Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Black American West Museum

    4.4 (18 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Black American West Museum Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Black American West Museum

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    April W.

    As someone always on the hunt for Black history, I planned ahead to make sure I could visit the Black American West Museum. Because the building it small, you need to reserve your entry time in advance and identify how many tickets you will need (adults, seniors, children, and military folks all have different pricing). I received two (2) confirmation emails in advance of our visit day and took an Uber to the location so I can't attest to parking. The railing on the front steps was broken, causing my mother to almost fall. Unfortunately, there was no signage warning of the need to repair it. Upon entering, the woman at the front desk was so rude. She took our $27 payment ($15 for one adult and $12 for military) and said nothing else. Just pretended we didn't exist. Cooooool. The museum is two-floors and quite small but there's a lot of good information to peruse. It's worth a quick visit but don't expect to spend a ton of time here, 30 minutes max. I imagine they could use charitable donations and enough putting folks at the front desk who actually want to be there.

    Heather T.

    What an incredible museum that I literally just found out about two weeks ago! It is run by volunteers and as such is only open on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A little tricky for scheduling but well worth your time. What really made the experience profound was talking to the two women who were volunteering that day. They are a wealth of not only factual but personal information on Denver's development with regards to racial history. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to them and hearing about their experiences. The museum is in the house of Denver's first African American female physician, Justina L. Ford. She is estimated to have delivered 7,000 babies in her time as a physician. The museum also houses the collection of Paul Stewart, who as a young African American and loved cowboys and Indians games, was told there was "no such thing as a black cowboy." How wrong those people were when they told him that. Up to 25% of the west had African American cowboys. And so shows the museum full of interesting facts, memorabilia and the obvious need we have for museums such as this to educate people. This museum should be on the list of every school field trip. For adults, I highly recommend coming here to learn more not only about Denver's history but the people who helped shape our city and the West but have been largely unrecognized for their efforts.

    Mr. Bass Reeves (I downloaded this, they respectfully request that you don't photograph inside the museum)
    Amanda F.

    This museum wakes you up. I learned so much, in under an hour, and can't stop talking about it. Did you know that the Lone Ranger was based on a man named Bass Reeves? Did you know that the first female, self made, millionaire received her fortune by creating hair products for other WOC? That's just a drop in the bucket of the cool things I learned there. I highly recommend you check this place out. The docent, the museum educator, the curator, all warm and friendly and patient when a nerd like me has a million questions. I opened a door that I don't care to close. It has motivated me to learn as much as possible about the contributions of POC to our world in the West. The story of the building and its original owner is phenomenal. I will be visiting again, next time I'm in Denver. If you're there, take your kids. Teach them real history. Two exuberant thumbs up.

    Entrance

    See all

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 2
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of N R.
    0
    5
    11

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    19 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Julie N.
    7
    136
    24

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Wonderful.. Great overview of a slice of US history. Very friendly staff and not overwhelming or exhausting

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Randy L.
    15
    778
    0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Black American West Museum

    Review Highlights - Black American West Museum

    Justina Ford and several other medical professionals that provided community health to those in need because they were unable to seek care at white establishments.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Museums 1,750 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Denver Art Museum

    Denver Art Museum

    4.2
    (697 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    On a hot summer day when you are over the heat, GO TO THE MUSEUM!! It is nice and cool inside so…read moreyou can stroll until your hearts content and never sweat! On the day that I visited there was a special art event. A ticket included visiting all 3 buildings, and making an art project! It was inspiring to tour the museum and be in awe of the different paintings, pottery, woodwork, bright colors and then be creative! Entry fee for tickets is $22 for adults, $19 for seniors. The museum is so awesome you'll probably want to go back soon so do what I did.... Become a member! They have many different memberships for individuals or families. I chose the dual membership for 2 people and it's $95. It has many benefits so check it out online. Parking can be difficult and it requires paying for parking unless you are smart and use public transportation. That way you can have relax and avoid driving downtown. I love this museum and the ability to take the local train and be dropped off by the free 16th Street bus.

