Denver Museums and Cultural Centers Participate in $1 Admission Program for People on SNAP

For just one dollar per person, families receiving food assistance can now enjoy the sights and sounds of Denver Botanic Gardens and Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms in addition to four other cultural facilities participating in the Denver Human Services (DHS) One Dollar Museum and Cultural Center Admission Program. The program lets families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) support show their EBT card at the ticket window to receive one-dollar admission at participating sites for themselves and up to nine additional people*.

“All children should have the opportunity to access Denver’s museums and cultural facilities, and this program puts that access within reach for parents who would otherwise find it difficult to afford,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “By providing all children, and their parents, the opportunity to explore, learn and grow together, we are promoting equity for our residents and communities and ensuring Denver is a great place to have and raise a family.”
Museums and Cultural Centers participating in the program include:

• Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science
• History Colorado Center
• Denver Zoo
• Denver Botanic Gardens and Chatfield Farms

“Our intention is to ensure that this is a garden for all people,” said Denver Botanic Gardens CEO Brian Vogt. “We are eager to welcome new visitors to our institution and do everything we can to create a lasting bond of inspiration and delight.”

DHS initiated the one-dollar admission program in 2015 with the Children’s Museum. The Denver Museum of Nature & Science joined the program in May of 2017, followed by History Colorado Center, the Denver Zoo, and Denver Botanic Gardens in 2018. To date, more than 100,000 people have benefited from the program, many of them visiting the museums and cultural centers for the first time.

“This program allows parents to spend affordable quality time with their children,” said DHS Executive Director Don Mares. “A single parent recently told us the program allowed her to give her son a birthday party at one of the institutions that she would never have been able to afford otherwise. This program ensures parents can feed their family and also feed their children’s minds, future and cultural understanding. Impacting families across generations by creating a healthy, connected community is exactly what we’re about.”

In Denver, 36 percent of the people eligible to receive SNAP fail to apply, which means families do not get the help they are entitled to receive and instead are forced to decide between purchasing food or paying for basic family needs. The One Dollar Museum and Cultural Center Admission Program is one way Denver is encouraging families to participate in the SNAP program with a goal of achieving a healthier, more connected community where all families have the support and opportunity they need to grow and thrive.

In Denver, over 41,000 households receive financial support purchasing food through SNAP.

• ~40% or 15,698 are households with children
• ~20% or 10,446 are households with seniors (aged 60 or over)
• ~23% or 9,287 are households with one or more working adults

In addition to access to food and cultural centers, families in the program can get healthy cooking tips and discounts at farmer’s markets through Livewell Colorado’s Double Up Food Bucks program, including the Denver Botanic Gardens farm stands at DHS.
DHS initiated the program which now serves SNAP EBT cardholders from all 64 Colorado counties. To learn more about the program visit denvergov.org/humanservices.

*The cost of admission at the Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms is $1 per car. All other institutions listed, including the Denver Botanic Gardens York Street Gardens, charge $1 per person for up to 10 people total.  Valid for general admission and may not be redeemed for special events, classes and other programs.