Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of daily life, we forget to take advantage of everything our city has to offer. It can be easy to stay in our bubbles”or let the schools handle the field trips. But sometimes it can be fun to think like a tourist and visit sites unique to Denver.
The Denver Mint is a facility we are lucky to have here! With only six locations of the U.S. Mint, few people have the chance to see up close how money is made. We get the opportunity to have it in our own backyard.
It can be tricky to want to expose children to culture but not know what will hold their interest. Many kids love to see firsthand how things are made and how things work. Kids love money and the thought of earning it or filling their wallet, and most kids see money in their math curriculum in school at some point, no matter their age. Going on a tour of the Denver Mint is one that will feel relevant to kids and watching the machines making money is fascinating!
The Mint is quite popular and has some restrictions, so planning ahead is essential.
Before You Go
When you pick the day you’d like to go, check out this page ahead of time (Tour the Denver Mint) to double check all tours are running on that day. Usually, tours are at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tours last about 1 hour and 15 minutes, but some days not every tour is running. It would be very disappointing to arrive and find out the tour you hoped to take was not running that day.
Additionally, everyone on the tour must be 7 years old or older and only five tickets are given per group (see their website for group ticket requests for larger groups). They begin handing out tickets at 7 a.m. Monday through Thursday (excluding federal holidays) and are only distributed until they run out, so plan ahead. The earlier you can get to the Mint, the better. Peak season is May through September in which tickets go fastest. You don’t need to go quite as early in off-season, but tours are still popular. They are first-come first-served; you cannot get tickets in advance. You will request them from the Tour Information Window on Cherokee Street between Colfax Ave. and West 14th Avenue.
Virtual Tour of the Denver Mint
There is a great virtual tour video on their website. This would be great to prime your child’s mind for what they are about to experience (they get far more engaged when something is familiar), or to see up close what is happening during parts of the tour they can’t see well in person (like the creation of the rough, raised edges of the coins inside one of the machines).
As you know, outings with kids always go better when we’re prepared. In case you have to wait for your tour based on which tour you were able to get tickets for, pack activities. Better yet – make the activities relate to the tour they are about to take. The Denver Mint website has an entire page for kids with links to great resources. Education Resources | U.S. Mint for Kids You could have some coloring pages already printed, or you could play some of the games and videos from the website if you have a device with you.
Mom Tip: Because you cannot bring any kind of bag on the tour, you won’t want coloring pages and materials in line with you (unless you’re willing to go back to your car). You could go back and color in your car or have a nearby green space in mind if it’s a nice day.
When You Arrive at the Denver Mint
The Denver Mint is downtown so it does not have its own parking lot. Utilize the meters on the street if you find one, or you can use one of the nearby paid lots. Leave all of your belongings in your car. Nearly everything is prohibited in the Mint, and you don’t want to be sent back to your car when it’s time for your tour. Cell phones (turned off) and small wallets that fit in a pocket are allowed but no bags of any kind or any food or drink (there are water fountains available along the tour).
Mom Tip: If it’s a rainy day, you are allowed to have an umbrella. (See the full list of allowed/prohibited items here: Tour the Denver Mint)
Prepare your children for the possibility that the machines might not be actively making coins on your tour. Many times, you will watch coins being produced, but for a variety of reasons there are times it is not happening during a certain tour. There is still much to be learned even if this happens, and they will still always know they have seen where money is made!