    A large, impressive museum with something for everyone. The main museum is technically two museums…read more(there are a total of three), the Hamilton building and the Martin building. Sections include modern and contemporary African art, arts of Oceania, Western American art, latin American art, indigenous art, alaskan art. They also have textile, fashion, and architecture exhibitions. They also have rotating temporary exhibitions. When I visited, it was European and American art. I had a little fun finding paintings of judgmental looking people and making a "we listen and we judge" instagram post. All the rooms are large and well curated/presented. I visited on a Tuesday and it was free (I still donated). On regular days, admission is 30 dollars, but gets you into all three museums, including the Kirkland (reviewed separately), which is right next door. I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves as far as the variety available at this museum.

    Photos
    Part of the Wild Things Exhibit
    Part of the Wild Things Exhibit
    All Stars - American Artists exhibition
    All Stars - American Artists exhibition
    Harsh lighting in some rooms

    See all

    Harsh lighting in some rooms
    International Church Of Cannabis

    International Church Of Cannabis

    4.7
    (529 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    I went to see the beautiful, colorful, psychedelic chapel, but had a lot more fun than expected!…read more As expected, the staff is super laid back and helpful. Tickets are 25 bucks. The light show is timed throughout the day and I arrived like 45 minutes early, so I had plenty of time to explore their "downstairs area." Tons of free arcade games. I played Pac-Man and whatever game it is where you shoot aliens. There is also a car racing game. There is an old school basketball game hooked up to an old TV. They have a large projector screen hooked up to a Nintendo switch with Mario and Zelda games. I actually really enjoyed coloring in the many coloring books they had. They have retro, funky furniture, fun decorations, and merch for sale. The light show itself is a fun time! No videography or photography during, but they do a basic show at the end so people can take photos and videos. You can lay on the floor or back in a pew on one of the many fluffy stuffed pillows and watch and meditate. They have great stoner music too (think Pink Floyd). And of course, the chapel itself is beautiful. No partaking in cannabis while in the building. They keep it family friendly (there were toddlers there when I went, but they were well behaved). They have multi-denominational church services a couple times a month where people can use cannabis. There is a lot of nearby street parking, as it's kinda in a residential area, though I took a Lyft. Also a mile or less walk to some of the main food and bar sites on Broadway.

    A cannabis cultured church you say? I've never been much of a church going person myself but after…read morediscovering this place it's a concept I can get behind. The individuals who run it call themselves Elevationist who believe in community regardless of your religious beliefs. They treat each other with respect. Not to mention they have a pretty wicked light show they host everyday inside the church. Even if you're not a connoisseur you can still take a tour of the place and experience the light show. If you wanna be a member of the church, they make it easy to sign up. Definitely recommend to check it out at least once.

    Photos
    Photo setup
    Photo setup
    Gift shop
    Gift shop
    Free Mario kart 8 on projector screen

    See all

    Free Mario kart 8 on projector screen
    Downtown Aquarium

    Downtown Aquarium

    3.2
    (1.1k reviews)
    2.2 mi

    Overall, I would say the place is really great for kids. It's a little small but you can definitely…read morespend a few hours here depending on how quick your kid loses interest. Was very shocked to find tigers that are like most people reviewed. A lot of really cool fish. The restaurant was overall a good experience. It's really cool that you get to look at fish while you're eating. Service was OK but I think it was just really busy. Food was decent but overpriced.

    Went here with my boyfriend for a date night on a Sunday. Parking was $7.99. The aquarium itself…read morewas neat, but it's pretty small. We walked through everything in about 30 minutes. They did have a tiger, which was definitely unexpected and cool to see. We also got a caricature done, which ended up being one of the best parts of the visit. A colored face-only drawing for two people was $30. It was listed as a 10-minute drawing, but it took closer to 30 minutes. The artist was really nice, though, and recommended we eat at the restaurant. we stopped at the gift shop and got some cute plushies before. Unfortunately, that's where the experience went downhill. We had a reservation and were seated around 6:20. We got Liz as our server. she was very sweet and one of the calmer servers on a busy night. otherwise service was very slow. We ordered the Herb-Roasted Salmon and the Coconut Shrimp. After waiting about 45 minutes, the manager came over to tell us they were out of the coconut shrimp and recommended the Shrimp Platter instead, so we went with that. The salmon tasted overly fishy, and the asparagus was undercooked, although the mashed potatoes were actually really good. As for the Shrimp Platter, the fried shrimp was mostly breading, the bacon-wrapped shrimp was just kind of strange, and the grilled shrimp was the only part we really enjoyed. The fries were good, but the beans and green beans weren't. It also took quite a while to get our check, and dinner ended up costing around $80. Overall, I'd skip the restaurant. The aquarium is worth checking out once, especially if you have young kids, but I probably wouldn't come back for another date night.

