply proof of program participation.

  • April 25
  • August 1
  • November 6 (from 5-10 pm)

*Plains Conservation Center
21901 E. Hampden Ave., Aurora | (303) 739-7160

A joint effort by the City of Aurora and Denver Botanic Gardens.

  • Thursday, January 20
  • Thursday, February 17
  • Wednesday, March 16
  • Thursday, April 21 (Earth Day)
  • Thursday, June 16
  • Saturday, July 23
  • Thursday, August 18
  • Saturday, November 19
  • Thursday, December 15

Always Free: Aurora History MuseumHudson Gardens, and Museum of Outdoor Arts.

Additionally, you can request free passes for a variety of area museums through the Culture Pass offered by our Jefferson County Public Libraries. Passes are for general admission for a specific day and are very limited in quantity. 

Participating venues include Butterfly Pavilion, Clyfford Still Museum, Denver Firefighters Museum, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, History Colorado Center, Molly Brown House Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, and Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum.


When visiting events and local businesses, be sure to tell them Macaroni KID sent you... and don't forget to tell all your friends!