    Photos
    Downtown Aquarium
    Putting on a show!
    Putting on a show!
    Tiger!?!? at the aquarium.  Random.

    See all

    Tiger!?!? at the aquarium. Random.
    Four Mile Historic Park

    Four Mile Historic Park

    4.3
    (63 reviews)
    4.5 mi

    We just moved to the area and were looking for something to do. I found out Denver has many free…read moreevents. So, this is the first one we attended. I brought my 16, 5, 2 and NB. They greeted us immediately and gave us a map of the property. We had fun walking around and checking out the animals and historic buildings on site. It is wild this place is right in the middle of a neighborhood. The only issue we had was parking because we the lot is full you're out of options.

    Wow, my yesterday's visit to this historic park was so mesmerizing. It's because of their annual…read more(?) "Bright Nights" (originally a lantern festival.) It is said that they unveil a brand new theme each year and this year's theme appears to be focused on some Eastern cultures such as cherry blossom and bamboo forest with pandas. Not that I have been to many lights shows and yet I must say that I have never seen anything quite like this as far as my recollection is accurate. In its 12-acre land, the installations of lantern lights are everywhere. After 8:30pm or so when it's dark, the illuminations from the lanterns are glowing brighter than Las Vegas' illuminations (LOL - why am I comparing this to Las Vegas!!) According to the park's website, some of the sculptures are 23-foot tall (such as the cherry blossom gate.) It's currently open from Wednesday through Sunday until October 5th. And last night's was one of the adult-only nights where you must be 21+ to enter (I believe the next and last such night is Sept 17th. And this writing is as of late August of 2025.) I am already curious as to what the next year's theme is going to be. There is a centralized bar, some food vendors, a stage where a performer performs, and a DJ booth. Great for family time, girls' night or date night. Helpful staff were working tirelessly to assist all visitors. Although about 1,300 tickets were sold last night, it was never super jammed packed. There is still time to visit this enchanting light show. Not only for the locals but definitely one of the must-visit attractions for out-of-staters as well.

    Photos
    Vibrant colors
    Vibrant colors
    Gift shop
    Gift shop
    Bright Nights on August 27, 2025

    See all

    Bright Nights on August 27, 2025
    Prismajic

    Prismajic

    4.6
    (41 reviews)
    10.1 mi

    This seems like it would be a nifty place for a gathering of friends in the speakeasy. It is…read morelocated in the mall across from the movie theater. Plenty of parking available. I came for candlelit yoga. Yoga itself was enjoyable. There was a gentleman playing live music and we were all encouraged to work at our own levels wherever that may be. The instructor was pleasant and encouraging. I found her voice to be calming when I could hear it. However, there was a speed-dating event scheduled at the same time so there was a constant din of conversation noise that was loud. I have hearing issues and that level of ambient noise made it difficult for me to hear the yoga instructor even with her having a microphone. The interior of the venue is filled with installations from local artists. I would like to come back for just a social gathering. I think it would be great for that.

    Prismajic was super cool - highly interactive but in the most laid back of ways. Such an immersive…read moreevent experience. We had 5 pm reservations but went in closer to 6 pm, after having visited their onsite bar, the Night Owl. Their craft cocktails were great and on par with craft cocktail pricing. The staff were all really accommodating and friendly. They didn't bat an eye when we asked about timing: can we grab a drink before we go in? Sure! And the experience itself? Super creative, attention to detail all over the place. And, there are differing levels of a scavenger hunt just to make things even more interesting. The exhibits change every so often so if you haven't been to this one, def go before a new installation is added.

    Photos
    Prismajic
    Prismajic
    Prismajic

    See all

    Black American West Museum - museums - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...